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

Worldwide default against the United States country code. .us is cheaper in the first year, and over three years (€19.74 against €37.74).

.com and .us prices

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

.com and .us prices in EUR; the lower price in each row is marked.
Price.com.us
First year €12.58€4.66Lower
Renews at (per year) €12.58€7.54Lower
Transfer inUsually adds a year to the registration. €12.58€7.03Lower
3 years in totalFirst year plus two renewals. €37.74€19.74Lower
Price rise after year one None+62%

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
€12.58 first year, then €12.58 a year

.com details and search

.usCountry code

The country code of the United States.

Run by
The registry of the United States
Who can register
US citizens and residents, US organisations, and foreign entities with a bona fide presence in the US.
Best for
local business
Costs
€4.66 first year, then €7.54 a year

.us 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.

.us

  • US citizens and residents, US organisations, and foreign entities with a bona fide presence in the US.
  • Registrants must meet the US Nexus requirement and declare how they meet it; the registry can cancel names that do not.
  • Privacy (proxy) services are not allowed for .us names.
  • No HTTPS requirement from the registry, but every site should still use SSL.

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.

.us

A country code: search engines read it as a signal that the site is meant for the United States. That helps local results there, but makes it a weaker choice for a worldwide audience.

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; .us is a weaker match for a startup name.
  • Local business.usBoth fit equally well; .us costs less over three years at today’s prices.
  • Tech or developer project.com.com signals a technical product or team at a glance; .us is less specific.
  • Online shop.com.com tells shoppers they can buy here or is the address they trust most; .us fits a shop less naturally.
  • Non-profit or community.usBoth fit equally well; .us costs less over three years at today’s prices.
  • Personal brand or portfolio.com.com reads naturally as a personal name or portfolio; .us is less personal.

.com vs .us: questions and answers

.us is cheaper in the first year (.com €12.58, .us €4.66). Renewals are €12.58 and €7.54 a year, so three years cost €37.74 for .com and €19.74 for .us, in EUR before VAT where it applies.

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

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