Developer Domain Selection is Different

General business and developer side projects have different requirements. Budget, goals, and target users all differ.

2025 Data: 28.7M developers worldwide, frontend developer hiring up 15% annually since 2020. More developers are launching side projects than ever.

Developer-Preferred Domains: Data Analysis

Rise of .io Domains

Verified Statistics (2023 HackerNoon Survey):

11% of startups use .io domains
More than doubled from ~5% two years ago
1.6M+ registrations (as of 2025)
Higher startup usage than .co or .ai

Why Developers Prefer .io:

Tech-friendly image
"Input/Output" association
Recognition in developer community
Relatively reasonable pricing

Current Position of .com

Changing Trends:

2021: 66% of startups used .com
2023: 57% of startups use .com
Still #1 but declining trend

Indie Hacker Opinion:

".com domains are still king. .xyz, .biz, and .link often host malicious and spammy sites."

Growth of .dev Domains

Characteristics:

Google-backed secure domain
SSL certificate required (automatic security signal)
Appeals to developer-focused companies and tools

When to Choose .dev:

Building developer tools
Open source projects
API/SDK services
Developer community platforms

Indie Hacker Budget Strategy

$10-15/Year: Minimal Budget Approach

Indie Hackers Community Recommendations:

Domain cost: $10-15/year
Buy immediately if under $15
Minimal cost compared to overall project investment

Recommended Registrars:

Namecheap - Good value
Cloudflare - Transparent pricing
Google Domains - High trust
GoDaddy - Popular (mixed service reviews)

Premium Domains: When to Invest?

Budget by Stage:

MVP Validation Stage ($10-50):

.dev, .io, .app alternative TLDs
Invented word .com
2-word combination affordable .com

After Product Validation ($50-500):

Short .io domain
Brandable .com
Single word .dev

After Revenue ($500-5,000):

Premium .io
Single word .com (if possible)
Category-related .com

Word Pairing Strategy: Indie Hacker Verified

Strategy Overview

Success Cases:

Indie Hackers (Indie + Hackers)
NomadList (Nomad + List)
RemoteOk (Remote + Ok)
TherapistAI (Therapist + AI)

3 Key Advantages

1. Availability

More combinations = easier to find available domains
Single words mostly taken
Combinations create unique names

2. Credibility

Instantly communicates what you do
Builds trust with strangers
Understandable without explanation

3. Marketability

Easy to find in search engines
High word-of-mouth effect
Easy to remember

Word Pairing Formula

[What You Do] + [How/Who]

Examples:
- Code + Mentor = CodeMentor
- API + Kit = APIKit
- Dev + Tool = DevTool
- Test + Lab = TestLab
- Deploy + Now = DeployNow

Recommended Words by Category:

Developer Tools:

Dev, Code, Build, Deploy, Test, Debug
Kit, Lab, Hub, Box, Stack

Data/Analytics:

Data, Stats, Metrics, Analytics
Dash, Board, View, Insight

Collaboration/Productivity:

Team, Collab, Work, Task, Project
Space, Room, Board, Flow

API/Backend:

API, Backend, Server, Cloud, Edge
Gateway, Mesh, Grid, Link

Perfect Domain Checklist

✅ Step 1: Basic Requirements

Must-have Criteria:

5-11 characters (used by 79.8% of successful startups)
1-2 words (93.2% of startups)
Easy to pronounce (pass phone test)
Clear spelling (no multiple spellings)
No numbers/hyphens

Phone Test:

"If friends say 'what?' more than twice when you tell them the domain over the phone, pick another name. You're missing valuable word of mouth."

✅ Step 2: TLD Selection

Developer Tools / APIs:

Brand.dev (Google-backed, security signal)
Brand.io (tech-friendly)
Brand.com (highest trust)

SaaS / Web Apps:

Brand.com (corporate credibility)
Brand.io (startup image)
Brand.app (mobile-first)

AI/ML Projects:

Brand.ai (instant positioning)
Brand.dev (developer + AI)
Brand.io (tech startup)

Open Source Projects:

Brand.dev (community recognition)
Brand.io (technical trust)
Brand.org (non-profit image)

✅ Step 3: Availability Check

Domain Search:

Major TLD availability (.com, .io, .dev)
Typo domain check (prevent squatting)
Similar domain check (prevent confusion)

GitHub & NPM:

GitHub username availability
NPM package name availability
PyPI package name (Python)
RubyGems (Ruby)

Social Media:

Twitter/X: @yourbrand
LinkedIn: /company/yourbrand
ProductHunt: @yourbrand
Dev.to: @yourbrand

✅ Step 4: Technical Considerations

DNS & Hosting:

Does registrar provide API? (automation possible)
DNSSEC support?
Fast DNS propagation?
Cloudflare integration available?

