When Techcrunch declares that “AI startups raised $110 billion last year [in 2024 – ed]” , with a 62% increase YoY, startuppers should not just ponder if centering their business around AI, but also how to position it digitally, choosing between a .ai vs .com domain.
In fact, choosing a domain name is one of the first and most important decisions your AI startup will make.
Picking the right domain is not just about availability, it’s about positioning, trust, scalability, and long-term branding.
Within a panorama where innovation moves faster than regulation, and where venture and private investments look at areas like generative AI, applications, data management, defence, and infrastructure, selecting the right Top-Level Domain (TLD) can set the tone for your entire brand.
Let’s take a deep dive into two of the most in-demand options for AI businesses: .ai and .com.
What is a .ai domain?
The .ai domain is technically the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Anguilla, a British overseas territory. However, in recent years, it’s been widely adopted by artificial intelligence companies, machine learning startups, and next-gen SaaS platforms.
Today, .ai functions as a semantic TLD, a meaningful extension that clearly signals your tech focus.
For AI-first companies, using a .ai domain creates an immediate connection between your brand and your product offering.
Why AI founders are choosing .ai:
- Category-defining branding – your domain becomes part of your identity, not just your address
- Availability – more chances to register short, relevant names that are no longer available in .com
- Trend alignment – many early-stage and VC-backed startups are branding themselves with .ai
When comparing .ai vs .com domains, it’s worth noting that .ai extensions can cost more than .com to register and renew.
With Openprovider memberships, you gain access to .ai registrations at cost price, with the same level of support and automation as legacy domains, plus free WHOIS privacy, forwarding, and bulk domain management capabilities through our RCP and API services.
Why .ai is gaining ground fast
As explored in this article, .ai domains have a history of revenue-generation and a series of peculiar characteristics that make them a hot asset.
The .ai extension (technically the country code for Anguilla) has become synonymous with artificial intelligence startups. It’s clean, sharp, and instantly communicates innovation.
Here’s why .ai is hot right now:
- Signal of innovation: startups in machine learning, generative AI, computer vision, and automation often adopt .ai to signal their niche and attract a like-minded audience.
- Domain availability: unlike .com, where most short, catchy names are already taken or priced in the thousands, .ai still offers creative options, especially for newer entrants.
- Investor perception: in the venture capital world, .ai domains have become shorthand for early-stage tech. It’s not unusual to see funding rounds announced on .ai domains.
- SEO-neutral: contrary to what some believe, .ai performs just as well as .com in search engine rankings (as long as your website follows SEO best practices). This is because Google’s algorithms treat them as gTLDs, rather than geo-localized extensions.
What is a .com domain?
The .com domain is the most widely recognized and established top-level domain (TLD) on the internet. Originally derived from the word “commercial,” it was introduced in 1985 and has since become the default extension for businesses of all sizes across the globe. Today, .com is a universal standard: it carries decades of credibility and familiarity with users, search engines, and investors.
Over 50% of all websites use .com as their primary domain, making it a cornerstone of digital trust.
For AI startups and tech entrepreneurs, choosing between .ai vs .com, this latter offers the advantage of being:
- Universally accepted – from browser autofill to email configurations, .com is the expected default
- Perceived as established and reliable – especially by non-technical users, B2B partners, and global markets
- SEO-neutral – it will follow standard treatment from search engines algorithms as a generic TLD
Why .com still matters (and probably always will)
Despite the hype around niche TLDs, .com remains the gold standard of domain names: it’s trusted, it’s global, and it’s understood by every internet user on Earth.
What makes .com essential:
- Global credibility: you can be selling AI tools in San Francisco or smart assistants in Singapore: a .com TLD registration generates universal trust.
- Email deliverability & perception: Many users still associate .com with legitimacy. Using a .ai email might raise eyebrows in corporate inboxes.
- Long-term asset: if you plan to scale or exit your startup, a .com domain holds stronger resale value. Investors and acquirers find the .com format extremely reliable.
- Strong recall: most users default to typing .com out of habit, which means fewer lost clicks and higher direct traffic.
Openprovider manages over 3.3 million domains across 1,900+ TLDs, including a massive volume of .com domains through our direct accreditations. We know the value of legacy extensions—and we give you access at cost price through our Membership program.
Which one should your AI startup choose?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The domain you choose should reflect your brand story, business model, and growth plans. Here’s a practical breakdown:
| Goal | Recommended TLD | Why |
| You want to signal you’re part of the AI wave | .ai | Position your brand in the tech-savvy space from day one |
| You plan to go global | .ai and .com | Future-proof your brand for broader trust and usability |
| You want both branding & SEO advantage | .ai and .com | Use .ai for your main site, .com for email or vice versa |
| You’re bootstrapping | .com | Easier to spot lower renewal costs and more predictable pricing |
| You’re in stealth mode | .ai | Easier to secure a short, clever brand name at launch |
5 critical factors to consider when choosing a domain
Choosing between .ai and .com isn’t just a matter of style: it’s a strategic decision that can impact your branding, budget, search visibility, and long-term growth.
Whether you’re naming a pre-seed AI tool or preparing for Series A visibility, here are five non-negotiable factors to consider before you click “register.”
Brand relevance and industry positioning
Your domain should communicate who you are and what you do instantly.
If your startup is in artificial intelligence, the registration of a .ai domain can give you immediate positioning in your niche. It signals innovation, tech-forward thinking, and category leadership.
