.com is the default domain extension for most of the internet. But not all of it. In certain markets, a local extension is how you tell customers: “I'm here to stay."

For Wix's Top Domains of 2026 Report, we looked at which domain extensions are winning by country. While .com leads the way, there's still variation around the world.

.com is the most popular domain extension globally

In the U.S., Brazil, Ukraine, Japan, Turkey, Spain, Mexico, India, South Africa and Kenya, .com is the most popular domain extension. That's a wide range of markets, cultures and languages all agreeing on the same three letters. In these markets, .com became the early shorthand for a legitimate business on the internet, and it stuck.

In some markets, local extensions are the default

In Germany (.de), Switzerland (.ch), and the Netherlands (.nl), local extensions outperform .com. These markets developed strong local web infrastructure early, and a local TLD became the credibility signal. If you're operating in these countries, a local extension says that you belong there.

Some countries haven't committed to .com or a local extension

Australia (.com.au), Canada (.ca), France (.fr), and Great Britain (.co.uk) sit somewhere in between, meaning there’s local domain adoption alongside .com, but neither is fully winning. For businesses in these markets, either extension can work, so the choice comes down to who you're trying to reach.

That’s true if you’re doing business in any country, really. Where you do business should inform the extension you choose. Local extensions signal legitimacy where local trust matters, while .com signals global reach everywhere else. Know your audience, then register your domain today.