Developer-Friendly Features:

Easy Vercel/Netlify integration?
Unlimited subdomains?
CNAME flattening support?
Wildcard SSL available?

✅ Step 5: Legal Verification

Trademark Search:

USPTO (US Patent Office)
Major market patent offices
Google search (check existing usage)

Domain History:

Wayback Machine check (past usage)
Spam blacklist check
SEO penalty history check

✅ Step 6: Future-Proofing

Scalability:

Not awkward when adding products?
Pivot-friendly name?
Suitable for global markets?

Branding:

Easy logo creation?
Usable as hashtag?
Suitable as app name?

Practical Strategy by Domain Type

.dev Domain Strategy

Optimal Use Cases:

API documentation sites
Developer tools
Open source projects
Technical blogs

Advantages:

Security signal (SSL required)
Google-backed credibility
Developer community recognition
Relatively affordable ($12-15/year)

Naming Tips:

yourtool.dev (tool name)
yourname.dev (personal portfolio)
yourapi.dev (API service)

.io Domain Strategy

Optimal Use Cases:

Tech startups
SaaS products
Data platforms
Developer services

Statistics:

1.6M+ registrations
11% of startups use it
5%→11% (2x growth)

Naming Tips:

Keep it short and simple
Leverage Input/Output association
Tech-friendly image

Caution: .io is a ccTLD for British Indian Ocean Territory. May have limitations with global expansion, so consider including .com acquisition in long-term plans.

.com Domain Strategy

Optimal Use Cases:

B2B SaaS
Enterprise software
Consumer-facing apps
Long-term brand building

Statistics:

Still 57% of startups use it
Highest credibility
33% more traffic

Budget-Based Strategy:

$10-50:

2-word combination .com
Invented word .com
Add prefix (Get-, Try-, Use-)

$50-500:

Short 2-word .com
Industry-related .com
Brandable combination

$500+:

Single word .com
Premium combination
Category domain

Step-by-Step Execution Guide

Phase 1: Idea Validation (1-7 days)

Goal: Fast execution, minimal cost

Domain Strategy:

Budget: $10-15
TLD: .dev, .io, .app
Naming: Word pairing

Checklist:

Generate 5-10 candidates (2 hours)
Check availability (30 min)
Phone test (30 min)
Final selection and registration (30 min)

Time Limit: Decide within 1 week

Phase 2: MVP Build (1-3 months)

Goal: Product validation, initial user acquisition

Domain Strategy:

Keep current domain
Secure GitHub, NPM names
Secure social media handles

Checklist:

Create GitHub organization
Register package registry
Create Twitter/ProductHunt accounts
Monitor .com domain availability

Phase 3: Product-Market Fit (3-12 months)

Goal: Initial revenue, user base expansion

Consider Domain Upgrade:

Budget: $50-500
Consider .com domain acquisition
Premium .io or .dev

Decision Criteria:

Monthly revenue $1K+ achieved?
1,000+ users acquired?
Domain mentioned in feedback?
Competitors squatting similar domains?

Phase 4: Growth Stage (1+ years)

Goal: Brand establishment, market dominance

Domain Strategy:

Budget: $500-5,000
Must secure .com
Protect typo domains
Acquire major TLD variants

Checklist:

Acquire .com domain
Set up redirects (old → new)
Plan SEO migration strategy
Consolidate brand assets

Common Mistakes and Solutions

❌ Mistake 1: Buying Too Many Domains

Symptoms:

10+ domains owned
Most unused
Annual renewal burden

Solution: Indie hacker advice:

"Don't buy the domains. Not until you validate the idea."

