In this complete guide, we will look at .Com vs .Net to help you find the main differences between the two domain name extensions and choose the right one.
.Com and .Net are two popular domain name extensions that are widely used by websites of businesses and individuals. These are among the few original top-level domains (TLD) available to register for businesses from domain registrars since the early days of the web.
The latest statistics show that .Com is used by over 50% of websites, while .Net is only used by around 3% of the total websites registered on the web.
Among all the proliferating domain extensions today, .Com clearly is still the most popular domain extension, and it is used by businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
Similarly, because of its availability since the early days, .Net is also one of the most popular domain extensions, and it is mostly used by technology-related businesses or websites.
The TLDR version is that if you’re trying to decide which domain extension to register for your business, .Com is generally the better and more popular choice. However, if .Com is not available for your desired domain name, .Net is a perfectly acceptable alternative.
We will continue to look at both of the domain name extensions in detail and explain situations when one might be suitable over another, ultimately helping you choose the best one for your website.
If you’re interested in learning more about domain name extensions and how to choose the best one for your business, check out our complete website guide to choosing a domain name extension.
What are the key differences of .Com vs .Net domain?
The main difference between .com and .net domain name extensions is that .com domains are more suited for commercial businesses, while .Net domains are more often used by network and technology-related businesses or websites.
This is because .Com extension was one of the first set of top-level domain extensions to be released in 1985, making it the most well-known and recognizable domain extension. As a result, .Com domain extensions have become a default choice for most businesses, depending on their availability.
On the other hand, .Net extension was also created in 1985, intending to serve as a domain extension for technology-related businesses or network provider websites. Because of this, .Net domains are often associated with tech and internet types of businesses. Today, .Net domains have also gradually evolved as an extension for all kinds of businesses and are often preferred as a second choice when the .com version isn’t available to register.
Looking at the usage of .Com vs .Net over the years, it is clear that .Com is more popular and has a more positive reputation than .Net. While .Net is frequently associated with tech businesses or websites, .Com has no such clear association making it suitable for all kinds of businesses and individuals.
However, both .Com and .Net domain extensions are so well-known and popular that they can be used for any type of business or website.
Here’s a chart outlining the key differences between the .Com vs Net domain extensions.
| Main Differences | .Com Domain | .Net Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Suffix Meaning | Represents ‘commercial’ | Represents ‘network’ |
| Best Suitable For | All kinds of business websites, including business landing pages, blogs, personal websites and more | Internet, email, hosting, and networking service providers |
| Ease of Availability | Difficult to find good names as most are already registered | Easier to find available names and more choices |
| Domain Extension Costs | Around $8 – $16 per year | Around $10 – $16 per year |
Let’s look at some of the major aspects of the differences and trends of both domain extensions in further detail.
.Com vs .Net Usage Data – Marketshare
If we were to analyse the market share of leading top-level domains globally, .Com is the outright choice of most websites by a fair margin.
You can see the market share chart below of the top ten leading TLDs among global websites.
Data: © Statista 2022
The statistics provided by Statista based on the usage data of the top 10 million websites shows that .Com is the leading TLD used by more than 53% of websites while .Net is the fourth most popular TLD used by only over 3% of the websites.
.Com vs .Net Popularity Trends
While the market share data should be enough to determine .Com’s popularity over .Net, we can look at additional data points, such as the latest trends, to gain an even clearer picture.
Analysing the Google trends data for these domain name extensions, you can see that .Com has way higher search interest than the .Net extension.
Further, the .Com domain extension has a fairly stable and growing trend compared to the .Net extension.
.Com vs .Net – Pricing of Domain Extensions
At a glance, the .Com extension might look more expensive or cheaper than the .Net extension, depending on the registrar that you are looking to buy the domain.
However, the difference in pricing between the domain extensions is usually negligible as it’s one of the lowest costs related to business operations.
Besides, the pricing also usually depends on domain registrars, and you also see some promotional offers for the first year of your purchase on many domain name extensions.