Also, for early adopters and VCs, it’s a strong brand signal that you’re aligned with the future.
On the other hand, a .com domain positions you as an established and global entity, which might resonate more with enterprise clients or general audiences not yet immersed in the AI space.
Pro tip from Openprovider: If your brand name is available in both .com and .ai, secure both and redirect one to the other. It protects your identity and leaves space for future branding strategies.
Availability and name selection
Here’s the reality: most premium .com domains are taken. And if they’re available, they may come with a steep price tag in the aftermarket.
.ai offers more flexibility for creative branding, so you’re more likely to find a short, brandable, or even single-word domain name that fits your vision.
It also opens the door for clever domain naming hacks, something that’s much harder to do with .com.
Still, don’t let availability dictate your brand. A memorable name on a less saturated TLD is often better than a compromised name on .com.
Gaining competitive advantage: to check name availability and manage domains in bulk, there’s an RCP platform thought to give you advanced domain search, bulk registration tools, and access to over 1,900 TLDs.
Cost of domain acquisition and renewal of .ai vs .com
Your domain is not a one-time expense. Renewal pricing, potential transfers, and expansion (like securing both .ai and .com) should factor into your budget.
- .com domains can be generally more affordable both to register and renew. Many resellers, including Openprovider, offer them at highly competitive rates through a membership-based domain pricing.
- .ai domains are more expensive. Registries charge higher fees, and popular names are often marked as premium. Some even come with tiered renewal costs.
If you’re bootstrapped or running lean, this difference can impact your runway.
Need help with domain cost strategy? Consult with us to model cost savings across multiple TLDs and operations.
SEO implications
Search engines like Google don’t favor one TLD over another based on the extension alone. What matters is a compound of a series of factors related to organic search, like content quality, domain authority, and backlinks.
That said, perception still plays a role in click-through rates.
We can picture scenarios where users tend to click .com domains more readily, especially in markets where trust and familiarity are key. For AI-native audiences, however, .ai may actually perform better due to relevance and keyword alignment.
- A .ai domain can reinforce your industry focus in branded searches
- A .com domain may be safer if you’re targeting broader, non-technical audiences
We help members map out domain SEO strategies using WHOIS data, parked domains, and domain lifecycle tools, so you’re not starting from zero. Contact us here for any information.
Customer trust and perception of .ai vs .com
The psychology behind domain extensions is powerful. For traditional businesses or mass-market users, .com carries long-standing trust. It’s the extension people expect, and that expectation influences conversions, especially for emails, logins, and online payments.
Meanwhile, .ai comes across as innovative, cutting-edge, and tech-savvy, an ideal solution if you’re targeting developers, startups, or digital communities.
Still, be cautious. Not every customer will immediately associate .ai with artificial intelligence. If you’re scaling into conservative industries (finance, legal, healthcare), .com may offer safer ground.
Being used to serving customers in over 120 countries and seeing firsthand how TLD trust varies by market, you can access our localization strategies, domain combinations, and geographic rollouts consulting us directly or via our Frequently Asked Questions.
Real-world examples: companies using .ai vs .com domains
To take inspiration for your startup project, check how these famous companies have moved strategically by securing either a .com or a .ai domain.
Companies using .ai domains:
- Lalaland.ai: an Amsterdam-based tech startup founded in 2019; Lalaland creates artificial intelligence-based virtual models for e-commerce, aiming to enhance diversity and reduce costs in product representation.
- DeepSeek.ai: the Chinese AI startup that has shaken the industry, known for its advanced R1 model, and prompting competitors to adapt their business strategies.
- Claude.ai: The LLM of Anthropic, US-based startup that strongly participates in the AI revolution.
Companies using .com domains:
- OpenAI.com: The leading artificial intelligence research organization, OpenAI focuses on developing and promoting AI technologies responsibly.
- Databricks.com: American data company that provides a unified data analytics platform, leveraging AI to process and analyze large datasets.
- UiPath.com: A global software company specializing in robotic process automation (RPA), and AI agents to automate repetitive tasks across various industries.
What Openprovider recommends (and how we help)
As an ICANN-accredited domain registrar trusted by 7,000+ resellers and businesses worldwide, Openprovider helps startups scale smart from day one.
Here’s how we make domain decisions easier:
- Access to both .ai and .com (and 1,900+ more) at cost price with any Membership level.
- Domain bundles and exclusive promotions for domain investors, AI founders and SaaS startups.
- Dedicated account management and assisted domain transfers, by helping to consolidate your domain assets without interrupting operations.
- Premium DNS, SSL, and future-proof APIs so your tech stack is ready for global traffic and security needs.
Our mission has always been to level the playing field in the domain industry, and we’ve been doing that since 2004.
Still have doubts? Talk to us. We’ll help you compare options, run availability checks, and get the best price, no matter which direction your AI startup takes.
Conclusion: domain names are more than labels: they’re leverage
The startupper journey is filled with challenges, but one of these can be turned into a leverage: riding the AI landscape.
If you’re building the next foundational model or a hyper-local AI tool, your domain will speak before you do.
A strategic choice between .ai and .com (or a smart combination of both) can strengthen your brand identity, reduce customer confusion, and set you up for a more resilient growth journey.For this, you can explore our memberships and register your .ai or .com at cost price today.
