Pick .com if the name you want is available at a normal price: it's what people type by default and costs far less. Pick .ai when the .com is taken or the AI signal matters to your brand; Google treats .ai like a generic domain, so it doesn't tie your site to one country. On Nymwell on 2026-10-27, a .com is US$17.24 the first year and US$26.32 each renewal, while a .ai is US$259.77 for its shortest term of 2 years. Many teams register both and redirect one to the other.
What a .ai domain is
.ai is the country-code domain of Anguilla. IANA lists the Government of Anguilla as its manager, and Identity Digital has run the registry's systems since a migration on 2025-01-15. Because it's a country-code domain, its rules are set by its registry, not by ICANN.
.ai and .com side by side
| .com | .ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Shortest term on Nymwell | 1 year | 2 years |
| First term on Nymwell (2026-10-27) | US$17.24 | US$259.77 |
| Each renewal on Nymwell | US$26.32 a year | US$259.77 per 2 years |
| Who sets the rules | ICANN policy and the .com registry | The .ai registry (Government of Anguilla) |
| Google geotargeting | Generic | Treated as generic, like a gTLD |
| Disputes | UDRP | UDRP (per the .ai registry) |
| When it expires | ICANN's 30-day redemption, then release | Registry rules; unsold expired names can go to the registry's auction |
How to decide
- Check the .com first. If it's available at a normal price, register it.
- If the .com is taken, decide whether the .ai is the name you'd build on, or whether a different .com is better.
- If AI is the product, a .ai can say so in the address. It costs more each term, so budget for renewals, not just the first purchase.
- Registering both protects the name: keep one as the main site and redirect the other.
Questions
Is .ai bad for SEO because it's a country domain? No. Google's documentation lists .ai among the country-code domains it treats like generic ones, so it doesn't tie your site to Anguilla. Google notes that list can change.
Why is a .ai domain more expensive than a .com? The .ai registry sets a higher price, and Nymwell sells it in 2-year terms, so the first purchase covers 2 years at once.
Can I register a .ai for one year? Not on Nymwell; the shortest .ai term is 2 years.
What happens when a .ai domain expires? .ai follows its registry's rules, not ICANN's. Its registry auctions some expired names before they become available again, so renew on time or turn on auto-renew.
Sources
- IANA .ai record: https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/ai.html
- Identity Digital on the .ai migration (2025-02-12): https://www.identity.digital/newsroom/ai-soars-identity-digital-and-goa-partnership-delivers-impressive-results
- .ai registry FAQ (updated 2025-04-24): https://nic.ai/faq
- .ai expired-name auctions (2025-03-27): https://www.identity.digital/newsroom/anguilla-and-identity-digital-boost-ai-revenue-with-auctions-and-dropzone-features
- Google on country-code domains treated as generic (updated 2025-12-10): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites