There are over 1,500 TLDs available today. Most of them aren’t worth your money. A few are worth a premium. Here’s how we’d spend a domain budget in 2026, based on price, perceived trust, and long-term value.
The verdict at a glance
| TLD | Worth it? | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Always | Anything you’re serious about |
| .org | Yes | Nonprofits, open source, communities |
| .io | Situational | Dev tools, SaaS (price is falling) |
| .ai | If you can afford it | AI products (premium pricing) |
| .co | Yes | Startups when .com is taken |
| .dev / .app | Yes | Technical projects (cheap, HTTPS-enforced) |
| .xyz | Budget pick | Side projects, experiments |
| Most other new gTLDs | Rarely | Niche/descriptive use only |
.com is still king — and worth defending
Nothing has dethroned .com. It carries the most trust, the best resale value, and universal recognition. If your project matters, get the .com. The only real question is where you renew it — see cheapest .com renewal.
.io: still strong, but cheaper than it was
.io became the default startup TLD a decade ago and still signals “tech.” The good news for 2026: increased competition has pulled .io renewal prices down from their peak. It’s no longer the budget-buster it once was, though it remains pricier than legacy TLDs. Check current pricing across every registrar on the .io page.
.ai: worth it only if it’s core to your brand
.ai is the standout premium TLD of the era. If you’re building an AI product and the .ai strengthens your brand, the premium can be justified. If you’re just chasing the trend, the recurring cost adds up fast.
.dev and .app: underrated and cheap
Both are backed by Google, enforce HTTPS, and renew at near-legacy prices. For technical projects they’re an excellent, affordable choice that still looks intentional.
The new gTLDs: mostly skip
Extensions like .online, .site, .store, and .tech have their place — usually when the descriptive word is the value (e.g. brand.store). But watch the renewals: many carry steep first-year-to-renewal hikes — check the average in the Domain Price Index first. Buy them for a specific reason, not as a .com substitute.
How to decide
Ask three questions:
- Will people trust it? .com and .org win here.
- Does the extension add meaning?
get.app,acme.dev,studio.designcan be stronger than a generic .com. - What’s the renewal? Always the deciding factor. Check the Domain Price Index before committing.
When in doubt: buy the .com, hold it at a low-renewal registrar, and move on.