Quick answer
What is a TLD?
A TLD (top-level domain) is the last label of a domain name: .com in example.com, .io in example.io. DotAlmanac's count of the IANA root zone shows 1,436 TLDs as of 29 October 2026, including 248 two-letter country codes and 151 internationalized TLDs in non-ASCII characters.
The root zone on 29 October 2026
1,436
TLDs in the IANA root zone file, version 2026102900
248
two-letter ASCII country codes such as .de, .uk or .io (17%)
151
internationalized TLDs written in non-ASCII characters, stored as xn-- (11%)
1,037
ASCII TLDs of three letters or more: generic, sponsored and brand TLDs, plus .arpa (72%)
How does a TLD fit into a domain name?
A TLD is the rightmost part of a domain name, just before the invisible root of the DNS. Read a name from right to left: in blog.example.com, .com is the TLD, example is the second-level domain you register, and blog is a subdomain you create yourself.
DotAlmanac is a domain extension guide and registrar: compare every extension, then register it with no KYC and pay in crypto. In everyday use, "domain extension" and "TLD" mean the same thing.
The DNS root zone lists every TLD and the name servers of the registry that runs it. When someone opens your site, resolvers ask the root where .com lives, then ask .com where example.com lives.
TLD terms in one place
- Top-level domain (TLD)
The label after the last dot of a domain name, such as .com, .org or .ai. Every TLD in use is listed in the IANA root zone.
- Root zone
The top file of the DNS, published by IANA. It lists each TLD and the name servers of its registry.
- gTLD (generic top-level domain)
A TLD not tied to a country, such as .com, .net, .org or .info. DotAlmanac's table counts 10 legacy gTLDs created before ICANN's 2012 expansion.
- ccTLD (country-code top-level domain)
A two-letter TLD for a country or territory, such as .de, .fr or .io. Codes follow the ISO 3166-1 list, with exceptions such as .uk and .eu. The root zone holds 248 ASCII ccTLDs.
- New gTLD
A generic TLD added through ICANN's New gTLD Program, which accepted applications in 2012: .app, .dev, .xyz, .shop and hundreds more. DotAlmanac's table covers 121 of them.
- sTLD (sponsored top-level domain)
A TLD run for a defined community by a sponsor that sets its rules, such as .aero, .coop, .museum or .travel. Only members of that community can register.
- IDN TLD (internationalized TLD)
A TLD written in non-ASCII characters, stored in the DNS as Punycode starting with xn--. Russia's .рф is xn--p1ai. The root zone holds 151 of them.
- Registry
The organisation that runs a TLD: its database, its name servers, its rules and its wholesale price. Verisign runs .com and .net; Google Registry runs .app and .dev; DENIC runs .de.
- Registrar
The company that sells domains to the public and sends each registration to the registry. ICANN accredits registrars for gTLDs. At DotAlmanac, domains are registered through our ICANN-accredited registrar partner.
- Second-level domain
The label just left of the TLD, the part you choose: example in example.com. It is what you actually register.
How many TLDs are there in 2026?
There are 1,436 TLDs in the root zone file published by IANA on 29 October 2026 (version 2026102900). DotAlmanac's count of the IANA root zone splits them into three groups:
- 248 two-letter ASCII country codes (17%), from .ac to .zw.
- 151 internationalized TLDs (11%), in scripts such as Cyrillic, Arabic or Chinese.
- 1,037 ASCII TLDs of three letters or more (72%): generic, sponsored and brand TLDs, plus the technical .arpa.
Only part of them are sold to the public. Brand TLDs serve a single company, and sponsored TLDs serve one community. DotAlmanac's table of 225 extensions covers the main public ones: 10 legacy gTLDs, 121 new gTLDs and 94 ccTLDs, or 38% of all ASCII country codes.
