What applies before and after you register. We confirm anything special before you pay.
.io
Anyone, with no local presence needed.
The territory’s status is changing after the 2024 UK–Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Islands; .io registrations continue to work normally today, but some owners keep a second extension as a fallback.
No HTTPS requirement from the registry, but every site should still use SSL.
.ai
Anyone, with no local presence needed.
The .ai registry has sold names for a minimum of two years at a time; the order form shows the periods available.
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.
.io
A country code that Google treats as generic, like .com: it is not tied to one country in search results and gives no ranking boost on its own.
.ai
A country code that Google treats as generic, like .com: it is not tied to one country in search results and gives no ranking boost on its own.
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.ioBoth fit equally well; .io costs less over three years at today’s prices.
Local businessEitherNeither is a natural fit; a broader extension such as .com usually reads better for this.
Tech or developer project.ioBoth fit equally well; .io costs less over three years at today’s prices.
Online shop.ioBoth fit equally well; .io costs less over three years at today’s prices.
Non-profit or community.io.io is the better fit for an organisation or community; .ai reads as more commercial or technical.
Personal brand or portfolio.io.io reads naturally as a personal name or portfolio; .ai is less personal.
.io vs .ai: questions and answers
.io is cheaper in the first year (.io RM141.40, .ai RM418.94). Renewals are RM261.84 and RM418.94 a year, so three years cost RM665.08 for .io and RM1256.82 for .ai, in MYR before VAT where it applies.
No extension ranks better on its own. Pick the one your visitors will remember and trust.
.io: Anyone, with no local presence needed. .ai: Anyone, with no local presence needed.
If the name is your brand, yes: register your main extension and point the other to it. It stops look-alike sites and catches visitors who type the other one. Both together cost RM560.34 for the first year.
Yes. A transfer costs RM261.84 for .io and RM837.89 for .ai, and usually adds a year to the registration. Unlock the domain, get the transfer code from your current registrar and start from our domain transfer page.