.org domains are for charities and community groups only right? Wrong!
I’m a big believer in the .org extension and hold more of these in my domain portfolio than .com domains. There is a common misconception that .org names can’t be used commercially. I set out to find some real world examples of this. Education is the most common use case as .org naturally lends itself to this, however it’s not just limited to this as you can see below. I also found many examples of brands using a .org as a redirect.
Builds instant credibility and trust.
A .org domain signals to visitors that your site is mission-driven and reliable, rather than purely commercial, fostering greater user confidence right from the URL.
Because of this high level of trust in the .org extension, there is an opportunity to rank just as well for exact match terms as a .com does, so this opens the door for wider commercial usage too. There are no restrictions on usage either.
Here are the top 5 examples of commercial usage for .org domains:
- Educational platforms: Online learning services offering paid courses, subscriptions, or certifications, leveraging the .org extension to convey trustworthiness in knowledge-sharing.
- Health and wellness portals: Commercial sites providing medical advice, product recommendations, or telehealth services, using .org to build perceived authority and empathy with users.
- Advocacy-driven marketplaces: For-profit platforms that facilitate petitions or campaigns while monetizing through ads or premium features, positioning .org as a hub for social impact.
- Tech tool providers: Software or app developers offering freemium models for productivity tools, where .org enhances the image of community-focused innovation.
- Content subscription sites: Media outlets or blogs delivering premium articles, newsletters, or exclusive content behind paywalls, with .org signaling non-commercial integrity despite revenue streams.
Here are some examples of commercial .org domains in use.
AdblockPlus.org
They own the .com but chose to redirect to the .org. This very well known extension works on a fremium model.
BookShop.org
Over $40m raised for local booksellers. This is a very large commercial book marketplace with a community spin.
Brilliant.org
Over 10 million learners worldwide using this platform. Another example of owning the .com and choosing to use the .org instead.
Coursera.org
Yet another .com redirecting to a .org. Coursera has a clever mix of free and paid courses.
Mission.org
This is such a good name! A media company producing podcasts and content on leadership and tech, for-profit.er for brands. The .com is a totally different company and store. Makes you think how many brands are missing out by not owning the .org too.
Change.org
Another great name. A petition and advocacy site monetised via ads and premium features, run as a for-profit with social mission. This site gets ~40M monthly visits and has a global rank of ~1,800. What a powerful concept and beautiful execution.
Thanks for stopping by. If you found this interesting I also do a weekly wrap of the most interesting domain related posts on X. You can join below for updates.
Greg