How to choose a domain extension
The method in steps, with a decision table: if your project is this, pick that.
Quick answer
What do DotAlmanac's domain extension guides cover?
DotAlmanac is a domain extension guide and registrar: compare every extension, then register it with no KYC and pay in crypto. As of 29 October 2026, its domain extension guides cover four needs. They help you choose an extension, compare two of them, read renewal data on 225 extensions and set up DNS.
Choose: which guide helps me pick an extension?
Start with the method, then read the page for your type of project. Each page gives a clear pick, the first-year and renewal price of the options, and the traps to avoid.
Best domain extensions (2026)
Ten extensions ranked on price, renewal, registry rules and how people read them.
Best extension for a startup
Which extension a new product should use, with first-year and renewal prices side by side.
Best extension for an AI company
When .ai is worth its 2-year minimum term, and what the alternatives cost.
Best extension for developers
Extensions for tools, documentation and side projects, compared on price and HTTPS rules.
Best extension for an online store
Extensions for shops and brands that sell online, with the renewal cost over several years.
Best extension for a personal website
Extensions for a portfolio, a CV or a blog, with a clear pick for each case.
Best extension for gaming
Extensions for teams, game servers and streamers, including the rules of .gg.
What is a TLD?
gTLD, ccTLD, new gTLD, sTLD, IDN, registry and registrar, defined in plain words.
Country domains without living there
Which country codes are open to anyone, and which require residence or a local presence.
Compare: which page settles X vs Y?
Each comparison puts two or three extensions side by side: first-year price, renewal, cost over 5 years, registry, rules and how people read them. It ends with a verdict for each type of project.
.io vs .com
The startup question: a tech signal against the default extension, with the .io renewal of $52.49/year.
.ai vs .io
Two tech country codes: the 2-year minimum of .ai against the Chagos question of .io.
.com vs .net vs .org
The three historic extensions: who each one suits today, and what each costs to keep.
.co vs .com
Colombia's country code against .com: price, perception and the 5-year maximum term.
.app vs .dev
Two Google Registry extensions with HTTPS required: which one fits a product, which one a developer.
.xyz vs .com
Is .xyz a good domain? Price, perception and the projects it suits.
Data: where are the renewal prices and registry rules?
In two dated reports and three guides built on them. According to DotAlmanac's table of 225 extensions, the set holds 10 historic gTLDs, 121 new gTLDs and 94 country codes. DotAlmanac's count of the IANA root zone shows 1,436 TLDs in total on 29 October 2026.
Domain renewal price index 2026
First-year and renewal prices of about 10 extensions at five registrars, with the gap in percent and the date of each check.
Domain extension rules 2026
Who can register, minimum and maximum terms, and where WHOIS privacy is forbidden, for 225 extensions.
Cheapest domain extensions to renew
Extensions ranked by their renewal price, the figure you pay every year after the first.
Why domain renewals cost more
Promotional first years, registry wholesale fees and how to avoid a renewal surprise.
Should you register for 10 years?
Maximum term by extension, locked prices or not, and the cost of paying in advance.
Set up: how do I connect the domain once I have it?
Follow the guide for your host or mail service. Each one gives the exact DNS records in a table, and the steps in order. The DNS templates of the client area write most of these records in one click.
How to check if a domain is available
Our search, RDAP, the meaning of taken, available and confirmed at order, and expired names.
Connect a domain to GitHub Pages
Four A records, four AAAA records and a www CNAME, with each step in order.
Connect a domain to Vercel
The A record and the www CNAME, and why the values in your Vercel project come first.
Use Cloudflare with your domain
Move the DNS of your domain to Cloudflare with its 2 nameservers, step by step.
Set up email forwarding
Receive mail sent to your domain in an inbox you already use.
How it works
Search, top-up in crypto, email check, DNS, renewals and transfers, from start to finish.
What is Domain protection?
The option that registers the domain in our company name, its four points and its limits.
How are these guides kept up to date?
Each guide carries the date of its last check. Our own prices come from the live price grid, so they change on every page at once. Competitor prices carry the date of the price list they come from, and we check them again each month.
Registry rules come from the registries, IANA and the sources named on each page. If you find an error, write to [email protected]; the about page describes the method.
Guides: questions
Where should I start if I have no idea which extension to pick?
Start with how to choose a domain extension. It asks who will type the name, what the project is and how long you will keep it. Then it points you to the right comparison.
Are the prices in the guides the same as on the pricing page?
Yes. Our own prices on every guide come from the same price grid as the pricing page, dated 29 October 2026. A .com costs $11.99/year everywhere on the site.
Can I reuse your data in an article?
Yes. The two reports, the renewal price index and the extension rules table, are published under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Cite DotAlmanac with a link to the page.
Do the guides recommend only extensions you sell?
No. Some guides mention extensions we do not sell, such as .sh or .eu, and say so. When another registrar sells an extension for less, the guide names it with the date of the check.
Sources (1)
- List of top-level domains (version 2026102900) — IANA (29 October 2026)
Ready to look up a name?
Search a name in every extension, with its first-year and renewal price.