For most of its 30-year history, .ai was a quiet country-code TLD for Anguilla — a small Caribbean island of roughly 16,000 people. Then the AI boom hit, and .ai became the fastest-growing meaningful TLD on the internet. Registrations exploded from 60,000 in 2022 to over 1 million by January 2026 — a 16x increase in three years. The average aftermarket sale price reached $239,516 in 2025, making .ai the highest-priced TLD by average resale. Anguilla's government earned roughly $93–95 million from .ai registry fees in 2025 — approximately 47% of the nation's entire budget.
Key Facts About .ai
- Registry operator: Identity Digital (on behalf of Government of Anguilla)
- Launched: 1995
- Total registrations: ~1 million (January 2026)
- Best for: AI-native products, AI agents, ML infrastructure, AI consulting firms
- Our scoring engine multiplier: 40% of the equivalent .com value
The Anguilla factor
.ai is technically the country-code TLD (ccTLD) for Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. Unlike .io (which faces uncertainty due to the Chagos Islands sovereignty transfer), .ai sits with a politically stable territory that has zero incentive to disrupt the extension.
In 2023, Anguilla moved administration of the .ai registry from a local operator to Identity Digital (the US-based company behind .info, .pro, and dozens of new gTLDs). This professionalized operations but introduced some registry concentration risk — if Identity Digital makes adverse changes, registrants have limited recourse.
2025 was the breakout year
.ai crossed several milestones in 2025:
- First confirmed seven-figure .ai sale: Fin.ai at $1,000,000
- First six-figure sales in multiple categories throughout the year
- Average aftermarket price crossed $239K
- Registrations crossed 1 million total
The premium question
Annual registration of $68–$200 is 7–20x the cost of a .com. Over a 10-year domain lifetime, this is real money — $680 to $2,000 per name versus $90–$120 for .com. The question for founders is whether the category signaling justifies the premium.
For AI-native products, yes. For companies that might pivot away from AI, maybe not. For defensive registrations where the domain will just redirect, it's hard to justify unless the budget is flexible.
What's your .ai domain worth?
Run it through our free Domain Name Appraisal tool. Transparent scoring, real market comps, no signup.
Appraise a Domain →Notable .ai Sales
| Domain | Sale Price | Year |
|---|---|---|
| AI.com | $70,000,000 | 2025 (technically .com but won for .ai market) |
| Fin.ai | $1,000,000 | 2025 (first 7-figure .ai sale) |
| Cloud.ai | $600,000 | 2025 |
| Rank.ai | $200,000 | 2025 |
| Terafab.ai | $174,257 | 2025 |
| Leo.ai | $150,000 | 2025 |
Pros and Cons
Advantages
- Immediate AI category signaling — your URL tells the story
- Two characters post-dot, short and memorable
- Strong premium aftermarket (avg $239K in 2025)
- Momentum from the AI boom — registrations up 16x in 3 years
- Anguilla government has strong incentive to maintain the extension (47% of national budget)
- Still has available premium names that .com lacks
Drawbacks
- 7-20x more expensive annually than .com
- Locks your brand into an AI positioning
- Value heavily dependent on AI hype cycle
- Registry concentration risk — one private operator (Identity Digital)
- Less trust with non-technical consumer audiences
- Two-year minimum registration in some cases
Where to Register .ai
Pricing varies significantly across registrars. The numbers below are typical current market rates — always check the registrar's site for current offers, especially renewal pricing.
| Registrar | First Year | Renewal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spaceship Recommended | $68.98 | $68.98 | Register |
| GoDaddy | $99.99 | $109.99 | Register |
| Namecheap | $74.98 | $79.98 | Register |
| Dynadot | $68.99 | $68.99 | Register |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a .ai domain cost?
Registration ranges from $68 to $200 per year depending on registrar. Spaceship, Namecheap, and Dynadot typically have competitive rates. Renewal matches registration — there's no first-year discount trick.
Is .ai a ccTLD or gTLD?
Technically a ccTLD for Anguilla, but commercially it behaves like a gTLD — anyone can register, no residency requirements, open globally.
Will .ai keep growing?
Likely yes through 2026-2027 as long as AI remains culturally dominant. Beyond that, value will depend on whether AI category signaling stays important or becomes saturated.
Should I register .ai defensively?
If you're building anything AI-adjacent, yes — even at $68+/year, locking down your brand name in .ai is cheap insurance against trademark disputes or competitor registrations.
Know what any .ai domain is worth in seconds
Our free estimator gives you a transparent floor-to-ceiling value range for any domain across any TLD.
Try the Estimator →