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.
.co
Anyone, with no local presence needed.
People often mistype it as .com, so many owners register both.
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.
.co
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.coBoth fit equally well; .co costs less over three years at today’s prices.
Local business.co.co is what local customers expect; .io reads as less local.
Tech or developer project.io.io signals a technical product or team at a glance; .co is less specific.
Online shop.co.co tells shoppers they can buy here or is the address they trust most; .io fits a shop less naturally.
Non-profit or community.coBoth fit equally well; .co costs less over three years at today’s prices.
Personal brand or portfolio.coBoth fit equally well; .co costs less over three years at today’s prices.
.io vs .co: questions and answers
.co is cheaper in the first year (.io S$44.58, .co S$23.92). Renewals are S$82.55 and S$48.14 a year, so three years cost S$209.68 for .io and S$120.20 for .co, in SGD 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. .co: 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 S$68.50 for the first year.
Yes. A transfer costs S$82.55 for .io and S$48.14 for .co, 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.