For seasoned domain investors, the “.COM is king” mantra has been the guiding principle for decades—and for good reason. It’s the gold standard, the first extension people think of, and the most widely trusted on the internet. But with the explosion of new gTLDs and rising competition for quality .COMs, many are asking the inevitable question: Is it worth investing in non-.COM domains?
As someone who’s been in the trenches of domain investing, here’s my honest, experience-driven take.
The Case for .COM Still Stands—But There’s More to the Story
There’s no denying the dominance of .COM. It has brand recognition, SEO history, and institutional trust. Most end users still want the .COM. If you own a strong .COM domain, you’re sitting on a premium asset.
That said, the landscape has evolved. New industries, startups, and shifting branding trends are creating genuine demand for alternative extensions. While .COM will likely remain the apex domain for the foreseeable future, non-.COM domains now play a strategic role in many successful portfolios.
Non-.COMs That Actually Make Sense
Not all non-.COMs are created equal. Here are the ones I’ve found to have real traction and value in today’s market:
- .IO: Originally for British Indian Ocean Territory, now adopted almost exclusively by tech startups. I’ve sold several .IO domains to early-stage companies looking for a clean, innovative brand at a lower cost than a matching .COM.
- .AI: The artificial intelligence boom has made this ccTLD extremely valuable. Companies in the AI space are embracing .AI as part of their brand identity. If you’re early to trends, this TLD is worth watching (and holding).
- .XYZ: After Google’s parent company, Alphabet, used abc.xyz, this TLD gained traction. While it’s still speculative, I’ve seen creative brands gravitate toward XYZ for its openness and availability.
- .CO: Short, close to .COM, and often used by startups. While it sometimes suffers from accidental traffic leakage to the .COM counterpart, its growing use in branding circles is undeniable.
- Niche gTLDs: Extensions like .dev, .app, .finance, and .health can make sense when they directly match a brand’s vertical and the domain reads cleanly (e.g., Mortgage.app, Crypto.dev).
Why Some Non-.COMs Work
From an investment standpoint, here’s why I’ve added selected non-.COMs to my portfolio:
- Lower acquisition costs: You can pick up great keyword or brandable domains in popular non-.COM extensions for a fraction of what the .COM equivalent would cost.
- New buyer behavior: Gen Z entrepreneurs and Web3-native businesses are more open to alternatives. They often prioritize relevance, innovation, and brand alignment over legacy preferences.
- Trend speculation: With emerging tech trends, being early to a non-.COM namespace can mean big upside when demand surges. I’ve had $50 .AI domains flip for $2,000+ in under a year.
Risks and Realities
Let’s not romanticize it—investing in non-.COMs has its downsides:
- Liquidity is lower: It takes longer to sell non-.COMs. End-user demand isn’t as broad, and resellers are choosier.
- End-user confusion: Non-.COMs still suffer from the default expectation of .COM. You’ll often see businesses buy the .COM later to redirect, if they can afford it.
- Saturation of low-quality gTLDs: Not all new extensions are worth your time. Domains like .guru, .ninja, or .website haven’t proven much resale value—yet are flooded in the aftermarket.
- Regulatory uncertainty: Country-code TLDs (like .IO and .AI) are technically overseen by foreign governments. Political or administrative shifts could impact their stability.
My Strategy: A Blended Portfolio
I still anchor my portfolio in .COM—especially premium one-word or exact-match keyword domains. But I’ve carved out space for high-potential non-.COMs that meet three criteria:
- Strong keyword match or brandability
- Active market interest in that TLD
- Reasonable acquisition cost for potential ROI
That means saying no to speculative TLDs with no real-world adoption, and focusing instead on domains that someone would realistically build on tomorrow.
Final Verdict: Yes—If You’re Strategic
Is it worth investing in non-.COM domains? Yes—but only if you’re smart about it. The key is not treating every extension as equal, but recognizing where user behavior, tech trends, and branding preferences intersect.
If you’re chasing the next big flip, diversify—but don’t dilute. And remember: it’s not just about what you own—it’s about who wants to buy it.
