Australian Domain Names
Here's how we pick Australian domain names for a local business: start with .com.au, then grab the matching .au if it's free. Search from here, or keep reading for the why — including eligibility, pricing, and when .net.au or .com still make sense.
.com.au · .au · .com · .net.au · hundreds more
yourbusiness.com.au and yourbusiness.au are two licences. Buying one doesn't reserve the other. People get caught out by that more often than you'd think.
This is the established Australian business namespace. Customers recognise it. You generally need to be a commercial entity, and the name has to connect to the business, an acronym, a trade mark, or what you actually sell.
That extra check is annoying at checkout. It's also why a .com.au still means something.
From $18.98
Search .com.au →Shorter. Still Australian. You need a presence here, but you don't have to be a company. An ABN helps; it isn't the only way.
We like .au. We wouldn't rip a working .com.au off a live site to chase it. Own both if you can.
From $18.98
Search .au →You don't need two websites. Put the site on one name and point the other at it.
Paying for the obvious spare now is cheaper than finding out someone else registered it after you've printed the email signature.
Primary site
yourbusiness.com.au
Redirect
yourbusiness.au
Same business. Two names. One website.
Secondary picks
Neither is a bad domain. We just wouldn't use them as the first name for a new Australian brand if the .com.au is sitting there.
Same kind of commercial rules as .com.au. Fine if it's already on the vans. Don't pick it over an available .com.au just because it was the one left on a random Tuesday.
From $18.98
Search .net.au →No Australian presence test. Worth having if you sell overseas, or if you just don't want someone else sitting on the global version of the name. For a local business, we'd still keep the .com.au first.
From $33.83
Search .com →auDA runs the namespace. Someone has to show an Australian connection, and .com.au has extra commercial and naming rules on top.
That isn't paperwork for its own sake. auDA says it keeps abuse well below the global average. For a customer, it just means the name is more likely to belong to a real Australian outfit.
Most businesses get through with an ABN or ACN. You don't always need one for .au. You do need to get the registrant right, which is a different problem.
If the business is Example Plumbing, register exampleplumbing.com.au. Not best-cheap-plumber-melbourne.com.au. Google doesn't care, and your customers will spell it wrong.
Keep it short. Skip hyphens unless they're actually in the brand. Then put it in the business's name, not the freelancer's Gmail account.
A developer can register it for you. The record still has to be yours. Losing the website is recoverable. Losing the domain takes the site and the email with it.
Registration is on the page. Renewal is in the cart before you pay. We'd rather show the number than hide it three clicks down.
| Domain | We'd use it for | From |
|---|---|---|
| .com.au | The one we'd register first | $18.98 |
| .au | Worth owning next to the .com.au | $18.98 |
| .net.au | Fine, rarely where we'd start | $18.98 |
| .com | Useful if you sell outside Australia | $33.83 |
AUD. .au names have eligibility rules. Full list and live pricing.
Already registered
Bring it across if you want domains, DNS, hosting and tickets in the same account. A transfer changes the registrar. It does not move the website unless the nameservers change too.
Worth knowing
Registrar only
The site and email stay put if the nameservers do.
Unlock + auth code
Get those from the current registrar before you start.
Unsure?
Send us the domain first. We'd rather check DNS than fix a surprise outage.
Most businesses use an ABN or ACN. That isn't the only way through, and a registered Australian trade mark can count in some cases. For .au you need an Australian presence, but you don't specifically need an ABN. If you're unsure, ask us before you pay rather than guessing at checkout.
You need to be an eligible Australian commercial entity, and the domain name has to connect to the business, an acronym, a trade mark, or what you sell. Have your ABN, ACN or trade mark details ready at checkout. If the connection isn't obvious, ask us before you pay.
No. example.com.au and example.au are two separate names. Buying one does not include the other.
For a business trading mainly in Australia, we'd start with .com.au. Add .com if you sell overseas or want the global version of the name protected. They are separate registrations.
Registration prices for the common extensions are on this page in AUD. Renewal is shown in the cart before you pay. Exact figures move with the registry and promo periods, so treat the table as the live from-price and confirm at checkout.
If both are available and the extra year isn't a stretch, yes. Point the spare one at the site you actually use. It's cheaper than trying to buy it back later.
Yes, with your permission. The domain still needs to be in the business's name with the right eligibility details. Don't leave your main domain sitting in someone else's account.
No. It has the same kind of commercial rules as .com.au. We just wouldn't pick it over an available .com.au for a new brand.
The domain will outlast the first site. Search what's available, or ask if the eligibility side isn't obvious.
Need the buyer's checklist first? How to buy a domain name in Australia.
