Revealed: the most popular domains of 2021 so far

We have written before on the tsoHost blog about how it can sometimes be tricky for individuals and businesses alike to get hold of the .com domain names they want.

Statistics show that .com is used by 52.1 per cent of websites in the world – that is more than 598 million sites with a .com domain, or to put it another way, more than 598 million taken .com domain names.

Increasingly, people are turning to alterative domains to .com and other big sellers like .org and .net for their websites.

At tsoHost, we’ve run a few numbers to find the .com alternatives that are selling best in 2021.

Here’s a list of the top 10.

.me

Known as ‘the most personal domain extension on the market’ .me has been a popular alternative to the .com family for a while now.

The first 100,000 .me domains were registered in just 48 hours when it first went onto the market in 2008. Today, it’s thought that .me is used by three percent of the world’s websites.

It should come as no surprise that the popularity of .me has remained steadfast into 2021 – research suggests that the pandemic has encouraged people to put more of an importance on their ‘me time’ – Google searches for ‘self-care’ have increased by 250 per cent since the first lockdown, for example.

Of course, it’s not just individuals that are using the .me web address. Many companies use .me domains to add real meaning and memorability to their web addresses – like support.me and hide.me for example.

.online

.online first became available in 2015. As one of the first generic top-level domains (gTLD), it stood out from the beginning – there were more than 38,000 registrations within the first 24 hours, making it one of the most successful launches of gTLDs’ time.

This domain is versatile and widely used across different businesses, industries and personal projects.

Considering the domain name is ‘online’, it’s globally understood and is very search engine friendly.

.digital

Also, a gTLD, this extension may be one of the best self-branding options for web developers, video sites, marketing agencies or any business whose primary purpose is digital.

Founded in 1993, this domain is a great option for any business trying to expand their online presence and to give themselves a competitive and credible advantage.

.xyz

Labelled as one of the best priced domains, .xyz can be used for any purpose and is popular amongst a variety of businesses.

The domain was introduced to the market in 2014, by the end of 2015 had 1.5 million domains registered and was counted as one of the most registered gTLD’S in early 2016.

With it not having as many restrictions as other newer gTLDs, the domain is well-suited for all types of users. Paired with a short domain name, it holds customers’ attentions better than convectional domain extensions.

.agency

From modelling or talent agencies to businesses in the tech, insurance, or manufacturing industries, any organisation that identifies themselves as an ‘agency’ will find this a great domain.

Its benefits range from its search engine friendliness to the opportunities it offers for tight branding.

.tv

The popularity of the .tv domain in 2021 is a sign of the times we’re currently living through. Ofcom found that people in the UK spent as much as 40 per cent of their days watching TV and online video services during the various Covid-19 related lockdowns. So, with people consuming more television than ever before, .tv delivers.

.club

Billed as the ideal TLD for sports, social and hobby clubs as well as nightclubs and loyalty programs, .club is a versatile domain.

This domain comes with a bit of a celebrity following, too. 50 Cent has the website. www.50InDa.Club and Bombay Bicycle Club has the website BombayBicycle.Club.

.space

This domain is super versatile. It’s currently used by everyone from clothing shops to travel meme sites.

The domain is particularly appropriate for companies involved with aerospace and the stars, for storage companies, or for anyone who wants to suggest their site is the space for a particular topic or product online.

More than 66,000,000 .space domains have been registered worldwide to date.

.life

A lot of positivity surrounds this domain. It is being used by mindfulness and beauty brands, animal charities, and travel blogs.

There is a powerful connotation behind the word ‘life’ that subconsciously carries over to any company using the domain.

.site

Introduced to the market in 2015 with no registration restrictions, .site has proven to be a great alternative to some of the more popular website domains.

In early 2019, the domain hit an impressive milestone of registering one million users. It is said that around 70 per cent of registered domains were by small and medium sized businesses and most in the information technology industry.

Want to buy your ideal domain for less?

tsoHost has just launched a new domain name sale. Running until July 31st 2021, the offer entitles customers to the following…

.com for £2.99 for the first year. One per customer.

.co.uk for £1.99 for the first year. One per customer.

For Ts and Cs visit the Ts and Cs pages.

Which domain are you considering? Find your domain name here.