.com vs ccTLDs vs niche TLDs: what’s best for your portfolio?

According to the latest Domain Name Industry Brief, .com still dominates the global domain market, with a total of more than 156 million registrations. But the tide is shifting. 

While .com remains the most common choice, its growth is stalling – while ccTLDs and niche TLDs continue to gain ground.

So, what should domain resellers focus on? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Each category – .com, ccTLDs, and niche TLDs – serves a different purpose. The strongest reseller portfolios don’t pick one winner. They offer all three.

Here’s how each type of TLD fits into the bigger picture.

.com: Still king of the aftermarket

There’s no denying that the .com namespace is crowded. Short, memorable .coms are hard to come by these days. 

While the Domain Name Industry Brief reports a contraction in .com registrations over the past years, with the total number of .coms on the Internet slowly decreasing – it is still, by far, the most popular TLD out there.

No trendy TLD has managed to replace one-word .coms on the aftermarket – just ask any domain broker.

As mentioned in our recent podcast interview with David Clements, CEO of Brannas and author of The Ultimate Domain Name Handbook, there are .coms that are now valued at nine-figure sums.  

According to Mr. Brannan, the industry has seen waves of popularity for others over the years – .biz in the 2000s, .co a few years ago, and .ai today – but .com continues to hold its value in the long run.

These findings are supported by numbers, too. According to a 2022 study, consumers consider .com domains to be over 33% more memorable than URLs with other top-level domains. They also view .com as the #1 most trusted TLD – although closely followed by .co. 

When people try to remember a URL, they’re also 3.8 times more likely to assume it ends in .com than anything else. This is especially the case in the US, where typing “.com” after a web address is second nature. It’s what American customers expect. 

It can take a while for Internet users to grow used to new TLDs – just like how UK users still tend to trust .co.uk over the newer .uk option. These habits are hard to change.

For customers who value traditionalism, .com is still a go-to choice. To go the extra mile, consider partnering up with a domain broker to offer your customers the high-value .com names they are looking for.

ccTLDs: Strong, trusted, and local

Country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) are particularly strong in Europe – although in recent years, they’re taking off in other parts of the world, too. Seven domain extensions in the top 10 largest TLDs are ccTLDs, according to the Domain Name Industry Brief. 

While European giants like .de (Germany) and .nl (The Netherlands) are stalwart here, TLDs like .cn (China), .br (Brazil), and .in (India) have seen exponential growth in the past years. What’s more, geo-political factors have seen a huge uptick in several ccTLDs, including .ca Canada). 

For customers outside of the US, these local domains can feel more trustworthy than .com. They send a clear signal: we’re here, we’re local, and we know our market. 

ccTLDs also tend to have a smaller namespace, meaning there are more chances to find a great domain name that isn’t already taken.

But they aren’t the best choice for everyone. If your customers plan to expand globally, a ccTLD might not be the right long-term fit.

Niche TLDs: Growing market, mixed reputation

Niche TLDs – whether they’re repurposed ccTLDs like .ai and .co or new gTLDs like .tech and .shop – are becoming more common. But not all of them have a great reputation.

In 2017, 70.5% of surveyed British adults reported trusting .com and .co.uk domains over those with niche TLDs. ICANN ran a similar survey in 2016, according to which respondents reported feeling less comfortable providing personal information on a site using a new gTLD than a legacy gTLD or ccTLD. 

Interestingly, teenagers showed slightly more familiarity with new gTLDs compared to surveyed adults.

That said, these surveys were held in 2016 and 2017. Since then, niche TLDs have shown strong growth, with some having millions of registrations under their name in 2025. 

Not all niche TLDs are associated with spam, either: there are many high-quality, underused options. If chosen strategically, niche TLDs can help a brand stand out in a crowded market.

Here are 10 strong options worth offering in your portfolio. They avoid associations with cheapness and spam, and enforce restrictions that ensure their namespace remains high-quality:

1. .eco: Designed for environmentally-focused organizations. Every registrant must sign a public pledge showing their commitment to sustainability, adding an extra layer of credibility.
2. .art: A go-to for artists, galleries, and creative professionals. It’s used by big names like the Louvre, Tate, and Berlinale, and is known for strong loyalty and high-quality content.
3. .work and .careers: Great picks for HR platforms or dedicated hiring sites. If your customer is building a separate website for recruitment, these two are worth suggesting.
4. .law: A clean, professional option for legal professionals. Registrants must prove they work in the legal field, which keeps the quality of this namespace high.
5. .nu: An unconventional choice with broad appeal. Popular in Scandinavia and the Netherlands for its meaning in local languages, and phonetically similar to “new” in English.
6. .app: A smart, focused choice for app developers. Like all Google Registry TLDs, .app domains require a valid SSL certificate, making them more secure by default.
7. .amsterdam:  One of the most popular city-based TLDs out there. A strong option for businesses based in Amsterdam or targeting local audiences. Consider other cityTLDs, too.
8. .eu, .africa, .asia: Looking to reach a broader regional audience? These geoTLDs represent entire continents and are backed by registries active in their communities and charitable causes.
9. .io: Originally a ccTLD, now a favorite in the tech world. Its higher price point makes it less attractive for spam, and more appealing to startups.
10. .channel: A newer TLD built for content creators. Registration requires proof that the domain is being used for monetized content, which helps keep the quality of the space high.

As you can see, there are plenty of options out there. Offering a broad range of high-quality niche TLDs ensures that your customers will always find a domain name that perfectly matches their brand, even when traditional options are not available.

How to offer a wide range of TLDs

Your customers all have different goals – local reach, global visibility, niche branding. To serve them well, your portfolio should reflect that. That means .com for broad recognition, ccTLDs for local trust, and niche TLDs for standout branding. 

Are you currently getting your domains from many different providers, just to get the best prices? There’s no need for that. With an Openprovider Membership, you can register and renew 1,900+ TLDs – from traditional to niche – at cost price. 

No markups, no inflated fees, and no more juggling between different platforms – just straightforward pricing on hundreds of high-quality TLDs that will help you save more.

And that’s not all – as a Member, you also get:

• An offer of highly attractive bundle products (email, SSL, and more) that will help you increase customer retention and margin.
• 20 years of experience in bulk transfers and portfolio consolidations – we’ve got a solution for every portfolio.
• Access to marketing resources, MDFs, and channel rebates to grow your margins.
• A dedicated account manager to help you succeed.

It’s time to stop overpaying on domains and become a more successful and profitable domain reseller.