analysis .community - gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

[Eric Lyon]

Today, I'll be analyzing the .community gTLD to see if I can dig up any helpful data points that could be stacked with someone elses research into the .community extension.

The registry operator for the .community generic top-level domain (gTLD) is Binky Moon, LLC, which is a subsidiary of Identity Digital Inc. (formerly known as Donuts Inc.).

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Anyone can register a .community domain name, as it is a public, open gTLD intended for individuals, organizations, and groups with shared interests. It is commonly used for nonprofits, community centers, hobby groups, and businesses looking to connect with their audience. There are no special restrictions on who can register one

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Note: At the timer of this analysis there was a 1-character minimum to register a .community domain. There were also a lot of 1-character .community domains available to register, but with a mid-3-figure premium registration cost.

With the above in mind, lets dive right in.

.community domain registration costs​

According to Tldes.com the .community domain registration cost ranges from $7.24 to $29.99+.

.community domains registered today​

According to DNS.Coffee there are 23,864 .community domains registered today.

Public .community domain sales reports​

It's hard to find that many .community domain sales reports online, indicating most are private sales.

Note: NameBio.com shows 32 .community domain sales reports ranging from $101 to $60,000.

Notable sales for this extension include:

• crypto.community: $60,000
• m.community: $38,888
• travel.community: $4,200
• fashion.community: $3,000
• eve.community: $462
• happy.community: $101

5-year .community domain growth summary​

The .community gTLD has experienced steady, albeit decelerating, growth over the last five years. According to DNS.Coffee, the total registrations have climbed from 17,178 in early 2021 to 23,864 today, representing an overall increase of approximately 39%.

Registration Growth Timeline (2021–2026)
Based on the yearly totals provided by DNS.Coffee, the growth trajectory breaks down as follows:

• 2021–2022 (High Growth): The extension saw its most significant surge, jumping from 17,178 to 20,690 registrations (+20.4%). This aligns with the global "community-building" trend during the height of digital-first interactions.
• 2022–2023 (Steady Rise): Registrations grew to 22,913, a solid increase of 2,223 domains (+10.7%).
• 2023–2025 (The Plateau): Growth slowed dramatically during this period. The count moved from 23,624 in Jan 2024 to 23,625 in Jan 2025—a net gain of only one domain over an entire year, suggesting a high rate of non-renewals balancing out new registrations.
• 2025–2026 (Recent Uptick): The count rose again to 23,864, adding 239 domains (+1%) in the last year.

Note: While the secondary market shows high-value potential, with NameBio.com reporting sales like crypto.community for $60,000, the primary registration data suggests the market has largely reached a point of saturation. The 23,864 currently registered domains indicate that the extension has found a stable, permanent niche for dedicated community hubs rather than experiencing the speculative "boom" seen in extensions like .ai or .xyz.

8 niches for .community domains​

1. Finance & Fintech: This is currently the most valuable niche, as evidenced by the $60,000 sale of crypto.community [NameBio]. It is widely used for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), investment clubs, and personal finance forums.
2. Travel & Digital Nomads: The sale of travel.community for $4,200 highlights its appeal to travel planners, expat networks, and digital nomad hubs [NameBio].
3. Technology & SaaS: Startups and software companies use .community to host documentation forums and user-based support collectives.
4. Lifestyle & Fashion: High-value keywords like fashion.community ($3,000) show adoption by style influencers, modeling networks, and interest-based social circles [NameBio].
5. Hyperlocal & Neighborhood Groups: The gTLD is a primary choice for city guides, neighborhood associations, and local community centers looking for a more specific alternative to .org.
6. Non-Profits & Global Causes: Many advocacy groups and charitable organizations use the extension to emphasize a "shared mission" rather than a corporate structure.
7. Health & Wellness: With health being a top growth industry in 2026, .community is used for patient support groups, fitness collectives, and mental health forums.
8. Gaming & Esports: This niche leverages the domain for clan websites, multiplayer game forums, and platform-specific fan communities.

What a playful .community domain hack might look like​

A domain hack occurs when the keyword before the dot combines with the TLD after it to form a single word, phrase, or meaningful sentence. Because ".community" is a long, specific noun, hacks typically rely on adjectives, possessives, or action-oriented prefixes.

The Adjective Hack (The "State of Being")
This is the most common use case, where the domain describes the type of community.

