.com vs .dev: is .dev the right TLD for your dev tool?

Updated May 11, 2026

Short answer: .dev is the cleanest TLD for developer-facing products today — preloaded HTTPS, no ambiguity about audience, no .io geopolitical wrinkle. Pick .dev when your buyer is a developer and .com when your buyer signs a procurement contract.

Why .dev exists

.dev is a Google-run TLD launched in 2019 specifically marketed to developers. It is HSTS-preloaded (same as .app — every .dev MUST serve HTTPS). Google's own developer products live there: web.dev, opensource.dev, flutter.dev, dart.dev, vscode.dev. The TLD is a signal: this is technical, this is current, this audience knows what HSTS is.

When .dev shines

Developer tools, libraries, CLIs, SDKs.
Open-source project homepages.
Documentation hubs and developer reference sites.
Internal engineering tools and dashboards.
Engineering blogs and personal sites for developers.

.dev vs .io for dev tools

Both read as "technical" to developer audiences. The differences:

	.io	.dev
Registry stability	Uncertain — UK ceded BIOT sovereignty in 2024	Stable — Google subsidiary
HTTPS enforcement	Optional	Mandatory (HSTS preloaded)
Annual cost	~$40-60	~$15-20
Type-in recognition	Strong with technical audience	Growing fast
Length availability	Most 4-letter taken	More 4-letter still available

For a new project in 2026: .dev > .io. Better availability, lower cost, no geopolitical risk, comparable type-in trust among developers.

Cost reality

	.com	.dev
Standard annual price	~$10-15	~$15-20
Premium ceiling	$$$$	$$$ (some short names reserved by Google)
HTTPS required	Optional	Yes — preloaded HSTS
Registry	Verisign	Charleston Road Registry (Google)

When .com still wins

You sell to non-technical buyers — your dev product's buyer is a CTO who reads .dev fine, but they also forward links to non-technical executives.
You expect to expand into adjacent markets (consultancy, books, content).
You raise money and the investor pitch deck says ".dev" to a partnership lawyer who has never registered a domain.
You want maximum acquisition liquidity. .com remains the most-traded asset class.

Real brand examples on .dev

web.dev — Google's developer-resource site.
flutter.dev, dart.dev — Google's SDK landing pages.
vscode.dev — VS Code in the browser.
turbo.dev — Turborepo by Vercel.
remix.run — actually uses .run, but the community uses .dev heavily.

Try this starter prompt

“CLI tool for managing Kubernetes secrets across environments”

Find available .dev + .io names →

Frequently asked

Can I use .dev for a non-developer product?+

Technically yes, but you'll fight the audience association. If your buyer doesn't know what .dev means, you're burning a clarity-signal for no reason.

Does .dev have SEO implications?+

Treated as a generic TLD by Google — no rank handicap. The forced HTTPS is a positive for Core Web Vitals and security audits.

Is .dev good for personal portfolios?+

Yes, particularly for developer portfolios. yourname.dev reads as "I am a developer" without needing to spell it out.