Domain Availability Checker

Type a name above and you will know in a second or two whether it is free to register, what it costs for the first year and what it will cost to renew. The checker also tests the same name on other popular extensions, so if your first choice is taken you can see the alternatives right away.

What this domain checker does

A domain availability checker asks the domain system one simple question: has anyone registered this exact name yet? If not, you can buy it. If yes, someone already owns it, and you need another name or another extension.

This tool uses live data from the Vercel Registrar API for hundreds of extensions, including .com, .net, .org, .io, .ai, .co and many newer ones. For an available name it also returns the current registration price and the yearly renewal price in US dollars, and it flags premium names that cost more than normal.

For extensions that the registrar does not sell, the checker falls back to the official RDAP registry service. RDAP can tell whether a name is registered, but not the price, so those results are marked “Looks free” instead of “Available”. Pakistani .pk domains are run by PKNIC, which does not offer a public lookup API, so for those the tool sends you to the PKNIC lookup page.

How to use it

1. Type the name you want. You can type it with the extension (yourname.com) or without. If you leave out the extension, the tool checks .com.

2. Press Check domain. The result appears below the box with a clear verdict: Available, Taken, Looks free or Unknown.

3. Read the price line. For an available name you see the first year price and the renewal price. The renewal is what you will pay every year after the first, so it matters more over time.

4. Look at the other extensions. Under the main result you see the same name on .com, .net, .org, .io, .co and others, each with its own status and price.

5. Register quickly if you like it. Availability is checked live, but nothing is reserved until you actually buy the domain. Good names can be taken by someone else the same day.

You can type a full web address like https://www.example.com/page and the tool will clean it up and check only the domain part.

Understanding the results

Why a name shows as taken when no website exists

This confuses a lot of people. You type a name in the browser, nothing loads, so you assume the domain is free. Then the checker says it is taken. Both can be true.

A domain can be registered without any website. People buy names to protect a brand, to use later, to resell, or simply forget about them. Some domains are used only for email. Others point to a parking page that shows ads. Registration and having a website are two separate things.

If you really want a taken name, open the WHOIS Lookup to see when it was registered and when it expires. If the expiry date is close and the owner does not renew, the name can become available again after the grace and redemption periods. That process takes weeks, and many expiring names are caught by backorder services, so do not count on it.

How to choose a good domain name

Availability is only the first test. A name can be free and still be a poor choice. Before you buy, run it through this short checklist:

• Say it out loud. If a friend cannot type it correctly after hearing it once, simplify it.
• Keep it short. Under 15 characters is a good target. Shorter names are easier to remember and fit better on business cards and social bios.
• Avoid numbers and hyphens. People forget whether it was “4” or “four”, and hyphens are easy to miss.
• Match your brand. If your Instagram is @yourbrand, try to get yourbrand.com so people find you in one guess.
• Stay away from trademarks. A name that includes a famous brand can be taken from you in a dispute, even if you paid for it.
• Think about the future. “gilgitphoneshop” is limiting if you later sell laptops too. A broader brand name grows with you.

Which extension should you pick?

The extension is the part after the dot. It affects trust, price and sometimes who your site is meant for.

.com

Still the default and the one people guess first. If your exact name is available on .com at a normal price, it is usually the best choice for a global or mixed audience.

.pk and .com.pk

Good for a business that serves only Pakistan. It tells visitors and search engines that you are local. These come from PKNIC and its resellers, not from global registrars.

.net and .org

Fine alternatives when .com is taken. .org is often used by non-profits, communities and open projects.

.io, .ai, .app, .dev

Popular with tech products and startups. They often cost more than .com, especially .ai. .app and .dev require HTTPS, which is fine because every modern host gives free SSL.

New extensions like .online, .store, .site

Often cheap in the first year. Check the renewal price carefully, because some of these renew at several times the first year price.

To compare many extensions at once, use the Bulk Domain Checker. To see first year, renewal and transfer prices side by side, use the Domain Price Checker.

Where to register after you find a free name

Once you find an available name, you buy it from a registrar. I recommend Dynadot for most domains because privacy is free and renewal prices stay close to the first year price. If you are also starting a website, Hostinger gives a free domain for the first year with its yearly hosting plans, which saves money in year one.

You can read the full Dynadot guide or the Hostinger guide before you decide.

Mistakes to avoid when buying a domain

• Waiting too long. If you found a good name, buy it. Ideas you type into random sites can be picked up by others, and good names go fast.
• Looking only at the first year price. A name that costs very little in year one but much more every year after is not a bargain.
• Buying from an unknown reseller. Use a known, ICANN-accredited registrar so you control the domain fully.
• Using fake contact details. Registrars must verify your email and can suspend domains with false data. Privacy protection hides your details anyway.
• Forgetting auto-renew. Losing a domain because a card expired is common and painful. Turn on auto-renew on day one.

Privacy: is it safe to check names here?

Yes. The checker does not store the names you type in any list, does not sell them and does not register anything for you. Results are kept in a short-lived cache so that the same check from several people in a few minutes does not hit the registrar again, and then they are deleted. There is a fair use limit per network so the tool stays fast for everyone.

Frequently asked questions