Domain Name Checker: what it does
Type a business, brand or project name and see at once whether it is free as a .com, .co, .net, .org, .io, .app, .shop, .store, .online or .ai domain, with a dozen more endings one click away. Each answer comes from the registry that runs that ending, through RDAP, the official lookup that replaced WHOIS. For the few endings without one, such as .co and .io, the checker looks at DNS instead and says “probably available”. If the .com you want is taken, it checks common brand patterns (get…, try…, …hq, …app) as .com straight away, and it checks the same name as a username on GitHub, GitLab and Bluesky, with one-click links for Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. The lookups run from your browser to the registries, not through our servers, and nothing is stored. Free names show Porkbun’s current first-year and renewal price, fetched live from its public price list, with a button to Porkbun and to other registrars: prices differ between registrars, so compare before you buy.
How to use it
- Type the name you have in mind, with or without spaces, or a full domain such as yourbrand.io.
- Click “Check”. Each domain ending is looked up at its registry, and the username is checked on GitHub, GitLab and Bluesky.
- If the .com is taken, look at the suggested variations, and tick “More endings” for .dev, .xyz, .uk, .pk and more.
- Open Instagram, TikTok, X and the other buttons to check those platforms yourself, then register your domain at the registrar you prefer.
Tips
- Register the .com if it is free, even if you plan to use another ending: people type .com by habit, and it stops someone else taking it.
- Say the name out loud to a friend and ask them to type it. If they misspell it, so will customers.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers unless they are part of the brand: they are hard to say and easy to forget.
- Check the social usernames before you buy the domain. A matching @name everywhere is worth more than a perfect ending.
- Search the name on Google and in your country’s trademark register before you print anything.
- A domain is a yearly rental. Check the renewal price as well as the first-year price before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a domain name is available?
Type the name above. For each ending the checker asks that ending’s registry whether the domain is registered. “Available” means nobody holds it right now, so you can register it at any registrar.
Is this domain checker accurate?
The answers come from the official registries (RDAP), the same source registrars use. A few endings, such as .co and .io, have no RDAP service, so for those we check DNS and say “probably available”. Confirm at the registrar before you pay.
Why does a domain show as available but cost a lot?
Some short or popular names are “premium”: the registry sells them for more than the normal price. They show as available here because nobody has registered them; the registrar shows the real price.
Do you keep or sell the names I search?
No. The lookups go from your browser straight to the registries and sites, never through our servers, so we don’t see your searches. Nothing is stored. Some sellers watch searches and register the names first; checking here avoids that.
Which registrar should I use?
Any accredited registrar can register a free name. Compare the first-year price, the renewal price and whether privacy protection is included. The “Compare” button opens your name at several registrars, including Cloudflare, which sells at cost.