Best TLDs by Industry: Complete Guide to Choosing Domain Extensions

Why Industry-Specific TLDs Matter

Your domain extension is more than just the end of your web address—it's a signal that tells visitors, search engines, and potential customers what your business is about before they even click. While .com remains the dominant choice across all sectors, industry-specific TLDs have grown significantly, offering businesses new opportunities for branding, credibility, and search relevance.

As of 2024, with over 362 million domain registrations worldwide and new generic TLDs (ngTLDs) growing by 17.4% year-over-year to reach 35.4 million registrations, the domain landscape has never been more diverse. This guide breaks down the best TLD choices by industry, backed by real usage statistics and market trends.

Technology & Software

Best TLDs for Tech Companies

.io - The Developer's Choice

Originally the country code for the British Indian Ocean Territory, .io has become synonymous with tech startups and developer tools. The reference to "input/output" in computer science made it a natural fit for the industry. Companies like Framer.io, Greenhouse.io, and Customer.io have helped establish .io as a genre of its own—the default for early-stage SaaS, dev tools, and productivity software.

With 1.1 million registrations and a 0.7% growth rate, .io remains a strong signal of technical credibility and is particularly favored by B2B SaaS companies and developer-focused platforms.

.ai - The AI Boom Extension

Among all tech TLDs, .ai has emerged as the runaway favorite for artificial intelligence companies. Domain registrations for .ai surged by 375% from July 2022 to December 2023, and the growth has continued through 2024. In 2024 alone, .ai domains accounted for about 20 of the top 100 high-value domain sales.

The extension grew by 7.8% (adding 38,900 registrations) in a single quarter, making it the fastest-growing tech-focused TLD. If your product involves machine learning, AI, or automation, .ai instantly signals your industry focus to both users and investors.

.dev - Google's Developer Platform

Run by Google, .dev requires HTTPS by default, making it highly secure and ideal for developer portfolios, projects, and coding tools. With 606,260 active registrations, .dev has secured its position among coding and technology experts.

The .dev extension has become a natural choice for software engineers, open-source contributors, tech startups, and online coding boot camps. Google's own platforms like web.dev and flutter.dev showcase the credibility of this extension. The forced encryption lends additional credibility among security-conscious developers and tech companies.

.tech and .app

.tech offers universal appeal across hardware, software, AI, cybersecurity, and emerging tech verticals. It's simple, direct, and has been embraced by both startups and established brands..app is particularly suitable for mobile app developers, SaaS platforms, and digital tools, with mandatory SSL certificates adding an extra layer of security and trust.

E-commerce & Retail

Best TLDs for Online Stores

.shop - The E-commerce Leader

With over 1.5 million sites using the .shop extension, it has become the second-most-popular TLD after .com for new registrations in 2024, ending the year with an impressive 721,532 registrations. Among e-commerce websites specifically, .shop is used by 1.51% of sites, making it three times more popular than its closest competitor.

The extension is ideal for businesses focused on e-commerce, online retail, and selling products or services. It immediately tells visitors what your website is about—no guesswork required.

.store - Purpose-Built for Commerce

Introduced in 2016 specifically for e-commerce websites, .store has grown to over 800,000 registrations. While it's used by 0.63% of e-commerce websites (compared to .shop's 1.51%), it remains a strong choice for online shops looking for a relevant and memorable domain.

A 12-month study by Contrast Digital showed that a .store domain can boost traffic, reduce costs per conversion, and double search visibility for e-commerce businesses. The extension is straightforward, professional, and tells customers exactly what your website is about.

.online - Digital-First Branding

With a 0.3% market share, .online is perfect for digital-first brands and businesses that want to emphasize their web-native approach. While less industry-specific than .shop or .store, it offers broader applicability for service businesses, digital products, and online communities.

Professional Services

Best TLDs for Consultants, Lawyers, and Professionals

Restricted Professional TLDs

Extensions like .law, .bank, .insurance, and.pharmacy are community gTLDs with defined membership and eligibility requirements. These restricted TLDs require proof of credentials or licensing, which adds significant credibility and trust for businesses in regulated industries.

For legal professionals, .law signals legitimacy and specialization. For financial services, specialized TLDs can convey professionalism and industry expertise that generic extensions cannot match.

