What’s the difference between .com, .net, .org and .info?

Let’s take a look at the similarities first: they’re all gTLDs (generic top-level domain names) that are available for public registration. That means that as long as nobody else has registered the specific domain name that you’re looking for, you should be able to get it with any of these extensions.

Each of the gTLDs has a slightly different meaning, and so it’s usually best to pick the one that’s most relevant to your website. .com domains are usually used for commercial purposes, such as for an online store or a business site, although they’re increasingly being used by default as they imply a certain amount of trust. .net domains were originally used by networking companies (such as internet service providers) but are now also multipurpose.

.org is still largely used as it was originally intended, as a gTLD for charities, communities and local organisations. .info, meanwhile, is aimed at information-based websites such as wikis and tutorial sites.

With all of these gTLDs, there’s a certain amount of wiggle room. There’s no rule that says you have to use one type of domain name or another – and no test that you have to pass if you want to register one. Think of them as guidelines rather than rules – and feel free to break them if it allows you to snatch up the perfect domain name.

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