Domain Extensions List and Guide
A domain extension is the label after the last dot, such as .com or .in, also called a top-level domain. IANA groups them into generic, country-code, sponsored and other types. For an Indian business, .in costs ₹1,000 a year and .com ₹1,380 at WebJi®, before 18% GST; choose by where your customers are.
For Indian businesses and founders choosing between .com, .in, .co.in and newer extensions before registering a name.
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- Read time
- 4 min
- Sections
- 7
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
What is a domain extension?
A domain extension is the label after the last dot in a web address — the “.in” in webji.in — and is formally called a top-level domain, or TLD. Each extension is run by a registry under rules set by ICANN or, for country codes, by the national authority, and sold to the public through registrars.
IANA maintains the root zone database, the master list of every extension that resolves on the public internet. If an ending is not in that root, names under it will not work in ordinary browsers. A few labels are reserved by standard and can never be bought: .test, .example, .invalid and .localhost are kept for testing, and .local is used by devices on home and office networks. The TLD explainer shows how the extension fits into the full domain hierarchy.
What types of domain extensions are there?
IANA classifies extensions into six types: generic, country-code, sponsored, generic-restricted, infrastructure and test. Buyers deal mainly with the first two.
| Type | What it means | Examples | Open to anyone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generic (gTLD) | Not tied to a country | .com, .net, .org, .shop, .app | Mostly yes |
| Country-code (ccTLD) | Two letters for a country or territory | .in, .uk, .ae, .io, .ai | Depends on the registry |
| Sponsored (sTLD) | Run for a defined community | .edu, .gov, .travel, .museum | No, eligibility applies |
| Generic-restricted | Generic, but with registrant rules | .biz, .name, .pro | With conditions |
| Infrastructure | Internet plumbing, not websites | .arpa | No |
| Test | Used to test internationalised names | Non-Latin test labels | No |
The seven original generic extensions — .com, .org, .net, .int, .edu, .gov and .mil — date from the 1980s. Hundreds of newer generics such as .shop, .app and .xyz began entering the root in October 2013 under ICANN’s new gTLD programme. Some country codes, notably .io (British Indian Ocean Territory), .ai (Anguilla) and .co (Colombia), are marketed worldwide and used by tech brands with no link to those places.
Which domain extensions do Indian businesses compare, and what do they cost?
Most Indian buyers choose between .com, .in, .co.in, .net and .org, with .io, .ai, .app and .tech for technology brands. The table below gives WebJi® prices for each, read from the extension pages on 14 November 2026.
| Extension | Type | First year | Renewal | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | gTLD | ₹1,380 | ₹1,480 | Default for any business, India or abroad |
| .in | ccTLD | ₹1,000 | ₹1,000 | Indian businesses and customers |
| .co.in | Under .in | ₹809 | ₹877 | Indian companies wanting a lower cost |
| .net | gTLD | ₹1,650 | ₹1,950 | Networks, IT and a .com alternative |
| .org | gTLD | ₹1,500 | ₹1,680 | Trusts, NGOs, societies |
| .app | gTLD (HTTPS required) | ₹1,470 | ₹1,500 | Mobile and web apps |
| .xyz | gTLD | ₹1,754 | ₹1,957 | Short, neutral project names |
| .co | ccTLD (Colombia) | ₹3,712 | ₹3,955 | Start-ups when the .com is taken |
| .tech | gTLD | ₹4,400 | ₹4,400 | Technology firms and developers |
| .io | ccTLD | ₹2,800–3,800 (band) | ₹3,200–4,200 (band) | Developer tools and SaaS |
| .ai | ccTLD, 2-year minimum | ₹6,000–8,000 (band) | ₹6,500–8,500 (band) | AI products |
.io and .ai are shown as WebJi® price bands; the exact figure for a name is confirmed before payment. .online, .shop and .store are quoted per name. Registry-premium names cost more and are priced before you pay.
Which Indian extensions exist under .in?
India’s country code is .in, delegated by IANA in 1989 and run by NIXI, the National Internet Exchange of India; under it sit open second-level names and restricted ones. Anyone can register .in and the open second-level names; restricted names need proof of eligibility.
- Open: .in, .co.in, .net.in, .org.in, .firm.in, .gen.in and .ind.in.
- Restricted: .ac.in and .edu.in for educational institutions, .res.in for research bodies, .gov.in for government and .mil.in for defence.
- Not Indian at all: .in.net looks similar but is a separate product under .net, not part of the NIXI registry.
A .net.in is not a .net, and a .co.in is not a .co; each is a separate registration with its own price. Register the right one through domain registration in India.
Why do some extensions cost more to renew than to register?
Registries set the wholesale price, and first-year offers are often discounted below it, so the renewal shows the real yearly cost of keeping the name. Compare extensions on a three-year total, not on the first-year figure.
| Extension | Arithmetic | Three years |
|---|---|---|
| .co.in | ₹809 + 2 × ₹877 | ₹2,563 |
| .in | 3 × ₹1,000 | ₹3,000 |
| .com | ₹1,380 + 2 × ₹1,480 | ₹4,340 |
| .app | ₹1,470 + 2 × ₹1,500 | ₹4,470 |
| .net | ₹1,650 + 2 × ₹1,950 | ₹5,550 |
| .xyz | ₹1,754 + 2 × ₹1,957 | ₹5,668 |
The domain renewal guide explains grace and redemption periods if a renewal is missed.
Does the domain extension affect SEO?
No extension ranks better by itself; Google treats generic extensions neutrally and uses country codes like .in as a signal that a site targets that country. Content, links and page experience decide rankings.
That makes .in a sensible choice when nearly all your customers are in India, and .com better when you sell abroad too. Google also treats a few country codes, including .io and .co, as generic because they are used worldwide. A newer extension such as .shop carries no penalty, but an unfamiliar ending can lower click-through if searchers do not trust it.
How do you choose the right domain extension?
Pick the extension your customers will type from memory, then protect the closest alternative if you can afford it. For most Indian businesses that means .in or .com first.
- Decide whether customers are only in India (.in or .co.in) or also abroad (.com).
- Check availability of the name in both .com and .in.
- If the .com is taken, prefer a short .in or a relevant newer ending over a long, hyphenated .com.
- Compare three-year totals, not first-year prices.
- Register the main name and point any second extension to it with a redirect.
For naming advice beyond the extension, see how to choose a domain name; AI start-ups can read the .ai domains guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many domain extensions are there?
Well over a thousand. The new gTLD programme alone added more than a thousand generic endings after 2013, alongside roughly 250 two-letter country codes and their internationalised versions. The exact live count changes as extensions are added or retired, and IANA’s root zone database is the authoritative list.
Can a private company register a .gov.in or .edu.in name?
No. .gov.in is reserved for government bodies and .edu.in and .ac.in for recognised educational institutions, each with documentary checks. A private coaching centre or consultancy should use .in, .co.in or a generic extension such as .com.
Why does .app require HTTPS?
.app is on the HSTS preload list for the whole extension, so browsers refuse to load any .app site over plain HTTP. You need an SSL certificate installed before the site will open at all, which most hosting plans now provide free through Let’s Encrypt.
Should I register my name in several extensions?
Register the one or two that customers might type or that a competitor could misuse, usually .com and .in. Point the extra one to your main site with a 301 redirect. Buying a dozen endings rarely pays back its renewal cost for a small business.
Prices checked against WebJi® extension pages on 14 November 2026 · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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