To give you an idea, below are the registrar pricing comparisons for .Com and .Net domains from some of the most well-known domain registrars.
| Domain Registrar | .Com Registration Price | .Net Registration Price |
|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | $6.16 Per Year (Promotional price for new users) | $9.96 Per Year (Promotional price for new users) |
| Google Domains | $12.00 Per year | $12.00 Per year |
| Domain.com | $9.99 Per Year | $12.99 Per year |
| Bluehost | $12.99 Per Year (Free first year with hosting) | $14.99 Per Year (Free first year with hosting) |
| DreamHost | $7.99 Per Year | $10.99 Per Year |
As you can see, there is only a marginal difference in the price of .com vs .net domains from these registrars.
Please note that the pricing for the first year is often a promotional price, and the renewal costs of the domains might be different depending on the registrars.
Now that we’ve looked at the main differences between .com and .net, let’s take a closer look at each domain extension to see what they have to offer.
Why .Com domain extension?
As .Com is the oldest and the leading domain name extension it has wide recognition and global acceptability among all available TLDs, and it is often the first choice for anyone looking to buy domain names.
Although .Com is most suited for commercial businesses, it can be used by anyone for any type of website.
You can see almost all of the major brands and businesses use the .Com domain extension – see Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and YouTube, among others.
Pros of .Com Domain Extension
There are a few reasons for .com’s popularity and why you should choose the extension for your business needs.
Global Credibility: .Com is the original top-level domain (TLD), and it has been around since the early days of the web. This gives it a lot of history and credibility, and businesses can target a global audience with their .com domain.
Easy to Remember and Promote: .Com domains are easy to remember, which makes them ideal for business websites that want to drive traffic to their website through word-of-mouth.
All Kinds of Website: .Com domains are flexible – they can be used for pretty much any type of website, from eCommerce platforms – online stores to personal blogs.
Cons of .Com Domain Extension
While .Com definitely looks like a clear choice, but there are some drawbacks that you should know about.
Highly Competitive: .Com is the most popular domain extension, and therefore it can be quite hard to find a good .com domain name that isn’t already taken. You might have to get creative with your domain name ideas or be prepared to pay a premium for a good .com domain in the secondary market.
Might Lack Local Edge: While .Com domains are global, they might not have the same local edge as other country-specific domain extensions. If you’re targeting a local audience, then you might be better off with a country code top-level domain (ccTLD).
Why .Net domain extension?
Similar to .com domain extension, .Net is another extremely popular option, and there are certainly use cases where .Net domains are suitable for businesses.
.Net domains were originally meant for technology websites or businesses but can now be used by anyone.
Pros of .Net Domain Extension
Some of the reasons for .net domain extensions’ popularity and why you should choose the extension include;
Trustworthiness: .Net domains are associated with credibility and trustworthiness, thanks to their history – .net was one of the first TLDs to be introduced on the internet.
Orginal Extension: .Net domains are often seen as more credible than the countless latest domain extensions by users.
Global Presence: .Net domains aren’t specific to a certain region and are considered by businesses all around the world.
Suitable for Network / Technology Businesses: .Net domains are often associated with technology and network businesses. If you have a business in this niche, then a .net domain can help you strengthen your branding.
Cons of Using a .Net Domain Extension
There are some drawbacks that you should be aware of before choosing a .net domain for your business, such as;
.Net Domains Might Be Confusing: While .net domains can be used for any type of website, they might be confusing for users since they were originally intended for technology-related websites. Also, if a company hasn’t secured the .Net version of their domain, it can be used by scammers to deceive users.
Decreasing Popularity: Despite being one of the original domain extensions, the latest TLDs, such as .co .io .ai, among others, have taken over the place of .Net extension for different kinds of technology startups and businesses.
Competition: Although .net domains aren’t as popular as .com, they’re still quite competitive – especially if you’re looking for a short and catchy domain name.
In conclusion, both .com and .net domain extensions have their pros and cons, so it really depends on your specific needs as to which one would be the best choice for your business.
If you’re still not sure which domain extension is right for your business, our complete guide to choosing a domain name extension will help you make the best decision for your website.
Top .Com vs .Net Domain Names
You can also look at some of the top .com vs .net domain names to get an idea of what kind of popular websites use those extensions.
| Top .Com Websites | Top .Net Websites |
|---|---|
| Google.com | Php.net |
| YouTube.com | Slideshare.net |
| Facebook.com | Battle.net |
| Web.com | Themeforest.net |
| Amazon.com | Behance.net |
| Tripadvisor.com | Speedtest.net |
| Apple.com | Csdn.net |
Please note most of these domain names have very old registration dates, and they might not serve as exact inspiration for choosing the right extension today.
