.Com vs .Net: Difference Between Domain Extensions in Simple Terms

Written By Peter L

On July 13, 2021
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Any individual has to analyze multiple fine features in order to generate a website be it .com vs .net. Next to optimizing your website speed, choosing the right domain extension is among the most important issues because it represents the address of the site on the internet. With the help of a domain name, the website in the webspace can be found by the users, and this makes them understand the difference between the types of websites.

At present, there are two most common and well-known domain extensions, i.e., .com vs .net, that are the top choice for the users. From the name, one can guess that .com is right for the business, e-commerce, and different projects that help you make online money. In contrast, the .net extension is better for email, networking services, blogs, etc. While both are different from each other, the users have to consider additional aspects before opting for either of the two.

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What is a Domain Extension?

A domain extension, also known as the top-level domain, can be the last part of any web address, e.g., .com. It was originally started in 1984 and is a part of the domain name system or DNS. The main idea of a top-level domain or TLD is to categorize the websites to easily distinguish between the website and what to expect when they visit it.

There are plenty of TLDs which includes .com, .net, .org, .gov etc. that stand for something. Quite a few of these primary TLDs can yet maintain their designed use, still out of all .com is known as the standard extension by the internet. Even for non-commercial sites, .com is still very popular.

Nowadays, we can see hundreds of domain extensions out there, and some of these extensions even have country-specific codes to the industry-specific extensions, e.g., .cars. Between .com vs .net, both have been able to gain in popularity in recent years, but for the majority of the websites, .com still remains the top choice and by a big margin. The next most popular of the domains are country-specific like .net or .org, and millions of users around the world prefer these.

 

What is .com?

The most common domain extension that can be found on the internet is .com because people find it easy to memorize it, especially when they search for a website that they heard about. The .com extension is quite easy to keep in mind and offers reliability and professionalism for those customers who would like to use your products or services.

When you plan to build an online brand, you will be having a much better online presence with the .com extension when choosing among com vs net, as it tends to rank better than .net and any other extension. Please remember there are other things involved in SEO like speed optimization etc. You can check your website speed on sites like Pingdom. There might be a few disadvantages with the .com extension, like cost, because you ought to spend to hold it secure. Other than that, .com cannot be used with the sites not having e-commerce integration.

.com vs .net

What is .net?

When we talk about popularity, the .net domain extension is also quite respected among people for its advantages. Although there is a general public opinion about .com vs .net, as people consider .com to be better, one may not find much of the difference between the searching engines with whatever domain extension is used because it is the name that plays the main role.

With .net, one can easily keep a good online presence and if one is specialized in services, using this extension surely brings in profit. One should also note that there isn’t any bitter rivalry among the websites that use .net; therefore, it is easy to secure any name that you like. Also, the price of .net is lower as compared to .com; thus, to save money, it is good for non-commerce sites.

 

The .com vs .net domain name extensions

The address of a website on the internet is your domain extension, and in order to access your website, this is what your users will be typing in their web browser to access the site. There are various extensions with domain names which include .com, .net, .org, and many more.

A domain name can freely be chosen from any of the extensions in order to develop a website. However, it is worth noting that the basic purpose of creating these extensions is for people to distinguish between different types of websites.

As an owner, you will have to choose the domain name extension that can easily fit your business. This will offer you great help to get authority in your industry and start a recognizable brand. When we talk about Net vs Com, we need to keep in mind that we must have good knowledge of both to have a grip of any of these domain name extensions.

 

Difference between .com vs .net domain extensions

Com vs net, both are the most popular of the domain name extensions among the users. If you prefer the .com name extension and it is not available for you, there are numerous domain name generator tools suggesting .net as an alternative for you. Although, you need to understand that .net cannot be a suitable alternative for any business in most cases.

In the .com domain, the word COM means the commercial domain names, which may include business-related websites, websites that make online money, blogs, personal websites, and anything that comes in between these.

On the other hand, in the .net domain extension, the word NET represents a network. Because it means to network, therefore, it is suitable for the networking service providers, the internet, and also the email. Although the bulk of individuals are informed about .com, .net is fairly relevant and popular.

.com vs .net vs .co

When should a person be reaching for a .com domain extension?

There is no uncertainty that the .net domain extension is most popular among internet users, and this is quite evident from the reality that nearly 50% of all the registered domain names are .com. One of the significant analyses for the authority of .com is that it displays itself quite straightforward for the users to memorize the .com domain name as opposed to any separate domain extension.

