For most companies, a clean .com is the safe default in any industry — but a matching industry extension can be the better brand when .com is taken or when you want the extension to describe you: .shop/.store for retail, .io/.ai/.app for tech, .law for legal, .health for healthcare. No industry extension ranks better in search — choose on fit, not SEO.
How to use this lookup
Each row maps an industry to the extensions that signal it best, with the reasoning. Two rules apply across every sector. First, if a clean .com for your brand is available, it is almost always the safest choice regardless of industry — universal trust beats niche signalling. Second, the extension never changes your search ranking, so the value of an industry extension is purely communication: it tells a visitor what you do before they read a word. Where an industry is regulated (finance, healthcare, law), a verified restricted extension adds genuine trust — if you qualify.
Best TLD by industry
Recommended extensions per sector, with the reasoning. Open any extension for its full reference page.
| Industry / sector | Best extensions | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Technology / SaaS | .io · .ai · .app · .dev · .tech | Read as software-native; .app/.dev are HTTPS-only; short names still available. |
| E-commerce / retail | .shop · .store · .com · .online | .shop/.store say "retail" instantly; .com first if you can get it. |
| Finance / fintech | .com · .finance · .money · .bank | .com for trust; .bank is verified (restricted) and a strong anti-fraud signal. |
| Healthcare / medical | .com · .health · .clinic · .pharmacy | .health/.clinic describe the service; verified .pharmacy signals a licensed pharmacy. |
| Legal / law firms | .com · .law · .legal · .attorney | .law and .legal are clear and credible; .law has verification for licensed practitioners. |
| Real estate | .com · .realty · .properties · .homes | Descriptive extensions help when .com names are taken; .realtor is membership-gated. |
| Media / publishing | .com · .media · .news · .blog | .media and .news fit publishers; .blog suits individual writers. |
| Education / training | .edu · .com · .academy · .school | .edu if you are an accredited US institution (restricted); .academy/.school otherwise. |
| Creative / design / agency | .design · .studio · .art · .agency | .design/.studio suit creatives; .art fits galleries and artists. |
| Non-profit / community | .org · .community · .ngo | .org carries decades of non-profit trust; .ngo is for verified NGOs. |
| Local / national business | .us · .uk · .de · your ccTLD | A country code gives real geo-targeting and local trust. |
Recommendations are editorial guidance based on signal, availability and trust — not ranking, which is unaffected by the extension. Verified/restricted extensions require eligibility; see restricted TLDs. See methodology.
Two cautions for regulated sectors
If you operate in finance, healthcare, law or government, the most valuable extension is often a restricted, verified one — .bank, .insurance, .pharmacy, .law — because the registry confirms eligibility, which directly deters impersonation and phishing. The catch is you must qualify; these are not on the open market. If you do not qualify, do not try to imitate the signal with a look-alike open extension — use a clear .com instead, and earn trust through content and credentials.