Popular TLDs

This post is from our Q&A with Brandful segments that we produce on our Quora channel. Why are .com, .net, and .org more popular than other TLD's?


Simply put, They were some of the first domain extensions created for general use. These TLD’s were introduced back in 1985 and have had a head start in regards to familiarity and establishment in the minds of most people. Many of the new TLD’s (.xyz, .club, .online and so on) first came out around 2012–2013.

So think about it, from the time that .net, .com and .org were introduced and other viable options became available was a difference of 28 years. And the phenomena of using underutilized country codes such as .co .me .tv and .io was not popularized until about 2010.

That is roughly 25 to 28 years of the .com, .net and .org extensions being the main/go to options as far as registering a domain name for general or commercial use, especially the .com. As time passed and availability of domain names in the .com became more scarce, people naturally gravitated towards alternative domain extensions.

Below is a little more detail on the three Top Level Domains


.net

.net is a generic top-level domain that has become the runner up to .com. The fact that the term is derived from the word network, indicates that it was initially meant for businesses that used networking technology, such Internet service providers and other infrastructure firms

Established: January 1st 1985

Registry: Verisign


.com

.com is a generic top-level domain and the most recognizable of all the TLDs. The extension .com is short commercial, it denotes that it was first meant to be used by business entities. Later, the domain became accessible for everyone to use.

Established: January 1st 1985

Registry: Verisign


.org

.org is a generic top-level domain and the org extension is short for organization. The TLD was designed to be used by non-profits. Along with.com and .net, it was one of the original domains established in 1985, and has been operated by the Public Interest Registry since 2003.

Established: January 1st 1985

Registry: PIR (service provider is Afilias)