Because of its reputation, .com is also very easy to brand, promote and you will surely find it helpful in growing your business. If you hold any ideas to produce a business website, then a .com domain extension is always recommended to you. Because of this, your website is able to get a familiar address, and this way, the website looks much more established and professional.

There is a problem faced by the majority of the people that the .com domain name has become so popular in public that it becomes impossible to find your desired name, as others have already taken the good ones. But in order to get a perfect .com domain name, there are still a number of clever ways. The following can be a few tips to choose the best of the .com domain names.

  • It would obviously help if you always had a domain name that can represent your business and what you are into.
  • If the domain name that you like has already been taken, then to make it look different, you have the option to add some small words before or after it.
  • It is preferred not to use the numbers of hyphens in your domain name, and you also have to make sure that it can be pronounced easily, as it will get public.
  • There are several online domain name generators that you can get hold of, and those are definitely free. With these domain name generators, you can have some great ideas for a domain name that will be unique and would still be available.

When should one be going for a .net domain extension?

If you are offering networking, internet, email hosting, data hosting, or any related services, you have to choose the .net domain name. You also can use the .net domain name if you find it suitable for your brand, but you have to understand that you must have great marketing talent to pull it off.

There are around 4% of the domain names registered by using the .net domain extension all over the world. As most people flocked to .com, the registrars of the domain name started to present .net domain extensions as a .com alternative. Although in .com vs .net vs .co, .com tends to give an impression of being the most commonly used one, the reality is somewhat different.

In the start, .net was meant to be a domain name extension only for the networking service and the internet providers. Many popular and real internet companies are still using the .com domain extension for their business. Still, millions of people have .net domain names all over the globe, and the representation is growing.

We can still find various businesses registering a .net domain extension for the brand, and the main idea behind it is that somebody else should not be using their business name. There are a lot of organizations that applied it in line to take a favored .com domain name. It is amazing to know that the companies keep their .net domain for legal and technical reasons, but they tend to transfer their .com domain extensions.

.com vs .net seo

Com vs net, which one is considered better for SEO purposes?

Numerous users happen to get confused regarding which domain extension should be helping them get a higher rank. When we talk about .com vs .net SEO, it is worth noting that none of these will affect your SEO. You can verify them using free SEO tools.

Both of the domain extensions get handled likewise by the search engines. It is important for you to keep yourself focused on the SEO best practices and have content that is useful and targeted in order to get your ranked higher. You have to understand that it is not the extension but the domain name itself, which is considered to be relatively an important part regarding .com vs .net SEO.

 

What is the process of buying and domain name?

There are a few techniques to acquire a domain name, and you can opt for the one that accommodates you. In order to get a domain name, you can either purchase it through the domain name registrars, website builder plans or you can opt for the web hosting services.

  • Domain name registrars

Registrars are known to be those businesses that register the domain names to their appropriate authorities. These tend to blend The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN as well as the local objects.

In recent times, Namecheap and GoDaddy are identified to be among the most sought-after domain name registrars. These domain name registrars offer special prices to their customers, and for a .com domain, they can go as low as $6. One can register a domain name and then saving it for later use even before assigning the domain name to the website or the email service.

 

 

  • Website builder plans

WordPress is known to be one of the most preferred platforms by users. Although, there are other website builders like Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace, and when you opt for their premium plans, you are able to get a free domain name. You have to keep in mind that normally, they cover just a single billing from the registrar, and later on, it is up to you to take care of all the costs.

 

  • Web hosting services

There are a number of web hosting services like Bluehost, Dream Host, and HostGator, and once their web hosting plans are purchased, you will be getting a free domain name from them. After around one or two years, these registrars will start to bill you.

Whether it is .com vs .net, you need to pay attention to the billings from the registrar when you are purchasing a hosting plan. If there is a WordPress site that you are running, then you can think about this particular option like you require a hosting service anyway. Therefore, you may also get a chance to receive a domain name.

net vs com

Final Thoughts

When we talk about .com vs .net, the major difference between the two lies in the type of business that they tend to stand for. When you finalize your brand name and decide on the kind of website you would like to run, you can register for the desired domain name. The .com website ubiquity means that the owners have a choice to change the domain name or go for an extension. However, .net is also a viable alternative if you are emphasizing branding. There are also alternative extensions like .com vs .net vs .co that may work for you, and all are different from each other.

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