.co vs .com - Which One to Choose in 2024

The .com TLD was first introduced in 1985. Back then, it was the norm for people to use it when creating a website, which explains why most of the websites we come across end with .com; among the 362.3 million registered domain names, the majority have a .com TLD.

More than a decade later, the domain registrar GoDaddy introduced the TLD .co. GoDaddy saw the competition over .com TLDs and decided to create a TLD that is similar to it. It was then approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and other domain registrars started offering it. 
 

.co vs .com

.co vs .com - availability

Since most of the websites on the internet use .com, there is a big possibility that the domain name that you want will not be available. This is mainly why GoDaddy created the .co TLD. 

Usually, when you want a taken domain name, you can contact its owner and ask to buy it from them. However, the owner will naturally take advantage of the fact that you need that one certain domain name and will sell it to you at a much higher price.

So, going for a .co domain name might be your only option in such cases.
 

.co vs .com - SEO

SEO is basically your website's popularity on search engines. Obviously, when you create a website, you want it to be the top search result when someone looks for something on Google for example. 

According to Searchmetrics, Google prefers .com domains to .co domains. So, supposedly, yourname.com will rank higher than yourname.co on Google's search.

However, domain names and TLDs are only one part of the factors that will help you rank on Google. So, if the domain name you want is only available for a .co domain name, don't worry much about SEO, as there are other factors that will affect your rank.
 

.co vs .com - popularity

To say it simply, the .com TLD is much more popular than the .co one. Some people might not want to get a .co domain name saying that not many people are familiar with it, which might cause confusion for some people when accessing your website.

While this is true, things are bound to change. So, if you can find the domain name that you want with a .com TLD, then that's great. However, if it's only available with .co, the .co domain popularity (or the lack thereof) should not stop you from starting your website. 
 

.co vs .com - pricing

When GoDaddy created the .co TLD, the goal behind it was to compete with the .com TLD. So, as you may have guessed, GoDaddy gave the .co TLD a slightly higher price. So, on any domain registrar, the .co domain name will cost more than the .com one. 

If you want to create your website urgently, you can create it with a .co TLD and wait until the .com TLD is available, and change your domain name.  

.co vs .com - the verdict

You need to have the four points in mind before getting a domain name. Sometimes, the domain name that you want will only be available in either .co or .com; some other times, it will be available in both. In these cases, the price will most probably decide for you.
 

The Best Domain Registrars

Let's see the best domain registrars and see the prices for .co vs .com TLDs in each one.

1. GoDaddy
 

GoDaddy is one of the best domain registrars on the market. With GoDaddy, not only will you lease a domain name, but you will also get more features like web building and web hosting services. 

.co vs .com prices:

GoDaddy offers further features like:

• You can have up to 100 subdomains.
• You get real-time monitoring and help from experts.
• You don't have to have any technical skills; GoDaddy's experts will help you throughout the whole process.
• GoDaddy offers you easy and simple tools to migrate your existing domain to GoDaddy.

After leasing a domain name, you get to have it for as long as you pay for the renewal. However, if you fail to pay, you will lose your domain name. But not really. GoDaddy offers a grace period of 12 days in which you can still pay the same price and get your domain name back. After the grace period is over, you still have 26 days to get your domain name back, with a redemption fee of $80. If you don't get it back during this period, your domain name will go to auction, and anyone will be able to buy it.

With GoDaddy's basic privacy plan, our information will be partially hidden from the WHOIS database; if you pay an extra $9.99 per year, you will get full protection.

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2. Name.com
 

 

Name.com is a great registrar for your domain name, with affordable prices and multiple add-on services.

.com vs .co prices:

Name.com offers a variety of features that will give you the best experience:

• Web hosting and website builders.
• Google workspace.
• Website security with SiteLock.
• Branded URL shortener.

As for Name.com's grace period, it is longer than GoDaddy's; Name.com offers a 25-day grace period where you can retrieve your domain name for free if you fail to renew your plan on time. If you don't retrieve it during the grace period, you can get it back throughout Name.com's 30-day redemption period, but this time you'll have to pay a fee of $120.

To get the premium privacy and protection plan at Name.com, you can buy the package for $4.99 (a one-time payment).
 

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3. Dynadot
 

Dynadot is one of the best places you can go when you want to claim a domain name. 

.co vs .com prices:

Dynadot's grace period is even longer than Name.com's; if you fail to renew on time, you get 40 days as a grace period in which you can retrieve your domain name. However, we must mention that for the first 30 days you can get it back for free, but for the ten days that are left, you will be charged $10 as a fee. 

Dynadot is an easy-to-use website with one of the best customer services; experts will be there for you through live chat, phone support, email, knowledge-base, blogs, and articles.

Dynadot includes free WHOIS privacy in all plans. 

Click Here To Get The Best Discount

4. Namecheap
 

Namecheap, as you can probably tell by its name, offers a variety of features for very affordable prices. 

.com vs .co prices:

With Namecheap, you get:

• A free logo builder.
• A free website builder.
• Free easy WordPress. 

Namecheap offers a 30-day face period where you can retrieve your domain name with no additional fee in case you fail to renew your payment on time.

Namecheap has 24/7 chat and email support, where you can get help from experts around the clock.

You will get free WHOIS privacy protection in any plan at Namecheap.
 

Click Here For A 20% Discount

Check our full list of the best domain registrars on the market in 2021, rated, ranked, and analyzed in detail.
 

How to Buy a TLD from Someone

By going to the WHOIS public database, you can look up any domain name you are interested in having. On the WHOIS database, you can find the following info:

• Domain name
• Registry data
• Updated date
• Creation date
• Expiration date
• Registrar data
• Registrant organization
• Registrant state/province
• Registrant country

You can then contact the owner of the domain name you want and ask to buy it from them.