Of the dozens of domain extensions available, .org and .com are the two most popular—with the ubiquitous .com as the most popular of all. The difference between .com and .org is that .com (commercial) is usually used by businesses, while .org (organization) is intended for charities, nonprofits, and associations. For more guidance, keep reading to discover when to use .org vs .com for your website.
Quick Comparison of .Org vs .Com Domains
Both .com and .org are top-level domain (TLD) extensions that appear after the final dot in a URL (e.g., the .com in “fitsmallbusiness.com”). Other common TLDs are .net and .edu, and .co is now a variant for .com. Any top-level domain extension can give your website’s URL a professional appearance, but you should still choose the one most appropriate for your business type and industry.
Guidelines for when to use .org vs .com in your domain name.
Learn more about the difference between .com and .org domain extensions here:
.org | .com | |
|---|---|---|
Best For | Organizations, charities, associations, and nonprofits | Commercial entities and businesses, blogs, or any type of site (universal extension) |
Cost per Year | $10-$15+ | $10-$15+ |
Domain Extension Availability | Limited, but less competition than .com | Difficult, due to its popularity |
Note that these aren’t hard and fast rules. For example, .com is a universal type of extension given that both “www” and “.com” are synonymous with websites in general. Plus, there’s no domain extension police out there to stop you from using the one you think is best for your website. However, the extension you ultimately choose might affect how people perceive your business.
Also, keep in mind that top-level domains like .com and .org are also extremely popular, and you may not be able to register the exact URL you want. For this reason, you might need to generate alternative ideas to be sure you have an option that is available. Learn more in our article explaining how to choose a domain name for a business.
Costs are also not so black and white. For example, .com and .org domain names can cost as low as $1.99 per year to up to thousands of dollars, depending on the domain extension you want and the registrar you buy it on.
Also, you’ll have to pay a fee (usually annually) for business domain name registration. Typically, .org and .com domain extensions cost around $10 to $15 per year to maintain. For example, .com domains start as low as $9.99 through Domain.com.
Pro tip: You can often get a free domain name through a web hosting service like DreamHost or a site builder like Wix. Buying a hosting plan often includes a domain for a certain period, so see if you’re eligible for this offering before registering your domain name.
When to Use a .Com Domain Extension
.com stands for “commercial,” as it was initially intended for use by for-profit companies (aka commercial businesses). Anyone can register for a .com domain, which is the most popular (and one of the most professional) top-level domain extensions to use. Because of its popularity, registering for a .com domain name can get competitive, so make sure you come up with multiple options for your business domain name.
Pros
- Professional, popular, and widely trusted and recognized
- Applicable for a variety of industries, businesses, and uses
Cons
- Popularity means limited availability
- Premium domains with a .com extension can be very expensive
Best For
- Commercial businesses (e.g., Bluehost.com)
- Blogs (e.g., Apartmenttherapy.com)
- Personal sites, like resumes and portfolios
- General, multi-purpose use (e.g., Buzzfeed.com)
When to Use a .Org Domain Extension
The domain extension .org stands for “organization.” It isn’t as widely used as .com but is still among the most popular. Organizations like charities, nonprofits, and associations usually rely on .org websites. Unless your brand fits with these categories, it’s probably best to find a suitable .com name to register.
Pros
- Professional and trusted by many
- Cheaper overall than .com
- Less competitive domain names than .com
Cons
- Nonprofit connotation may be unsuitable for your business
- More people will trust a .com domain extension than a .org one
- Very popular, so expect limited availability
Best For
- Business and trade associations
- Charities and foundations (e.g., Gatesfoundation.org)
- Networking groups and associations (e.g., American Medical Association at ama-assn.org)
- Other nonprofit entities (e.g., Wikipedia.org)
Where to Purchase .Org or .Com Domain Names
Once you’ve decided on your business’ domain name, the next thing to do is to head to a registrar to purchase it. A domain registrar allows you to purchase and register a domain name, but all domain names from all registrars are stored in the domain name registry. This means that choosing a registrar isn’t the biggest deal in the world—after all, everything ends up in a centralized registry.
Here are a few of the best places to get a domain name:
- Purchased separately from domain name registrars (e.g., Domain.com or Google Domains)
- Included in web hosting plans (e.g., Bluehost or GoDaddy)
- Included in paid plans with all-in-one website builders (e.g., Squarespace or Wix)
Registrars do differ in some things. Namely, the extensions they offer, the services they add on (like more privacy), the prices they charge for the domain name, and the duration your name is registered.
The most important thing is to ensure that the registrar you choose is ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) accredited. ICANN is the organization that handles all domain names. It’s also important to compare your options and choose a registrar with favorable terms and conditions.
Best Alternatives to .Com or .Org Domain Extensions
Right now, you might be thinking that neither .org nor .com sounds right for your small business website and business email needs. In that case, here are other domain extensions that might work better for your brand.
Extension | Common Usage |
|---|---|
.net or .tech | Network-based organizations, like internet providers, infrastructure, and tech companies |
.store | Online stores and websites of retail businesses |
.edu | Educational brands, including (but not limited to) schools, colleges, and universities |
.io | Newer software and tech companies, such as artificial intelligence apps |
.gov | Government agencies, offices, and departments, and regulatory websites |
.media | Publishers, journalists, and similar media-related brands |
.us, .ca, .co.uk, .ru (and so on) | Country (location) based extensions, such as bbc.com/news/uk |
Statistics to Consider When Choosing Between .Com vs .Org
You may have already decided which option between .com vs .org fits you best based on your industry alone. But before purchasing your domain name, here are some statistics that might influence your decision:
- People are 3.8 times more likely to assume that your domain name ends in .com when trying to remember the name of your website, and a .com is 3x more memorable than a .org URL.
- However, expect to have a difficult time finding a .com domain name that isn’t already taken: 52.3% of all registered TLDs worldwide are .com.
- Can’t get the .com you want? Don’t worry; there are over a thousand TLDs in play today.
- Your .org domain name may be easier to snag, as only 5.02% of domains use .org.
- Still, getting a .com name might be worth your while, as people correctly remember a .com domain name 44% of the time.
Despite .com having a clear advantage, both .com and .org are extremely popular and memorable. Both .com and .org domains are reliable, and either will give your website credibility. Choosing between .com vs .org will ultimately depend on how appropriate the extension is for your industry and business type.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The purpose of your website dictates which domain extension is best when choosing a domain name. Commercial businesses should almost always go with .com, while nonprofits and associations would benefit more from .org. Government sites typically go with .gov, while education providers use .edu, and various location-based entities use extensions like .us and .uk.
The average .com domain name costs around $12 to $15 per year. Premium in-demand domain names may cost more, from $40 to $50 a year to thousands of dollars. Also, extensions like .club and .site are much cheaper than popular extensions like .org and .com. But people trust and remember popular extensions more, so a cheap extension might not be your best bet.
Domain names are registered, rather than being purchased outright. Secure your domain name indefinitely by purchasing through the best domain registrars and paying the registration fee annually, usually by opting for automatic renewal. You can purchase a domain name for up to 10 years, though most registries offer no more than one- to three-year terms.
Bottom Line
The start of building online brand presence is getting a domain that suits it perfectly. When choosing between .org vs .com, choose the extension that best matches your industry. There are millions of websites with a .com or .org domain name—so it may be hard to get the exact one that you want. But with enough creativity and a little luck, you can get a perfect URL for your small business website and business email.
