For most people, the best domain extension for a personal website is .com, as long as yourname.com is available at a fair price. If it isn't, the best alternatives are .me (built for personal pages), .name (made for personal names, and its renewal costs the same as the first year), and .dev or .page if you are a developer or want HTTPS enforced by default. This guide compares them on what actually matters over five or ten years: renewal price, how people read the name, email, and the few technical differences that exist.
The short answer
| If you are… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone, and yourname.com is free | .com | Most recognised; people type it by default |
| Building a personal homepage or link-in-bio | .me | Reads as "about me"; Google treats it as a generic ending |
| Using your full name as the domain | .name | Purpose-built for names; flat renewal |
| A developer, writer of technical posts or portfolio owner | .dev or .page | HTTPS is enforced for the whole ending |
| On a tight first-year budget | .xyz, .site or .online | Very cheap first year, but check the renewal |
| Writing mostly a blog | .blog | Says what the site is; renewal is higher than .com |
You can check every ending for your name at once in domain search, which shows first-year and renewal prices side by side.
What makes an extension good for a personal site
A personal website is usually a long-term asset. The address ends up on your CV, email signature, social profiles and printed business cards, so changing it later is painful. That changes which factors matter.
Renewal price beats first-year price. Many endings are discounted heavily for year one and renew at six to nine times the intro price. Over ten years the renewal is what you pay. A $4 first year that renews at $39 costs far more than a $17 .com that renews at $21.
How the name reads out loud. If you say "jane dot me" or "jane dot com" to someone, they will remember it. Longer or unusual endings get misheard and mistyped, and email sent to the wrong ending goes to someone else.
Email. If you plan to use the domain for email (you@yourname.com), pick something you are happy to spell out on the phone. Every domain can have email; see our guide to custom domain email with Zoho or ImprovMX.
Search engines. Google has said that generic endings (.com, .dev, .page, .xyz and so on) are treated the same for ranking. Country endings such as .uk or .de signal a country, except a list of country codes Google treats as generic, which includes .me, .io and .co. Your content and links matter far more than the ending.
Privacy. A personal site is registered to you as a person, so WHOIS privacy matters. On StableDomains.net WHOIS privacy is free on every domain we sell; read more in how to buy a domain anonymously.
Price comparison: first year vs renewal
These are StableDomains.net prices at the time of writing for a one-year registration. Prices change, so check live pricing or the domain price report before you buy.
| Ending | First year | Renews at | Ten-year cost (approx.) | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $16.99 | $20.99 | ~$206 | Everyone |
| .name | $17.99 | $17.99 | ~$180 | Full names |
| .dev | $18.49 | $45.99 | ~$432 | Developers |
| .app | $18.49 | $39.99 | ~$378 | App or project pages |
| .net | $20.99 | $25.49 | ~$250 | Fallback for .com |
| .page | $22.39 | $44.79 | ~$425 | Single-page sites, portfolios |
| .org | $22.99 | $34.49 | ~$333 | Personal projects with a cause |
| .me | $33.59 | $44.79 | ~$437 | Personal homepages |
| .co | $34.49 | $74.99 | ~$709 | Short, brand-style names |
| .xyz | $4.99 | $30.99 | ~$284 | Budget first year |
| .site | $4.19 | $39.19 | ~$357 | Budget first year |
| .online | $4.19 | $39.19 | ~$357 | Budget first year |
| .blog | $4.49 | $44.79 | ~$408 | Blogs |
| .io | $57.99 | $114.99 | ~$1,093 | Tech brands, not usually personal |
The ten-year column is the first year plus nine renewals at today's renewal price, rounded. It is a guide to the real cost of keeping a name, not a quote.
Two things stand out. First, .com and .name are the cheapest names to keep for a decade. Second, the cheap first-year endings (.xyz, .site, .online, .blog) are a good way to try an idea, but they are not cheap to keep.
The main options in detail
.com: the default, if you can get it
.com is what people assume when they hear a web address. If yourname.com is available at the normal price, take it; you will never have to explain it. If it is taken, try adding a middle initial, a profession ("janedoedesign.com") or a short word such as "hello" or "hey". Our domain name generator suggests variations and checks which ones are free. See the .com page for details.
.me: made for personal pages
.me is the country code of Montenegro, but it has been marketed worldwide for personal sites for years and Google treats it as a generic ending. "yourname.me" reads naturally as "about me". It costs more than .com in the first year and on renewal, so it is best when the .com is gone. Details on the .me page.
.name: built for people
.name exists specifically for individuals' names, such as johnsmith.name. Its big advantage is price stability: at the time of writing it renews at the same $17.99 as the first year, which makes it the cheapest ending here to keep long term. It is less familiar to the public than .com or .me, so say it clearly when you share it.
.dev and .page: HTTPS by default
.dev and .page (and .app) are on the browser HSTS preload list, which means browsers will only load them over HTTPS. That is a security plus and it costs nothing on modern hosts: platforms like Vercel, Netlify and GitHub Pages issue certificates automatically. .dev is popular with developers' portfolios; .page suits a single page about you. If you host on Vercel, follow connect a domain to Vercel. See the .dev page for prices and rules.
Cheap first-year endings: .xyz, .site, .online
These are fine for a side project, a test, or a name you only need for a year. If the site becomes your main personal address, budget for the renewal or move to a .com early, before people learn the old address. The .xyz page has the current numbers.
Country endings: .uk, .de, .ca and others
If your audience is mainly in one country, its country ending can look local and trustworthy. Some country endings have residency rules, so check before you buy. For a UK audience, see the .co.uk page.
How to choose in five minutes
- Search your name in domain search and look at the whole grid of endings.
- If yourname.com is available at the normal price, register it and stop.
- If not, decide between .me (personal homepage), .name (name-as-domain) and .dev or .page (technical or portfolio).
- Compare the renewal column, not just the first year.
- Say the full address out loud to someone. If they have to ask you to repeat it, try another.
- If you are sure about the name, register it for several years so there are fewer renewals to remember.
Still unsure? Our longer guide to choosing a TLD covers business and brand names too.
Paying for your domain
You can pay by card or in stablecoins. StableDomains.net takes USDC and USDT on Base, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, HyperEVM, BNB Chain and Solana; see paying with crypto or buying with a card. WHOIS privacy is included free on every domain. If you use an AI assistant, it can search and register for you through our MCP server.
FAQ
What is the best domain extension for a personal website?
.com, if yourname.com is available at a normal price. If it is not, .me is the most natural personal alternative, .name is the cheapest to keep long term, and .dev or .page suit developers and portfolios.
Which domain is best for a personal website if .com is taken?
Try a variation of the .com first (middle initial, profession, or a short prefix). If you would rather keep your exact name, .me, .name, .dev and .page are the strongest personal options.
Does the domain extension affect SEO for a personal site?
Very little. Google treats generic endings such as .com, .me, .dev and .xyz the same for ranking. Country endings like .uk signal a country. Your content, page speed and links matter far more.
Is a cheap .xyz or .site domain a good idea for a personal website?
It is fine for a test or short-term project. For your main personal address, check the renewal price: at the time of writing .xyz renews at $30.99 and .site at $39.19 a year, both more than .com.
Can I use my personal domain for email?
Yes. Any domain can receive email once you add mail records. Free and low-cost forwarding services work well for personal domains; our email guide shows the setup step by step.
Is my name and address public when I register a personal domain?
On StableDomains.net WHOIS privacy is included free with every domain, so your personal details are kept out of public WHOIS lookups.