Once you find a good domain name to represent your website, the next important thing you need to do is decide on your domain extension. While there are many different types of domain extensions that can be found on the Internet, .com and .net are the sought-after ones.

In this post, we’re going to discuss the differences between .com and .net and other important things related to them. Let’s start with the basics first.

Difference Between .com and .net

.net is a fairly common domain extension but most commercial websites prefer .com over net. While you are free to choose any domain extension, it’s important to note that .net domain extension is mostly used by tech and networking websites.

Understanding Domain Name Extension

A domain name extension (top-level domain or TLD) refers to the text you see after the period (.) in a website’s address. For instance, in google.com, .com is the domain name extension.

You can easily identify the category/intent of a website from its domain name extension. There are above 5,000 types of domain name extensions that can be registered, and this number is steadily growing. These days, you can choose a domain name extension to categorize your website according to the location, type, and content of your business.

Understanding .Com Extension

As a general rule, the .com extension is ideal for all kinds of profitable businesses, as well as, commercial entities, as “Com” is an abbreviation for “Commercial.” .com is the most widely used domain name extension, and it also includes portfolios, blogs, personal websites, and many other types of websites.

Understanding .Net Extension

The .net domain name extension has originated from the term “network” and indicates that it’s designed for organizations dealing with networking technologies. The .net is the second most sought-after domain name extension. You may have seen that this is given as a substitute for .com if you try to purchase a domain name that’s already present. Initially, the .net domain name extension was created for websites dealing with network and network-related items.

It’s important to note that purchasing the preferred .com domain often becomes difficult as over half of the total websites already use this domain name extension. Therefore, if you have a .net website, your marketing efforts need to be stronger to compete with similar .com websites.

When Should You Use a .Com Domain Extension?

Let’s see the common uses of the .com domain name extension.

• A professional entity should use this as its credibility
• It’s more convenient to remember than other commonly used domain name extensions
• It’s considered a reliable marker for professionalism and trustworthiness and is highly recognizable

When Should You Use a .Net Domain Extension?

Let’s see the common uses of the .net domain name extension.

• You can utilize the .net domain name extension when you plan to provide Internet, database, hosting, networking, or similar kind of services
• Lots of businesses choose a .net domain name extension to represent their brands so that others cannot use it for their businesses
• If you have a speed checking website, you can use the .net domain name extension
• A lot of business owners try to buy both .net and .com domain name extensions to ensure their businesses’ reputation remains intact

Notable Differences Between .Com and .Net

Let’s see the key differences between .com and .net domain name extensions.

• .com stands for a “commercial” domain, whereas .net stands for “network.”
• .com is the most widely used domain name extension that mainly represents products or services. The term “network” is the source of the .net domain name extension, which signifies that it’s meant to be utilized by organizations dealing with networking technologies.
• According to RFC 1591, the .com domain name extension should be used by commercial entities (companies). According to RFC 1591, the .net domain name extension should be used by websites of network providers.
• .com domain name extension includes business websites, personal websites, e-commerce stores, blogs, and websites that belong to various general categories. .net domain name extension is ideal for networking, email, and Internet service providers.
• The .com is the preferred commercial domain name extension. The .net is the preferred extension for technology-related websites.
• The .com extension helps to build credibility for commercial websites. It’s relatively easier to get a domain name with a .net extension.
• The approximate cost of a .com extension varies between $8 and $16 per year. The approximate cost of the .net extension varies between $10 and $15 per year.
• It’s significantly costly to buy an existing domain with a .com extension. It’s also a time-consuming task to choose the appropriate one available for your business. Websites with a .net extension will require more marketing efforts to outperform similar websites with a .com extension.

Benefits of using .Com

Let’s see the advantages of using the .com domain name extension.

• It’s commonly recognizable by a wider audience.
• It helps you build credibility for your business website.
• This is relatively affordable compared to other domain name extension options.
• .com is a mobile-friendly extension and has dedicated key support.
• The majority of businesses wish to buy a .com domain since it’s a good indication of a commercial and business presence.
• With a .com website name, you can build a more powerful online presence because these domains usually rank better compared to other domain name extensions.
• It’s more convenient to establish a brand utilizing the .com extension as a huge number of users already recognize it.

Drawbacks of using .com

Let’s see the disadvantages of using the .com extension.

• Over half of the total websites already use .com, which means finding the appropriate domain name for your website that’s available can be a difficult task.
• As the .com domain name extension is mainly used by commercial entities, you cannot utilize it if you have a non-profit website.

Benefits of using .net

Let’s see the advantages of using the .net domain name extension.

• It’s easier to find a domain name with a .net extension.
• It’s more appropriate for network providers and service-based businesses.
• It may make marketing easier for service-based businesses.
• Its SEO benefits are similar to those of .com.
• It’s the most sought-after domain name extension for technology-related websites.
• You can easily spot a domain name with a .net extension online.

Drawbacks of using .net

Let’s see the disadvantages of using the .net extension.

• With a .net website, you’ll most likely need to invest more marketing efforts to outshine a similar .com website.
• The .net domain name extension can only be used by businesses or websites that provide tech-related services or information.
• If your target audience doesn’t have the complete address of your website or your business isn’t well-known yet, it may end up visiting one of your competitors’ websites.
• With the .net extension, commercial websites may find it difficult to rank well in theSERPs.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name?

You can use the following tactics to choose the appropriate domain name for your business.

• In case the domain name you had in your mind isn’t available, you may incorporate small words after or before it to establish its uniqueness. For instance, if royalcamping.com isn’t available, you may try myroyalcamping.com.
• You can utilize a domain name generator that will help you quickly spot the domain names that are available.
• Ensure that anyone can easily pronounce your domain name. Stay away from using numbers or hyphens in the domain name.

Closing Thoughts: Should You Use .Com or .Net?

A lot of people want to understand which domain name extension they should use to obtain higher rankings in the SERPs. Nevertheless, the fact is that no matter if you choose a .com or .net extension, your website’s SEO performance will remain the same.

The reality is both domain name extensions are treated equally by the search engines. Therefore, you’ll need to focus on creating targeted, valuable content to get higher rankings.

It’s important to remember that your domain name itself is central here, not your domain name extension. For instance, myroyalcamping.com will rank higher than myroyal.net in the SERPs as it comprises the keyword that the target audience of the website is more likely to search.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is .com better than .net?

.com extension is more popular for commercial businesses, while .net domain extension is mostly used for networking and technology websites.

Should I use .net domain extension?

.net is suitable to use for email, internet and networking service providers.

Is .net suitable for businesses?

Ideally .net is not suitable for businesses. The “.com” extension indicates a commercial website, thus making it ideal to be used for business website.