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.com vs .dev: which domain should you choose?

The default address against the extension made for developers. .com is cheaper in the first year, and over three years (AED 153.48 against AED 166.65).

.com and .dev prices

From our current price list, in AED. +VAT 5% where applicable. The order form always shows the price before you pay.

.com and .dev prices in AED; the lower price in each row is marked.
Price.com.dev
First year AED 51.16LowerAED 56.55
Renews at (per year) AED 51.16LowerAED 55.05
Transfer inUsually adds a year to the registration. AED 51.16LowerAED 52.81
3 years in totalFirst year plus two renewals. AED 153.48LowerAED 166.65
Price rise after year one NoneNone

Who each one suits

.comGeneric

The original commercial extension (1985) and the one people type by default.

Run by
Verisign
Who can register
Anyone, anywhere, for any purpose.
Best for
startup or SaaS product, local business, tech or developer project, online shop, personal brand or portfolio
Costs
AED 51.16 first year, then AED 51.16 a year

.com details and search

.devGeneric

A 2019 extension for developers, engineering teams and documentation.

Run by
Google Registry
Who can register
Anyone.
Best for
tech or developer project, personal brand or portfolio
Costs
AED 56.55 first year, then AED 55.05 a year

.dev details and search

Registry rules and restrictions

What applies before and after you register. We confirm anything special before you pay.

.com

  • Anyone, anywhere, for any purpose.
  • No HTTPS requirement from the registry, but every site should still use SSL.

.dev

  • Anyone.
  • On browsers’ HSTS preload list: a .dev site only loads over HTTPS, so it needs an SSL certificate from day one.

.dev is HTTPS-only: browsers refuse plain http:// for every name in the extension. Every GlobalHostia hosting plan includes free SSL, or add a certificate.

SEO: does the extension matter?

Short answer: not for rankings. Content, links and site speed decide where you rank; the extension mostly affects trust, memorability and which country search engines assume you serve.

.com

A generic extension: no ranking advantage or penalty on its own. Search engines rank the content and the links, and let you target any country.

.dev

A generic extension: no ranking advantage or penalty on its own. Search engines rank the content and the links, and let you target any country.

Myth check: no extension gets a hidden ranking bonus, and keyword extensions (like .shop or .tech) do not rank better for that keyword. Switching an established site to a new extension costs time while search engines re-learn it, so choose well up front.

Our verdict, by kind of site

Based on what each extension signals to visitors and its three-year cost at today’s prices.

  • Startup or SaaS product.com.com reads as a product brand to investors and users; .dev is a weaker match for a startup name.
  • Local business.com.com is what local customers expect; .dev reads as less local.
  • Tech or developer project.comBoth fit equally well; .com costs less over three years at today’s prices.
  • Online shop.com.com tells shoppers they can buy here or is the address they trust most; .dev fits a shop less naturally.
  • Non-profit or community.comBoth fit equally well; .com costs less over three years at today’s prices.
  • Personal brand or portfolio.comBoth fit equally well; .com costs less over three years at today’s prices.

.com vs .dev: questions and answers

.com is cheaper in the first year (.com AED 51.16, .dev AED 56.55). Renewals are AED 51.16 and AED 55.05 a year, so three years cost AED 153.48 for .com and AED 166.65 for .dev, in AED before VAT where it applies.

Got the name? Register it in .com or .dev

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