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.io vs .ai: which domain should you choose?

Two country codes that tech companies adopted worldwide. .io is cheaper in the first year, and over three years (SAR 611.51 against SAR 1155.60).

.io and .ai prices

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

.io and .ai prices in SAR; the lower price in each row is marked.
Price.io.ai
First year SAR 130.01LowerSAR 385.20
Renews at (per year) SAR 240.75LowerSAR 385.20
Transfer inUsually adds a year to the registration. SAR 240.75LowerSAR 770.40
3 years in totalFirst year plus two renewals. SAR 611.51LowerSAR 1155.60
Price rise after year one +85%None

Who each one suits

.ioCountry code

A country code adopted worldwide by tech startups, developer tools and SaaS.

Run by
The registry of the British Indian Ocean Territory
Who can register
Anyone, with no local presence needed.
Best for
startup or SaaS product, tech or developer project
Costs
SAR 130.01 first year, then SAR 240.75 a year

.io details and search

.aiCountry code

Anguilla’s country code, now the extension of choice for AI products.

Run by
The registry of Anguilla
Who can register
Anyone, with no local presence needed.
Best for
startup or SaaS product, tech or developer project
Costs
SAR 385.20 first year, then SAR 385.20 a year

.ai details and search

Registry rules and restrictions

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 SAR 130.01, .ai SAR 385.20). Renewals are SAR 240.75 and SAR 385.20 a year, so three years cost SAR 611.51 for .io and SAR 1155.60 for .ai, in SAR before VAT where it applies.

Got the name? Register it in .io or .ai

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