• Active.community (Building a fitness or engagement hub)
• Happy.community (Sold for $101 per NameBio.com)
• Global.community (Positioning as a worldwide network)

The Direct Industry Hack
This bypasses the need for a "com" and makes the TLD part of the brand's identity.

• Crypto.community (Sold for $60,000 per NameBio.com)
• Travel.community (Sold for $4,200 per NameBio.com)
• Fashion.community (Sold for $3,000 per NameBio.com)

The "Call to Action" or Sentence Hack
Using a verb or a pronoun to turn the domain into a full thought.

• JoinOur.community
• InThe.community
• BuildA.community
• OurLocal.community

The Single-Letter "Shortener"
With 23,864 registrations currently active on DNS.Coffee, short, high-impact hacks are rare and valuable.

• M.community (Sold for $38,888 per NameBio.com) This functions as a "mobile community" or a brandable initialism.

The Possessive Hack
Using the name of a person, brand, or location to claim ownership of the space.

• [BrandName].community
• [CityName].community

Note: Since the renewal rate for .community can jump to over $30 after the first year at registrars like Regery or Sav, ensure your "hack" is strong enough to justify the higher-than-average annual upkeep.

Why the language before and after the dot should match
Aligning the prefix with the English gTLD .community is essential for maintaining linguistic consistency and cognitive ease, as mixing languages can create a disjointed user experience that undermines brand authority. Because ".community" is a distinct English noun, using an English prefix allows the domain to function as a coherent phrase or "domain hack," as seen in high-value sales like crypto.community ($60,000) or travel.community ($4,200) reported by NameBio.com. This linguistic harmony ensures the URL is intuitive to type and remember for the 23,864 users identified by DNS.Coffee, whereas a non-English prefix often results in a "clash" that confuses international audiences and diminishes the professional aesthetic of the web address.

10 lead sources for .community domain outbound campaigns​

• LinkedIn Groups & Sales Navigator:
  • Use Sales Navigator to filter for decision-makers in "Community Management," "Member Experience," or "Digital Strategy" roles. Targeting these leads on LinkedIn is highly effective as 40% of B2B marketers report it delivers the strongest results.
• Specialized Community Platforms (Circle, Mighty Networks, Bettermode):
  • Monitor platforms where groups are already paying for community infrastructure. Many of these users may want a professional, custom domain like a .community to white-label their experience.
• Startup Directories (Crunchbase, AngelList/Wellfound):
  • Look for new "Web3," "FinTech," or "Social" startups that have recently closed funding rounds. As seen with the $60,000 sale of crypto.community on NameBio.com, well-funded tech startups are prime candidates for high-value .community domains.
• Reddit Subreddits (r/SaaS, r/B2BMarketing):
  • Engage in niche subreddits where founders and community leaders discuss growth pain points. These platforms are vital for identifying high-intent buyers who are actively seeking better ways to organize their members.
• B2B Directories (G2, Clutch, Capterra):
  • Identify companies listed under "Community Software" or "Membership Management" that may want to upgrade their own brand or offer .community domains as a value-add to their clients.
• Whois Data & Similar Extensions:
  • Use Whois lookup tools to find owners of the same keyword in different extensions (e.g., .net, .org, or .group). These owners are often interested in "defensive" registrations or upgrading to a more specific extension like .community.
• Slack & Discord Communities:
  • Join private, gated communities for digital marketers and SEOs (like Online Geniuses). These are "micro-ecosystems" where decision-makers gather daily.
• Industry Conferences & Event Attendee Lists:
  • Gather leads from trade shows and virtual summits focused on the "Creator Economy" or "Member Associations".
• Google Ads "Sponsored Links" for Keywords:
  • Search for keywords like "travel," "fashion," or "fitness" and look at who is paying for ads. These companies have the budget and interest in those specific niches, matching historical .community sales such as travel.community ($4,200) or fashion.community ($3,000) from NameBio.com.
• Content Syndication & Newsletters:
  • Target organizations that contribute to niche industry blogs or sponsor newsletters in the community-building space. These entities are already investing in "thought leadership" and likely value a strong brand identity

Helpful Outbound articles and tools

• How to leverage an Ai Assistant to find domain leads
• How to leverage Social media to find domain leads
• How to leverage Job Boards to find domain leads
• eMail Marketing Best Practices for Domain Outreach
• List of FREE tools for outbound domain sales
• Outbound Domain sales Tips

Legal considerations when selling a domain to an existing business​

Approaching a business to sell a domain that matches their trademark is a high-stakes move. If not handled with extreme care, your outreach can be legally classified as bad faith, leading to the loss of the domain without compensation or even a lawsuit.

