The .Com vs .Co Debate:
How to Decide Between the Veteran and Upstart Domain Extensions
The world of top-level domain extensions is evolving. With over 1,200 options to choose from, finding the right domain suffix for your website or online brand is an important decision.
Two of the most common commercial domain name choices—.com and .co—seem similar on the surface. But there are some key differences in their background, capabilities, and best use cases to consider.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know when deciding between .com and .co for your next website project.
The Origins of .Com: From Humble Beginnings to Total Dominance
Let’s start at the beginning. The venerable .com top-level domain has been with us since the earliest days of the commercial web.
.Com was one of only seven original domain name extensions approved in 1985. It was designated for commercial use, while counterpoints like .org, .net, and .edu served other entities.
When the first .com domain symbolics.com was registered later that year, no one could have predicted the astronomical growth and ubiquity .com would achieve over the following decades.
Through the late 1990s dot-com boom and bust cycle, .com became the default and most recognized home for online businesses. As internet adoption grew exponentially in the 2000s, so too did registrations of .com domains.
To illustrate just how dominant .com remains in 2024:
- Over 158 million .com domains are registered as of January 2023
- It accounts for 48% of all domain registrations globally
- 65% of the top 1 million most visited websites use .com
Based on historical precedence and consumer familiarity, it’s clear .com retains its positioning as the “default” top-level domain for establishing any kind of commercial web presence.
Next, let’s examine where, when, and why the upstart .co entered the scene.
The Dawn of .Co and Why It Disrupted the Domain Game
The .co top-level domain (pronounced “dot co”) has been available since 1991. However, for nearly 20 years .co lived in relative obscurity as the designated country code domain for Colombia.
That changed in July 2010 when domain registrar and web hosting giant GoDaddy launched an expanded global availability of .co domain extensions. They marketed .co as a versatile alternative to .com, allowing brands to register a shorter, catchier version of their ideal .com address if it had already been claimed.
For example, if shop.com wasn’t available, a retailer could register shop.co instead at a fraction of the price otherwise required to purchase the premium .com domain aftermarket.
This added availability and affordability of .co domains caught on quickly. By 2022 over 2.7 million .co sites were registered globally. It has grown by an average of 15% year-over-year since 2015.
So why has .co gained enough traction in a little over a decade to be considered a serious alternative for commercial websites instead of just a shortcut for Colombia?
Benefits and Drawbacks: .Com vs .Co Decisions
Now that we’ve covered the background and growth trajectories of both domains, let’s directly compare their respective benefits and potential drawbacks.
Availability
One of the main reasons aspiring website owners consider .co is that their ideal .com address is not available to register. With over 158 million .com registrations, many intuitive or short memorable names have been claimed.
The chances of finding your first choice .co domain are better. However, with 2.7 million sites now using .co, options for brandable .co domains could start drying up soon among this growing niche.
Memorability
A major benefit to .com domains is how engrained they’ve become globally. Internet users instinctively expect and trust that sites end in .com.
However, while very short (.co vs .com) and keyword-rich .com domains beat out .co memorability typically, a branded, catchy .co name can also stand out and stick in customers’ minds. Think about well-known .co sites like producthunt.co, slit.co or startup.co. Their names are perfectly memorable despite not using .com.
Mobile Experience
Most mobile devices have shortcuts and dedicated .com buttons on keyboards to quickly facilitate accessing .com domains. This gives them an advantage for mobile UX. However, as long as your website is optimized for mobile, a .co domain will render and operate just fine across all devices.
Trust and Credibility
One concern shoppers consider when comparing .com vs .co domains is whether they can trust sites that don’t end in the traditional .com.
Since the early commercial web, internet users have been conditioned to expect sites to use .com extensions for legitimacy. However, after a decade of growth among startups and savvy brands, consumer perception of .co is maturing.
While some older demographics still inherently trust .com over other TLDs, among younger audiences a branded, well-designed .co site can certainly hold its own.
SEO Value
When it comes to search engine optimization, Google has confirmed that choosing .com vs .co will not directly impact where your site ranks. The content itself and on-page optimization factors are much more important.
However, a keyword-rich .com brand name aligning with your core content focus may provide some marginally helpful SEO benefit. But only if it also leads to being shared more frequently.
Pricing Differences
Domain registrars typically price registration and renewal fees for .com and .co the same. However, premium or post-registration aftermarket sales of high value domains often see .com extensions fetching dramatically higher sale prices compared to .co.
For example, FinancesOnline.com research found:
- Average resale price for premium .com domains in 2022 reached $3,000.
- Average resale price of premium .co domains was just under $2,000.
So while deals can still be found in the .co aftermarket, those with deep pockets continue to shell out more for high-potential .com acquisitions.
Expert Tips for Making the Right Choice
Now that we’ve extensively covered the key comparative points between .com and the growing .co alternative, let’s wrap up with some best practice tips.
When does it make most sense to pursue each domain?
Pursue .com when:
- You have your first choice .com name available to register new.
- Credibility with conservative audiences is an imperative.
- You wish to convey establishment and professionalism.
Pursue .co when:
- Your perfect .com match is unavailable or too expensive.
- Displaying modernity and youthful energy is a priority.
- You want a catchier name unconstrained by .com scarcity.
The vital takeaway is that .co is no longer viewed as just shortcut for Colombia. Both customer perception and adoption have matured enough in over 10 years for it to now credibly compete with .com across most website use cases.
The Growth Trajectory of .Co Still Appears Promising
Despite .com’s still-dominant majority market share, the growth trajectory and expanding capabilities of .co remain quite promising.
Tech startups especially have flocked to .co for conveying their modern branding. As GoDaddy’s research shows, over 35% of Silicon Valley based startups have adopted the suffix.
Established brands have also increasingly acquired .co domains to supplement their .com presence. Consumer perception and trust in the TLD should only continue rising.
While no one is predicting the dethroning of .com as the consensus favorite, .co appears well-positioned to further narrow the wide gap at least. Especially among forward-thinking online brands who crave standing out with a catchier name.
The Verdict: .Co Can Coexist and Compete
At the end of this extensive .com vs .co domain breakdown, we can decisively conclude:
Yes, despite .com’s multi-decade head start and engrained legacy status, adopting the sleek .co alternative can compete both in terms of credibility and memorability.
Assuming your branding and web presentation are professionally executed, the average consumer nowadays does not discriminate against .co websites on trust factors alone.
With the proper selective targeting and messaging, .co sites can effectively compete across all modern online verticals. Of course kings like .com and .net aren’t ceding their thrones anytime soon either.
In the expanding diverse landscape of domain extensions, there’s room for veterans like .com and disruptors like .co to coexist. Over 150 million sites ending in .com clearly won’t be changing overnight.
But the growth trajectory and expanding capabilities of .co remain quite promising. We expect adoption by startups and modern brands to continue rising steadily in 2024 and beyond.
