Generic TLDs — perception & use cases
Classic
The gold standard. Universally trusted globally. Works for any business, brand, or project. First choice for e-commerce.
Network
Originally for network providers. Now used by tech companies, ISPs, and internet infrastructure services.
Signals non-profit, open source, or community purpose. High trust factor. Great for charities, NGOs, and foundations.
Startup
Beloved by SaaS products, APIs, and dev tools. Signals innovation and tech culture. Premium among startup investors.
Company
Short for "company" or "commerce". Modern, clean alternative to .com. Popular with global startups and brands.
Developer
Google-backed. Requires HTTPS. Perfect for developer tools, code projects, APIs, and open source documentation.
Product
Google-backed. Requires HTTPS. Ideal for mobile apps, web applications, and productivity software products.
AI / ML
Sky-high demand, sky-high price. Instantly signals artificial intelligence. Premium brand signal for AI companies.
Creative
Bold and generation-neutral. Associated with Gen X/Y/Z. Used by creatives, crypto projects, and bold startups.
Personal
Made for personal branding. Great for portfolios, personal sites, and individual professionals.
Media
Signals video, broadcast, and streaming. Perfect for YouTube channels, streaming brands, and media companies.
Fun facts — country TLDs used creatively
- .io technically belongs to the British Indian Ocean Territory 🇮🇴, but became the default TLD for tech startups worldwide
- .ai is officially Anguilla's 🇦🇮 TLD (a tiny Caribbean island), but AI companies have driven its price to $70–100/yr
- .tv belongs to the Pacific island nation Tuvalu 🇹🇻, earning them millions in annual royalties from media brands
- .co is Colombia's 🇨🇴 ccTLD but is globally marketed as "company" — used by brands like X.co (Twitter) and AngelList
- .me is Montenegro's 🇲🇪 TLD but is widely adopted for personal branding globally
- .ly (Libya 🇱🇾) gave us bit.ly — country TLDs can make brilliant short URLs