At Openprovider, we give our customers access to 1,900+ TLDs at cost price through our Membership. That means you always have the flexibility to adapt your portfolio to new trends without being limited by high margins or narrow selections.
Here’s what the latest industry reports tell us about where the domain market is heading – and how a domain reseller like you can turn those shifts into opportunities.
.com is losing ground
For the first time in decades, .com is no longer the engine of domain growth. An Afnic report on the 2024 global domain market, published in July 2025, showed a loss of 3.5 million .com domains in 2024, mainly due to rising wholesale prices.
Meanwhile, the DNIB Q2 2025 update paints a flatter picture: .com and .net combined reached 170.5 million names with modest quarterly growth, but still flat compared to a year earlier. Renewal rates hover around 75%, stable but far from the 80%+ levels of the past.
Reseller takeaway: don’t rely on .com volume alone. Customers increasingly look at local ccTLDs and select new gTLDs when .com is unavailable or too expensive.
ccTLDs remain steady performers
Country-code domains are proving to be a safe bet. Afnic noted steady growth in regions like North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Even in the Netherlands – where .nl fell by 1.55% in H1 2025 – new registrations were actually up 4% compared to late 2024, only offset by mass deletions.
Globally, the DNIB reported 143.4 million ccTLDs in Q2 2025, growing 2.5% year on year. Success stories include .ai (+89% in 2024), .us, and .io.
Reseller takeaway: highlight ccTLDs in your offer, especially for small businesses and startups that want to underline local trust or community identity. Or, what about a .com + ccTLD bundle for customers who want the best of both worlds?
New TLDs (nTLDs) break through, but churn is high
The global market share of new gTLDs passed 10% in 2024, and the DNIB Q2 2025 data shows 14% annual growth with 39.5 million active domains. However, renewal rates sit around 32%, reflecting a market still heavily driven by discounts and promo cycles.
An Identity Digital study of over 4,000 startups confirms the trend: 54% of startups now use nTLDs as their primary domain. Exact brand match availability is far higher with nTLDs (85% vs 54% for .com), making them especially attractive to young companies that want a clean, affordable name. The clear winner is .ai, used by 28% of startups in 2025 after tripling in five years, but .io, .pro, and .global are following closely behind.
Reseller takeaway: nTLDs are no longer niche. Use promotions to bring customers in, but manage expectations about renewals. For startups and tech-driven businesses, showcase .ai, .io, and other relevant TLDs as first-choice options.
Regional markets diverge
Europe is stagnating in domain volume, with .nl and several other ccTLDs in contraction. By contrast, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific ccTLDs are showing stronger growth. Latin America and Africa are emerging as resilient growth regions too.
Reseller takeaway: align campaigns with where demand is. If you serve international customers, consider localized promotions – .mx and .br in Latin America, .za in Africa, or .us in North America.
Consolidation and regulation reshape the market
The Afnic report also underlined ongoing consolidation, with major registrars and back-end providers acquiring portfolios of TLDs and preparing for ICANN’s next new gTLD round in 2026. For resellers, that may mean fewer registry partners but more consistent offerings.
On the regulatory side, Europe’s NIS2 directive will enforce stricter data verification and abuse-handling rules. Registrars and resellers that build compliance and security services into their offering will be more competitive than those who don’t.
Reseller takeaway: prepare customers for a tighter compliance landscape, and frame it as a value-add service rather than a burden.
The bottom line for success going forward
- .com is flat to declining → diversification is essential.
- ccTLDs remain a growth anchor, especially outside Europe.
- new gTLDs are mainstreaming, with startups leading adoption.
- Regional opportunities differ → match your campaigns to market realities.
- Regulation and consolidation will favor professional, compliance-ready resellers.
At Openprovider, we make it simple to follow these shifts. With access to 1,900+ TLDs at cost price, you can always offer your customers the right extension at the right price – whether it’s a booming ccTLD, a trending nTLD like .ai, or a trusted legacy domain. As a Member, you enjoy the peace of mind that you always pay the best possible price, leaving the chaos of retail pricing and tier-based models behind.
Want to stay up to date with the latest domain industry updates and trends? Sign up for our newsletter through the form on the right side to receive our two monthly newsletters (one all for domains and one for everything else) in your inbox, full of free insights to help you grow your domain business!
