Compare .co and .com

A .co can look sharper on a logo and still lose a customer who types .com from habit. A .com can be the safest address and still be unavailable on the name you want. The decision starts with the audience, not the extension.

The short answer

If the .com is available and you serve general customers, register the .com. It is the address people add when they only remember the name.

If the name is short, brandable and aimed at an audience that reads .co as company or commerce, the .co can be the better-looking primary address.

If the .com is taken, only choose .co when it reads as a deliberate brand choice. If it looks like a typo of someone else's .com, change the name instead.

Side by side

Where .co wins

• Short lockup. A two-letter extension gives a tighter logo and a shorter spoken address.
• Startup reading. Technical and product audiences often read .co as company or commerce.
• Colombian identity. If you serve Colombian customers, .co is a national address rather than a hack.
• Availability. A strong name that is taken on .com is more likely to be free on .co.
• Defensive value. The .co can catch mistyped traffic and protect a campaign.

The advantage is presentation and availability, not automatic trust. A .co with a thin site still reads as a thin site.

Where .com wins

• Default recognition. Customers type .com without thinking, especially on a phone.
• Consumer trust. Local services and shops benefit from the address people already expect.
• Spoken and printed. It survives a radio ad, a van and a business card without explanation.
• Email clarity. A short .com is easy to say and hard to mistype.
• Exit value. The .com is the address most buyers want if you sell the business.

The advantage is familiarity. It does not make the site better, but it removes one reason for a visitor to hesitate.

Cost and renewal

The two extensions are priced separately, and their terms differ: .co allows 1 to 5 years, while .com allows 1 to 10. A shorter maximum term means more frequent renewal decisions.

This page does not quote a number. The search result and the checkout page show the current prices for the exact name, including whether it is a standard registration or a premium listing.

A .co transfer in includes one free year of registration, with additional years available after the transfer completes. If you buy both extensions, you are committing to two renewals.

Rules and restrictions

Both extensions are open to anyone. Both use 1 to 63 characters, letters, numbers and hyphens, with hyphens excluded from the third and fourth positions. Domain privacy is supported on both.

.co auto-renew is attempted 1 day after expiration, and redemption fees may apply 19 days after expiration. .com auto-renew is attempted on the expiration date, with redemption possibly applying after 12 days. Timelines can change.

Read the registry summaries for .co and .com before you rely on a specific rule.

How to choose in five minutes

1. Say the name and the extension out loud. If you have to spell the extension, it may not be the right one.
2. Search the exact name on both extensions at the same time.
3. If the .com is available and you serve general customers, register it.
4. If the name is short, brandable and aimed at a startup audience, .co can be the primary address.
5. If the .com is taken, ask whether .co is deliberate or a typo. If it is a typo, change the name.
6. Buy both only when the brand is established enough to justify two renewals.

Common mistakes

• Buying .co as a typo of an established .com and calling it a brand.
• Owning only the .co while customers send email to the .com.
• Assuming .co is permanently cheaper than .com.
• Ignoring the 5 year maximum term when planning the budget.
• Using .co for a nontechnical local audience that expects .com.
• Forgetting to check whether the result is a premium listing.

Frequently asked questions

Last reviewed: 2026-10-19. This page describes current practice and general information. Prices and registry policies can change.