And once you choose a domain extension – .Com or .Net, you probably need to stick with it for a long period.
What is a Domain Extension?
If you are just starting out with your website, you might be confused with all the domain name terminologies.
In this section, we will quickly go over some of the most important domain name terminologies that you need to know for choosing the best domain name for your business.
Domain extension is the last part of a domain name and is also commonly referred to as top -level domain (TLD).
Domain extensions can be classified into different types, but the most popular ones that you will come across are generic top-level domains (gTLDs), country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), and new generic top-level domains (nGTLDs).
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs): These are the most popular domain extensions that you see on the internet, such as .com, .net, and .org.
Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs): As the name suggests, these domains are specific to countries or regions and usually have a two-letter country code, such as .us for the United States, .uk for the United Kingdom and so on.
New Generic Top-Level Domains (nGTLDs): These are the new domain extensions that have been introduced in recent years and are not restricted to any particular industry or use case. Some of the popular nGTLDs include .digital .blog, .shop, and .photo among others.
Now that you know what domain extensions are let’s take a look at the different types of businesses and see which domain extension would be most suitable for them.
How to get .Com or .Net domain name for Free?
If you are researching the difference between these top two domain name extensions, you might be looking to buy a domain name sooner or later.
While you can use our list of domain registrars above with their corresponding prices to purchase the domain with your desired extension, you might be glad to know that there are hosting companies that offer a domain name for free.
Claiming a domain name for free, however, requires you to buy complementary services such as web hosting. And if your ultimate goal is to build a website, you will ultimately need to find such services too.
Get Free Domain Name with Bluehost
Bluehost, one of the most popular web hosting companies, offers a free domain name along with its extremely affordable hosting services.
The domain name cost might not be a big deal for most businesses, but you can use that cost towards your hosting, which you will have to pay either way if you are looking to build a website.
Bluehost also offers an exclusive deal for our users, which you can claim using our discounted coupon code link.
There are only limited domain extensions supported for this deal, but the good news is that the free domain name offer is applicable for both .com and .net domain extensions.
In addition to a free domain, you get the cheapest web hosting service, free website builder, and 24/7 professional support with any Bluehost plan.
To claim the free domain, get started with our discounted link, which will apply the Bluehost coupon code automatically.
Select the right plan for your website hosting needs from the pricing page.
Now, you will be asked to choose a domain name – you can search for both .com and .net extensions.
Continue with all other details, and your domain name will be included for free with your plan.
You can also use the search widget on our free Bluehost domain detail page to simplify the process of searching and claiming a free domain name.
.Com vs .Net FAQs for choosing Best Domain Extension
With so many domain extensions to choose from, the domain world can be extremely confusing for beginners.
Besides, there are other aspects of domain names that beginners need to understand to make the best choice in terms of what domain name to register, which domain extension to choose, and where to buy the domain from, among others.
Here are some top beginner tips and FAQs to help you decide on the right domain extension.
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What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address of your website that people type into their browser to find your site. A domain can be any combination of letters and numbers, and it can be used in conjunction with different domain name extensions, such as .com, .net, or .org.
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What is the difference between a .com vs .net domain?
The difference between a .com and a .net domain is that a .com domain is more common and is typically used for commercial websites, while a .net domain is less common and is often used for network infrastructure or email addresses.
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How to choose the right domain for your business?
When choosing a domain name for your business, you should consider your brand, target audience, budget, and the nature of your business.
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What are the benefits of registering a .com vs a .net domain?
The benefits of registering a .com vs a .net domain include increased credibility, global user recognition, and some search engine optimization benefits.
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What are the popular types of domain extensions available?
The different types of domain extensions available include .com, .net, .org, .biz, and .info. The extension you choose should be based on your business goals and target audience.
Start with the best Domain Name Extension
To summarise, if you are starting a new business, want to project a global image, and want to be easily found online, then go with a .com domain name.
If the .com extension is already taken and it makes sense for your business, .Net can also work for you.
You can then use domain registrars as part of your research process to check the availability of your chosen domain extensions.
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to choosing the best domain extension for your business.
The right domain extension for your business will depend on a number of factors, such as your industry, target audience, budget, and, importantly, the availability of the domain name.
