🏷️ Domain Availability Checker

How domain availability actually works

Every domain extension (.com, .io, .ai and the rest) is run by a registry, the organisation that keeps the master list of names for that extension. When you check a name here, this tool asks each registry directly, using RDAP, the same protocol our WHOIS Lookup uses. If the registry has a record, the name is taken. If it has none, the name is available to register, usually for a small yearly fee. No central list covers every extension, so a proper checker asks 16 registries one by one and results arrive registry by registry.

Reading the results

• Available, no registration exists right now. Follow the price link to see what it costs at Namecheap. The registrar confirms availability at checkout, and someone else can take it at any moment until then.
• Taken, someone owns it. The WHOIS link shows the registrar, the expiry date and the status. An expired name sometimes comes back, and an owner will sometimes sell, but neither is guaranteed.
• Could not confirm, that registry gave no clear answer. It means neither taken nor free. A few extensions publish no live availability data at all; for those, the registrar's own search is the decider.
• Variations, if the .com is gone, a prefix like get or try, or a suffix like hq or app, often keeps the name you love in the extension everyone trusts, and all six are checked live under the main results.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the same name cheap on one extension and expensive on another?

Each registry sets its own wholesale price, and some names are classed as premium because they are short, common words or brandable, priced far above standard. First-year promo prices also differ from renewal prices, so compare renewals, not just the first year.

Should I register more than one extension?

If the name matters, the .com plus your main alternative is cheap insurance: it stops a competitor or a spammer picking up a confusingly similar version later. Redirect the spares to your main site.

A name shows available here but taken at the registrar. Why?

Timing, usually: someone registered it between our check and your checkout, or the registry held it back as premium or reserved. Availability is only final when the registrar completes the order.

Can I find out who owns a taken domain and buy it from them?

Start with the WHOIS link on the taken row. Owner details are usually privacy protected, but most registrars offer a contact relay or a broker service. Expect to pay well above the registration fee, and use escrow for the transfer.