Key takeaways
- If most of your customers are in Australia, make a .com.au your main domain.
- Google treats country-code domains like .com.au as a strong signal that a site is for one country.
- auDA’s research found 8 in 10 Australian consumers are more likely to trust businesses with .au websites.
- A .com suits businesses selling mainly overseas, or anyone who can’t meet .com.au eligibility.
- Where it’s affordable, register both and point one to the other. They are different domains, not interchangeable.
For a business that mainly sells to Australians, .com.au is the better choice. It tells customers and search engines you’re local, and it can only be held by a business registered to trade in Australia. A .com makes more sense if your customers are mostly overseas. Many businesses register both and use one as the main address.
The extension won’t make or break your business. But it does change a few things worth understanding before you print it on your van.
What’s the actual difference between .com.au and .com?
A .com is a global domain anyone in the world can register. A .com.au belongs to the Australian namespace run by auDA, and it comes with rules.
To hold a .com.au, you must be a commercial entity registered to trade in Australia (with an ABN, ACN or ARBN), or hold an Australian registered trade mark or application. You must stay eligible for as long as you hold the name (auDA, com.au and net.au rule changes). The name must also relate to your business, such as matching or abbreviating your business name.
| .com.au | .com | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can register | Australian-registered businesses and trade mark holders | Anyone, anywhere |
| Signals to customers | An Australian business | Could be based anywhere |
| Google country targeting | Clear signal for Australia | No country signal from the domain alone |
| Licence term | 1 to 5 years | Typically 1 to 10 years (Webcentral) |
| Public WHOIS shows | Registrant name and ABN or ACN, no street address or phone | Varies; privacy services are common |
| Ongoing rules | Must keep an active ABN or ACN | Just keep paying |
.com.au is still the default for Australian business. There were 3,332,095 .com.au domains in October 2026, up 3.8% on a year earlier (auDA Registry Monthly Stats, October 2026).
Which one will Australian customers trust more?
auDA’s own research found that “8 in 10 Australian consumers are more likely to trust Australian businesses with .au websites”. It also found half of consumers and small businesses will only buy online from a business with a .au website (auDA .au Product Guide 2026). auDA runs .au, so read that with its interest in mind. It still matches what we see.
In our experience, customers rarely think hard about the extension. They notice when something feels off. A plumber in Parramatta with a .com isn’t a red flag. But when a customer is about to hand over card details, a familiar .com.au is one less reason to hesitate.
There’s also a practical trust point. Because .com.au names are tied to an ABN or ACN, anyone can look up the business behind one. That’s harder to fake than a .com registered anonymously overseas.
Does .com.au help with Google rankings in Australia?
It helps Google understand who your site is for. Google says country-code domains “provide a strong signal to both users and search engines” that a site targets a particular country. It lists “clear geotargeting” as an advantage, and notes a country-code domain can only target that one country (Google Search Central).
That’s a signal, not a ranking boost. A .com.au with thin content won’t outrank a strong .com. Google’s own guidance treats a .com as a generic domain, so an Australian business on a .com should make its location obvious in other ways. Use your address, local phone number, Australian prices and a Google Business Profile.
When does a .com make more sense?
- You sell mostly overseas. An Australian software product with customers in the US and UK may be better served by a .com.
- You plan to expand internationally soon. A .com can serve several countries, with sections for each.
- You can’t meet .com.au eligibility. You need an ABN, ACN, ARBN or Australian trade mark. Hobby projects and individuals without an ABN may look at a .au direct name instead, which only needs an Australian presence.
- Your exact .com.au is taken and the .com is free. A great name on a .com can beat an awkward one on a .com.au.
Should you register both .com.au and .com?
If you can, yes. Scamwatch points out that “.com” and “.com.au” names “are different and are not interchangeable”, and suggests businesses for whom the name matters consider registering both (Scamwatch, 19 December 2016). Owning both stops a competitor or copycat taking the other version. It also catches customers who type the wrong ending.
Pick one as your main address and redirect the other to it. Run your email on the main one only. That keeps things simple for customers and for Google.
The cost is modest. At WMS a .com.au is $80 for two years + GST, and a .com is $40 a year + GST. See our guide to .com.au domain cost for what other providers charge.
What’s changing for .com.au in 2026?
Two things are worth knowing, and only one is in force.
In force: since 20 May 2026, registrars report that .au renewals are checked against the ABN or ACN behind the domain, and blocked if it’s no longer active (SmartCompany, 30 July 2026). If your business structure has changed, our guide to change .com.au registrant details shows how to fix it before renewal.
Proposed, not final: auDA’s Board has given in-principle approval to removing one way of qualifying for a new .com.au or .net.au. That’s the option to register a name matching a service, product, event, activity or premises (IT Brief, 25 September 2026). In October 2026, auDA proposed that existing licences keep the current rules (SmartCompany, 21 October 2026). Draft rules are still to go to public consultation. Nothing has changed yet, and we’ll update this article when it does.
So which should you choose? A one-line rule
If most of your customers are in Australia, lead with .com.au; if most are overseas, lead with .com; and register the other one too if it’s free.
Ready to go? Our guide shows how to register a .com.au domain step by step, or you can browse our .com.au domain registration options.
When you’re ready to build, we can host the site too with Australian web hosting on the same account. Or register your domain with WMS now and decide on hosting later.
Frequently asked questions
Is .com.au better than .com for SEO in Australia?
A .com.au gives Google a clear signal that your site is for Australian users, which helps it show you to the right audience. It isn’t a ranking shortcut, though. Content, reviews, speed and local signals such as a Google Business Profile matter more. A .com site can still rank well in Australia if it makes its location clear.
Can I get a .com.au without an ABN?
Generally no. You need to be an Australian-registered commercial entity, with an ABN, ACN or ARBN, or hold an Australian registered trade mark or application. If you don’t qualify, a .au direct name only needs an Australian presence, such as Australian citizenship or residency.
If I own the .com.au, does someone else own the .com?
Possibly. They’re separate domains with separate owners, so registering one doesn’t protect the other. Search for both versions of your name. If the other version is free and affordable, register it and redirect it to your main site. If it’s taken, check who holds it before you print your address anywhere.
Can I switch from .com to .com.au later?
Yes, but plan it. You’ll need permanent redirects from every old page to its new address, updated email settings, and changes to your Google Business Profile and printed material. In our experience, a carefully planned move keeps most of its search visibility. Done carelessly, you can lose traffic and email for weeks.
Is the .com.au eligibility change in force?
No. As of November 2026, auDA has approved in principle removing one pathway for new .com.au and .net.au registrations, and proposed that existing licences keep the current rules. Draft rules still need public consultation. The ABN and ACN check at renewal, though, has applied since 20 May 2026.
Sources
- com.au and net.au rule changes, auDA, accessed 13 November 2026
- Registry Monthly Stats, October 2026, auDA
- .au Product Guide 2026, auDA
- Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites, Google Search Central, accessed 13 November 2026
- Beware of unsolicited domain name registration offers, Scamwatch, 19 December 2016
- The new 90-day domain name rule that can kill your business’ online presence, SmartCompany, 30 July 2026
- Domains, Webcentral, accessed 13 November 2026
- auDA faces backlash over .com.au eligibility shake-up, IT Brief, 25 September 2026
- Small businesses to keep existing .com.au URLs after policy backtrack, SmartCompany, 21 October 2026