Cybersquatting and the ACPA
In the United States, the Anticyper-squatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) allows trademark owners to sue domain registrants. To win, they must prove you had a "bad faith intent to profit" from their mark. Sending an unsolicited offer to a trademark holder, especially if the price is significantly higher than what you paid, is often used as primary evidence of bad faith.

UDRP Proceedings (ICANN Policy)
All 23,864 .community domains (per DNS.Coffee) are subject to the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP). If a business files a UDRP, an arbitrator can seize your domain if:

• The domain is identical or confusingly similar to their trademark.
• You have no rights or legitimate interests in the name.
• The domain was registered and is being used in bad faith.
  Notable high-value sales like crypto.community ($60,000) or fashion.community ($3,000) reported by NameBio.com typically involve generic dictionary words, which are safer. If your domain is a brand name (e.g., Nike.community), you are at extreme risk of a UDRP loss.

"Reverse Domain Name Hijacking" (RDNH)
On the flip side, if a big brand tries to bully you out of a generic domain (like travel.community), they could be guilty of RDNH. If you owned the domain before they had the trademark, or if the word is a common dictionary term, you have a much stronger legal standing to negotiate a sale.

The "Tarnishment" Risk
Using a domain to host content that disparages a brand or redirects to a competitor can lead to trademark tarnishment or infringement claims. Even if the domain is "parked," some companies argue that "passive holding" of a trademarked term constitutes bad faith.

Potential Negotiation Tactics

• Avoid "Ransom" Vibes: Never frame your email as a demand.
• Use a Broker: Using a neutral third-party platform like Sedo or Afternic provides a professional buffer and helps establish that the domain is for sale to the general public, not just targeted at one specific victim.
• Check the USPTO: Always search the USPTO Trademark Database before reaching out to see if the name is actively protected.

Potential .community domain investing strategy​

Based on the data from DNS.Coffee showing a stable but plateauing registration count of 23,864 and the high-value outliers reported by NameBio.com, the best investment strategy for the .community gTLD is a High-Quality "Liquid" Keyword approach rather than a high-volume "portfolio" play.

Target "Dictionary-Word" Authority
The secondary market clearly favors short, English, industry-defining nouns. With crypto.community selling for $60,000 and travel.community fetching $4,200 [NameBio.com], your strategy should focus on "category killers." Avoid long phrases or hyphenated names; the value lies in the domain being the "official" hub for a global interest.

Prioritize English Language Harmony
As established, the prefix should be English to match the gTLD. This linguistic consistency is a hallmark of the 32 sales tracked by NameBio.com. Investors should look for keywords that naturally precede "community," such as:

• Niches: Yoga.community, Tech.community, Green.community.
• Attributes: Smart.community, Global.community.

Maintain a "Lean" Portfolio
The growth data from DNS.Coffee, showing a gain of only 239 domains in the last year, indicates a stagnant primary market. Because renewal fees can be high (up to $36.99 at Regery or $29.30 at Sav), carrying a large portfolio of mediocre names will lead to "renewal bleed." Only hold names with a clear path to a $1,000+ resale.

Focus on High-Budget "Community-First" Verticals
Focus your outbound efforts on the 8 niches identified earlier, specifically Finance, Tech, and Lifestyle. Companies in these sectors are more likely to pay a premium for a "community-centric" identity. A brand like fashion.community ($3,000) is an asset for a startup, whereas a hobbyist niche may not have the capital to justify the purchase [NameBio.com].

Note: To avoid the legal risks of the ACPA or UDRP, never register domains containing existing trademarks. Instead, acquire generic keywords and list them on Afternic or Sedo to signal they are for sale to any interested party, not just one specific business.

Helpful Outbound articles and tools

• How to leverage an Ai Assistant to find domain leads
• How to leverage Social media to find domain leads
• How to leverage Job Boards to find domain leads
• eMail Marketing Best Practices for Domain Outreach
• List of FREE tools for outbound domain sales
• Outbound Domain sales Tips

Questions for you​

• Do you own any .community domains?
  • If so, how are they doing for you?
• Thinking about investing into .community domains?
  • If so, what niche will you target and why?

Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

What works for one may not work for another and vice versa.

Have a great domain investing adventure!