New gTLD Opportunities: Beyond .com in 2026

The domain landscape has exploded beyond .com, .net, and .org. With over 1,200 new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) available, there are more opportunities than ever to find the perfect domain for your brand. But not all new extensions are created equal.

What Are New gTLDs?

New gTLDs are domain extensions introduced after ICANN's 2012 expansion program. They include industry-specific extensions (.tech, .finance), geographic ones (.nyc, .berlin), and general-purpose options (.xyz, .online). This was the biggest expansion of the domain namespace in internet history.

The Best New gTLDs for Brands

.app

Backed by Google with mandatory HTTPS, .app is ideal for software companies and mobile app developers. It signals modernity and technical credibility.

.io

Originally the country code for British Indian Ocean Territory, .io has become the de facto tech startup extension. It's widely recognized in the tech community.

.ai

The hottest extension in 2026. With the AI boom, .ai domains have skyrocketed in demand and value. If you're building anything AI-related, this is a must-consider.

.dev

Another Google-backed extension with mandatory HTTPS. Perfect for developer tools, open-source projects, and coding resources.

.co

Short, memorable, and used by major companies like Twitter (t.co) and Google (g.co). It's the closest alternative to .com in both appearance and recognition.

.store

Excellent for e-commerce brands. Immediately tells visitors what to expect.

.design

Perfect for creative agencies, portfolios, and design tools.

When New gTLDs Make Sense

Your .com Is Taken or Too Expensive

If "yourbrand.com" costs $50,000 on the aftermarket but "yourbrand.io" is available for $50, the math speaks for itself — especially for early-stage startups.

The Extension Matches Your Industry

A cybersecurity company using .security or a photography business using .photo creates immediate context.

You Want a Short, Clean URL

New gTLDs let you get shorter, more memorable domains. "get.app" is cleaner than "gettheappnow.com."

You're Building a Domain Hack

Extensions like .ly, .to, and .is enable creative URLs: "instant.ly" or "listen.to."

When to Stick with .com

You're targeting a non-technical audience — Many consumers still default to .com
You need maximum credibility — Enterprise B2B buyers may view new gTLDs with skepticism
Email deliverability matters — Some spam filters are stricter with newer extensions
Resale value — .com domains retain value better than most alternatives

gTLDs to Approach with Caution

.xyz

Cheap and popular (Google's parent company uses abc.xyz), but heavily associated with spam due to bulk registrations. Your emails might face deliverability issues.

.info

Once popular, now heavily associated with spam and low-quality sites.

.biz

Never gained mainstream acceptance despite being available since 2001.

Country-code gTLDs you don't belong to

Using .de when you're not in Germany or .ca when you're not in Canada can confuse users and create legal issues.

SEO Impact of New gTLDs

Google has confirmed that new gTLDs have no inherent SEO advantage or disadvantage compared to .com. Your rankings depend on content, backlinks, and technical SEO — not your extension.

However, a memorable domain gets more direct traffic and more natural backlinks, which indirectly helps SEO. Choose the extension that makes your brand most memorable.

Pricing Considerations

New gTLD pricing varies wildly:

.xyz: $1-10/year
.io: $30-60/year
.ai: $50-100/year
.app: $15-20/year
.dev: $12-16/year
Premium new gTLD domains: $100-10,000+/year (watch for premium renewal pricing)

Always check the renewal price, not just the first-year promotional rate.

Find Your Perfect Extension

Not sure which extension to choose? Start by checking what's actually available for your brand name.

Use BrandScout to check your brand name across multiple domain extensions simultaneously. See at a glance which TLDs are available and make an informed decision about your domain strategy.