.net began as the home for network operators and is now an open, global extension that suits technology companies, online services and anyone whose .com has gone. It's one of the original top-level domains from 1985, there's no test of who may own one, and a registration can run for anything from one year to ten.
We're PD Hosting, a UK company with a London office and a Nominet accredited registrar. Your .net goes live as soon as you check out, appears straight away in your client area, and we send a reminder ahead of every renewal. Search for a name below.
Per year. Compare every extension on our domain pricing page.
What is a .net domain?
- Type
- Generic top-level domain, created in January 1985. Source
- Registry
- Verisign, the same operator as .com, under a separate .net agreement with ICANN signed in 2017. Source
- Who may register
- Open to all. Despite its origins, you don't have to run a network or a technology business. Source
- Registration period
- Up to ten years per registration. Source
- Price changes
- Verisign must give registrars at least six months' notice before increasing the .net price. Source
- Owner email
- As registrar we verify the owner's email address once the name is registered and whenever contact details are changed. No reply within 15 days means suspension until the address is confirmed. Source
- Public WHOIS
- Personal contact data is redacted from public .net lookups; ICANN policy requires it wherever privacy law applies. Source
- Transfers
- By authorisation code, following ICANN's Transfer Policy. Source
Facts checked against the registry on 9 November 2026.
Who a .net domain suits
.net is a natural fit for businesses that provide connectivity or infrastructure: a broadband provider in rural Wales, a managed IT support firm in Bristol, a web hosting reseller, a VoIP company or a developer of network tools. To a technical audience the ending still hints at networks and online services, which can help rather than hinder.
It also works for online communities, multiplayer gaming groups and software platforms, and for any business that finds its preferred name taken in .com but free in .net. Owners of a .com often register the matching .net too, so a mistyped address still lands on their site.
- Websites for ISPs, hosting and IT service providers
- Software platforms, APIs and online tools
- Online communities, forums and gaming networks
- A companion to your .com that catches mistyped visits
- Technical infrastructure such as status pages or mail hosts
Benefits of a .net domain
Old and widely understood
.net has been in use for as long as .com, so visitors, email systems and browsers treat it as an established extension rather than a novelty.
A technical flavour
For connectivity, hosting and software businesses, the ending reinforces what they do, and engineers and IT buyers recognise it instantly.
Better odds on short names
There are far fewer .net registrations than .com ones, so a concise brand name that went long ago in .com may still be free here.
Managed with your other names
Hold your .net with PD Hosting beside your .com and .co.uk, with one set of renewal dates, reminders and DNS controls in a single account.
What .net was meant for, and what it means now
When the first top-level domains were described, .net was intended only for the computers of network providers: their operations centres, administrative machines and network nodes. The customers of those networks were expected to have their own names elsewhere. That intention is written down in RFC 1591, published in 1994 by Jon Postel, who administered the early domain system.
The restriction was never enforced in a lasting way, and today .net is entirely open. Anyone can register one for any lawful purpose. What remains is the association: many people still read .net as technical, online or network-related, and that colours how a name is received.
That association is useful if you build, host, connect or support things online. An ISP, a data centre, a cloud consultancy or a developer tools company sits comfortably on .net. It's less helpful for a florist, a solicitor's practice or a bakery, where customers may wonder why the address isn't a .co.uk or .com, and might type the wrong one.
A practical test: say the full address aloud to someone outside your industry. If they repeat it back as .com, you'll want to own the .com as well, or choose a name that's free in both.
.net pros and cons
Works well if
- Your business provides internet, hosting, IT or software services
- Your preferred name is taken in .com but free in .net
- You own the .com and want to protect the closest alternative
- Your audience is technical and international
Look elsewhere if
- You're a local UK business with non-technical customers: a .co.uk is clearer
- Someone else runs a busy site on the same name in .com: visitors and emails may go astray to them
- You want the address people guess first: that's still .com
.net compared with similar extensions
| Extension | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| .net | Network, hosting and online services | Established since 1985 with a technical feel. |
| .com | Any business with a global audience | The ending most people guess first. |
| .network | Groups and professional networks | Says the word outright; newer and less familiar. |
| .tech | Technology start-ups | Modern and descriptive, but less well known than .net. |
Register your .net domain
- Search for the name you want below.
- Add it to your basket and choose how many years to register it for.
- Check out. Your domain is registered straight away and appears in your client area, ready to point at your website and email.
Every domain includes DNS management, DNS backup and restore, and free mail forwarding.
.net questions
What does .net stand for?
It's short for network. The early domain rules intended .net for the computers of network providers, but that limit no longer applies and anyone can register one.
Do I need to be a network or tech company to own a .net?
No. There are no eligibility rules, so individuals and businesses of any kind can register a .net. It simply fits technical and online businesses more naturally than, say, a high-street shop.
Is .net or .com better for a new business?
If the .com is free and affordable, it's usually the safer main address because people guess it first. Choose .net if it suits a technical business or the .com is taken, and check that nobody else is trading on the .com with your name.
Does a .net domain hurt SEO?
No. Google treats .net like .com: a generic ending with no country signal and no penalty. Your rankings depend on the content and reputation of the site, not on the ending itself.
What will I pay to renew a .net?
Renewal is £24.95 a year with us. That's higher than the introductory first-year figure in the price box, so budget for the renewal price from the second year.
Why could my .net be suspended if I ignore an email?
ICANN requires us, as registrar, to confirm that the owner's email address works after a registration or contact change. Owners who don't respond within 15 days have the domain suspended until they do, which takes the website and email offline.
Can I move my .net to PD Hosting from another provider?
Yes. Get the authorisation code from your current registrar, make sure the domain is unlocked, and start the transfer with us. Transfers of .net carry the fee shown in the price box, and a name that's just been registered or transferred may need to wait before it can move.
Sources: IANA .net record · ICANN .net registry agreement · RFC 1591: Domain Name System Structure and Delegation · ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement (WHOIS Accuracy Program Specification) · ICANN domain name transfers
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