Correct Approach:

Only 1 domain per idea
No additional purchases until MVP complete
Only renew domains actually in use

❌ Mistake 2: Overly Complex Names

Bad Examples:

BestDeveloperToolsForStartups.dev
MyAwesomeProjectBuilder.io
SuperFastAPIGateway.com

Good Examples:

DevKit.dev
BuildIt.io
FastAPI.com

Test: If people say "what?" more than twice over the phone, it fails.

❌ Mistake 3: TLD Prejudice

Wrong Mindset: "It must be .com"

Data Proves:

11% of startups use .io
.dev, .app growing
Developer community accepts alternative TLDs

Correct Strategy:

Initial: Use .dev, .io, .app
After growth: Consider .com acquisition
Choose TLD for target audience

❌ Mistake 4: Skipping Legal Verification

Risks:

Trademark infringement lawsuit
Forced domain transfer
Brand rebuilding costs

Prevention:

USPTO search (5 min)
Google search (5 min)
Trademark attorney consultation (if budget allows)

Recommended Tools & Resources

Domain Search Tools

Availability Check:

Namecheap Search - Fast and accurate
Name.com - Alternative TLD suggestions
Instant Domain Search - Real-time search
Domainr - Creative suggestions

Generation Tools:

Domain Mate - AI-based recommendations
NameMesh - Combination generation
Namelix - Brandable names
LeanDomainSearch - Word combinations

Price Comparison

Average Prices by Registrar:

.com:

Namecheap: $10.98/year
Cloudflare: $9.77/year
GoDaddy: $11.99/year (first year discount)

.io:

Namecheap: $32.88/year
Google Domains: $35/year
GoDaddy: $39.99/year

.dev:

Google Domains: $12/year
Namecheap: $14.88/year
Cloudflare: $11.50/year

Additional Services

Essential:

WHOIS Privacy (free)
SSL Certificate (free - Let's Encrypt)
Email forwarding (free or $5/year)

Optional:

Professional email ($6-12/month)
Domain monitoring ($5-10/month)
Brand protection ($20-50/month)

Real Case Studies

Case 1: Bootstrap SaaS

Project: Code review tool for developers

Domain Journey:

MVP Stage: CodeReview.dev ($12/year)
After Validation: ReviewKit.io ($33/year)
At $10K/month revenue: ReviewKit.com ($5,000 acquisition)

Lessons:

Quick start with .dev initially
Upgrade to brandable .io after validation
Invest in .com after revenue secured

Case 2: Open Source Project

Project: JavaScript testing library

Domain Strategy:

Choice: TestLab.dev ($12/year)
Reasoning: Developer target, security signal, affordable
Also Secured: NPM @testlab, GitHub /testlab

Results:

Fast recognition in developer community
.dev enhanced project credibility
.com unnecessary (community project)

Case 3: API Service

Project: Email validation API

Domain Strategy:

Initial: EmailCheck.io ($33/year)
6 months later: $5K/month revenue
Decision: EmailAPI.com ($12,000 acquisition)

ROI:

.com enabled enterprise customer acquisition
30% price increase possible
Recouped domain cost within 1 year

Conclusion: Start Fast, Grow Smart

5 Core Principles

$15 Rule: Buy immediately if under $15, don't overthink
Phone Test: If "what?" more than twice, reject
Word Pairing: Availability + credibility + marketability
TLD Flexibility: Actively use .dev, .io, .app
Staged Upgrade: Acquire .com after validation

Action Plan for Developers

Right Now (30 minutes):

Generate 5-10 candidates with word pairing
Check .dev, .io, .com availability
Phone test (call a friend)
Register domain under $15 immediately

This Week (2 hours):

Create GitHub organization
Secure NPM/PyPI package name
Create Twitter, ProductHunt accounts
Check typo domains

After Validation (when revenue generated):

Consider .com domain acquisition
Budget: 10-20% of monthly revenue
Consolidate brand assets

Final Advice

"Don't waste 6 months finding the perfect domain. Start today with a $15 .dev domain. When your product succeeds, you can buy that $5,000 .com later."

What Indie Hackers Have Proven:

Product matters more than domain
Fast start is more important than perfect name
Invest after validation is the smart strategy

Start right now. Your side project is waiting.

Sources:

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