Which kinds of TLD can you register?
| Kind | Examples | Who can register | In DotAlmanac's table of 225 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy gTLD | .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .name | Anyone | 10 |
| New gTLD | .app, .dev, .xyz, .shop, .tech, .blog | Anyone, except a few community or professional ones (.music, .law, .bank) | 121 |
| ccTLD | .io, .ai, .co, .de, .uk, .us | Anyone for 52 of the 94; others need residency, presence, ID or a nexus | 94 |
| Sponsored TLD | .aero, .coop, .museum, .travel | Members of the sponsor's community | — |
| Brand TLD | A company's own name as a TLD | The company only | — |
| Infrastructure | .arpa | Nobody: reserved for technical use | — |
Last checked on ; older figures carry their own date
What is the difference between a gTLD and a ccTLD?
A gTLD is generic and follows ICANN's contracts; a ccTLD belongs to a country or territory and follows local rules. That difference shows up in who can register and what is public.
According to DotAlmanac's table of 225 extensions, 124 of the 131 gTLDs are open to anyone, against 52 of the 94 ccTLDs. Country codes also carry most special rules: all 31 extensions whose registry hides owner data itself are ccTLDs, such as .de and .uk.
Some country codes are used as generic names. Google treats .ai, .co, .io, .me, .tv and 15 other country codes as gTLDs in search, because people see them as generic. Other ccTLDs tell Google that a site targets that country. Details are in can you register a country domain without living there.
Who decides which TLDs exist?
ICANN decides which generic TLDs are created, and IANA keeps the official list of every TLD in the root zone. Country codes are delegated to an operator chosen for each country or territory.
Each TLD then has one registry. For example, Verisign runs .com, Google Registry runs .app, .dev and .page, and Internet Computer Bureau, a subsidiary of Identity Digital, runs .io. The registry sets the rules and the wholesale price. Verisign's .com fee is $10.26 a year, rising to $10.97 on 1 November 2026, plus a $0.20 ICANN fee.
Registrars like DotAlmanac sell names under those TLDs and add their own price on top. Ours are on the price list: a .com costs $11.99/year and a .io $33.99/year.
Does the TLD you choose matter?
Yes: it changes the price, the rules and how people read your address.
- Price: at DotAlmanac, a .com renews at $11.99/year and a .ai at $84.49/year, billed 2 years at a time.
- Rules: 23 of the 225 extensions in our table forbid WHOIS privacy, and 49 have a known or possible condition on who can register.
- Technical limits: .app, .dev and .page require HTTPS on every site.
- Search: Google treats any TLD that ICANN does not list as a country code as generic, so a new gTLD is not tied to any country in search.
Our guide to choosing a domain extension turns these points into a decision, and the extension pages cover 14 popular TLDs one by one.
Top-level domains: FAQ
Is .com a TLD?
Yes. .com is a legacy generic TLD run by Verisign. It is the most common extension for businesses. At DotAlmanac it costs $11.99/year the first year and the same to renew, as of 29 October 2026.
Is a TLD the same as a domain extension?
Yes. "Domain extension" is the everyday name for a TLD. Both mean the part after the last dot, such as .org or .dev.
How many TLDs are there?
1,436, according to DotAlmanac's count of the IANA root zone file of 29 October 2026. That includes 248 two-letter ASCII country codes and 151 internationalized TLDs.
Is .io a country-code TLD?
Yes. .io is the ccTLD of the British Indian Ocean Territory, open to anyone. Google treats it as generic in search. Its long-term future is tied to the Chagos sovereignty question, but .io works normally in 2026.
Can I create my own TLD?
Not through a registrar. A new TLD is created only through an ICANN application round, by an organisation able to run a registry. Most people register a second-level domain under an existing TLD instead.
Sources (6)
- List of top-level domains (tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt), version 2026102900 — IANA (checked 2026-10-29)
- Root Zone Database — IANA (checked 2026-10-08)
- Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites (generic ccTLDs) — Google Search Central (updated 2025-12-10, checked 2026-10-29)
- Verisign .com price update 2026 — osir.com (checked 2026-10-08)
- .io safe for now as Trump puts Chagos deal on ice — Domain Incite (checked 2026-10-08)
- HSTS preload and Google Registry kb.porkbun.com/article/96-hsts-preload-and-google-registry — Porkbun (checked 2026-10-08)
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