.pro and Open Professional Extensions

Introduced in 2002, .pro was designed for certified professionals across various fields. While less restrictive than industry-specific TLDs, it still carries professional connotations suitable for consultants, freelancers, and service providers.

For most professional services, however, .com remains the gold standard, with its universal recognition and trust. The key is matching the extension to your target audience's expectations and your industry's norms.

Media, Content & Creative Industries

Best TLDs for Publishers, Bloggers, and Creators

For content creators and media companies, domain extensions can signal content type and build audience expectations. .media and .news extensions work well for publishers and journalists, while .blog clearly indicates personal or professional blogging platforms.

Creative professionals often benefit from extensions like .design, .photography, or .studio, which immediately communicate their specialization and can make portfolios more memorable.

Education & Non-Profit

Best TLDs for Educational Institutions and Organizations

.edu - The Academic Standard

As one of the original six gTLDs established in 1985, .edu is sponsored by EDUCAUSE and restricted to U.S. accredited educational institutions. This restriction makes it one of the most trusted and authoritative domain extensions, instantly signaling academic legitimacy.

.org - Non-Profit Trust Leader

Used by 4.6% of all websites, .org maintains one of the highest renewal rates at 77.6%, indicating strong user satisfaction and long-term commitment. Originally designated for non-profit organizations, it's now available to anyone but still carries strong associations with charitable, educational, and community organizations.

For non-profits, educational content creators, and community organizations, .org provides instant credibility and aligns visitor expectations with organizational mission.

Real Estate & Local Services

Best TLDs for Property and Local Businesses

Real estate businesses benefit from clear, industry-specific extensions like .realestateand .properties. These extensions immediately communicate the business focus and can improve local search relevance.

For businesses targeting specific cities or regions, geographic gTLDs like .nyc,.london, .tokyo, or .paris help establish local presence and improve geographic search targeting. These extensions represent specific cities, regions, or communities and can significantly boost local SEO performance.

Health & Wellness

Best TLDs for Healthcare Providers and Wellness Brands

Healthcare is a trust-sensitive industry where domain choice matters significantly. .pharmacyis a restricted community gTLD requiring proof of licensing, making it highly credible for verified pharmacies.

For wellness brands, fitness centers, and health content creators, extensions like .fitnessand .health provide clear industry signals. However, many healthcare providers still prefer .com for its universal trust and recognition, particularly when serving patients who may be less familiar with new TLD options.

Key Factors in Choosing an Industry TLD

Trust and Recognition

The most important factor is whether your target audience will recognize and trust the extension. While .com maintains 44.4% of global market share with 157.6 million registrations, industry-specific TLDs can provide equal or greater credibility when they match user expectations.

Search Engine Treatment

Google has confirmed that new gTLDs are treated equally to traditional ones in search rankings. Quality content and proper SEO practices matter more than the TLD choice. However, keyword relevance and geographic targeting can provide indirect SEO benefits.

Availability and Cost

Finding your ideal domain name in .com can be difficult and expensive. Industry-specific TLDs often offer better availability for short, memorable names at more reasonable prices. However, renewal rates vary significantly—while .org maintains a 77.6% renewal rate, extensions like .shop (22.1%) and .site (19.5%) show much lower long-term commitment.

Industry Standards and Competitor Analysis

Research what successful companies in your industry are using. In tech, you'll find many .io and .ai domains. In e-commerce, .shop and .store are increasingly common. For professional services, .com remains dominant. Your choice should align with industry norms unless you have a strong branding reason to diverge.

Industry TLD Trends for 2025

The domain landscape continues to evolve rapidly. New generic TLDs grew by 17.4% year-over-year to reach 35.4 million registrations in Q3 2024, showing strong continued adoption across industries.

AI-related domains lead the growth, with .ai surging 375% and accounting for 20 of the top 100 domain sales in 2024. E-commerce extensions like .shop experienced explosive growth, reaching 721,532 registrations by year-end. Meanwhile, .xyz became the most popular new gTLD with 4.16 million domains, representing 16.71% of the ngTLD market.

Looking ahead to 2025, expect continued specialization with industry-specific TLDs gaining market share, particularly in high-growth sectors like AI, e-commerce, and fintech. ICANN's planned next application round (expected 2026-2027) will introduce even more options, further diversifying the domain landscape.