Do the three letters at the end of your website URL really matter? Yes, they do.
As you go about building your website, you need to make a lot of decisions. One of the first is deciding on a domain name, and that means determining its domain extension.
While .org and .com are the most popular domain name extensions, how can you be sure which one is right for your website?
Is .org or .com better for your website?
It depends on the type of website you have. The domain extension .org is better for nonprofit websites, while .com is better for for-profit businesses selling a service or product. In terms of SEO value, which one you pick has little effect on SEO.
When it comes to building a website, considering your domain extension is an absolute must. Will you be selling a product or service? Is your website for a nonprofit business or strictly informational? Make sure that you have the answers to those questions before moving forward.
When to use .org
The .org domain extension stands for “organization” and is most commonly used for nonprofit organizations. It's also sometimes used for websites that aren’t necessarily for-profit but provide the public with free information and resources, like a public library.
You should consider a .org domain extension if your website is one of the following:
- A nonprofit organization
- A public education website providing information
- An open-source software website
Pros of using .org
If you’re leaning towards choosing .org as your domain extension, you should know that there are many advantages to it.
- Nonprofit credibility: Sends a message that the website serves its visitors with no intention of gaining a profit.
- More choices for a domain name: Since only 4.7% of websites use .org, fewer names have been purchased. This means you’re likely to get your first choice in a domain name.
Cons of using .org
Before you register with the .org domain extension, you should be aware of the cons, too.
- Lack of mobile-friendliness: When you use a mobile device to search a website, many keyboards have an automatic “.com” button. This means that having a .org extension is slightly less mobile-friendly.
- Limited industry use: Since .org should only be used for nonprofit businesses, it limits the use to casual, social, informational, or network use.
Want to learn more about Domain Registrars? Explore Domain Registrars products.
When to use .com
A .com domain extension can be found at the end of a for-profit domain or a website URL string (website address). The term .com stands for “commercial” and is used for business or commercial websites representing companies that sell goods or services for a profit.
Since .com is one of the most popular and trusted top-level domains (TLDs), roughly 47.8% of websites use it. It’s also not uncommon for nonprofit websites and blogs that don’t sell a product or service to use dot com to capture more visitors.
You should consider a .com domain extension if your website is one of the following:
- A business that sells a product or service (a service provider)
- A nonprofit that sells items
- Blogs, small businesses, or startups that require credibility
Pros of using .com
When it comes to choosing .com as your domain extension, there are some key advantages.
- Credible: Having a .com website domain builds credibility because it’s the most well-known and well-respected among businesses. Some customers are turned off by lesser-known domains, like .biz or .info, because they appear spammy and untrustworthy.
- Memorable: The .com domain extension is the first one that people think of. If a customer hears that your website name is Starry Night Sky, they’re going to type in starrynightsky.com, not starrynightsky.biz.
- Mobile-friendly: Most mobile devices make it easy to type in .com, as some even have a button dedicated to it.
Cons of using .com
With advantages come disadvantages, and choosing .com has some cons to consider.
- Price: Since .com is the more popular choice, it’s also the most expensive. While prices vary, and the cost of $10 per year for a .com domain name may not seem that bad, extensions like .tech come in at under $5 a year.
- Sales: Having a website with a .com domain extension lets visitors know that the website is selling something. Because of this, blog posts on a business website may come off as less reputable or authoritative.
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Comparing .org and .com as domain extensions
You should consider the following key differences when comparing .org and .com as domain extensions for your website.
| Criteria | .Org | .Com |
| Industry | Nonprofit organizations | For-profit organizations |
| Price | Average between $8 and $16 a year | Average between $8 and $16 a year |
| Mobile-friendliness | Low | High |
| Credibility | Alternatives to .org may make visitors question the nonprofit status | Alternatives to .com can appear cheap and reflect badly on the quality of products. |
| Availability |
High. Not many websites use .org domain name, making .org sites more available domains than .com domains |
Low. Most websites use .com as their domain extension, making .com domains more difficult to purchase |
Simply narrow down your industry, consider availability and credibility, factor in mobile friendliness and price, and you'll have a better idea of how the two compare.
How and where to buy a domain name?
Once you've decided whether your website should have a .org or .com domain extension, it's time to buy the right domain name! Here are some quick steps you can take to register a domain:
- Choose a domain registration service provider, also known as domain registrars, that helps businesses reserve Internet domain names.
- Decide on a name for your website or blog and see if it's available
- Choose the domain extension of your choice and your budget
- Create an account on the registration website, pay for the domain name, process the new domain name registration, and reserve it for a set billing cycle (semi-annually, annually, etc.)
- After you've bought a domain, the next step is to host it on a web server with a website hosting provider for online presence
Tip: Domain registration service providers like GoDaddy also offer website hosting services that make it easy for even a beginner to complete the hosting process without much technical assistance.
Which domain extension is right for you - Know your options
Choosing the right domain extension also depends on the nature of your business or organization.
For example, if you're a government agency, a .gov domain extension might be better for your website. If you're more of a local business like the one in the UK, a country-specific domain extension or country-code top-level domain extension like co.uk may serve your audience better.
Different domain extensions serve different purposes. Once you know the difference between them, it's easy to determine which one is right for your website and move a step ahead in the website-building process. It’s all part of the fun of building a website from start to finish!
Next up, consider hosting your website with a good website hosting provider and determine if you’ll need an SSL certificate.
Mara Calvello
Mara Calvello is a Content and Communications Manager at G2. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College (now Elmhurst University). Mara writes customer marketing content, while also focusing on social media and communications for G2. She previously wrote content to support our G2 Tea newsletter, as well as categories on artificial intelligence, natural language understanding (NLU), AI code generation, synthetic data, and more. In her spare time, she's out exploring with her rescue dog Zeke or enjoying a good book.
