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Explore →.io domain · register from $45.00/yr — field guide & FAQ
IO TLD ENCYCLOPEDIA
Register .io
Originally the country code for the British Indian Ocean Territory, .io is now the de facto extension of choice for developer tools, indie SaaS, and startup MVPs.
Register $45.00/yr
Transfer $63.00
Renew $63.00
Already own a .io? Beam it home →
★ DOSSIER · IO ★
What is .io?
Originally the ccTLD for the British Indian Ocean Territory. The character pair "IO" doubles as input/output — the most fundamental concept in computing — which is why tech adopted it.
★ Mission log · Interesting facts
- IO = Input/Output — the most common reason tech founders pick it.
- GitHub Pages uses *.github.io for over 90 million project pages — free, static hosting for any GitHub repo.
- There's a political wrinkle: the British Indian Ocean Territory's future is contested between the UK and Mauritius, which has occasionally created uncertainty over the .io domain's long-term governance.
- .io domains routinely fetch $50,000+ in the aftermarket because of high developer demand.
- The Y Combinator startup directory is a who's-who of .io adopters — easily 25%+ of YC companies use it.
★ ADOPTION RECORDS ★
Who uses .io
★ Notable transmissions
- GitHub.io (Pages)
- Stripe.io alternates
- Replit's repl.it (now replit.com)
- Figma.io alternates
- Linear.io alternates
- many YC-backed startups
- many indie hackers
★ Sectors of operation
- SaaS
- Developer tools
- Open-source projects
- Crypto/Web3
- Startup MVPs
- Game studios
- API services
★ MISSION MODULES ★
Great products for .io
Pair your .io with any of the tools in the Rocket Domains suite — DNS, hosting, secure email, workspaces, and more.
Cloud
Planetary Cloud
Fast, secure global cloud hosting with WordPress, SSL, CDN and backups.
Explore →
Private work
Space Email
Secure mail, calendar, drive, meet and collaboration for cosmic professionals.
Explore →
Free starter
Orbit Email
Free mail included with eligible domain registration, transfer or web hosting.
Explore →
★ MISSION DURATION ★
The .io lifecycle
From registration to expiry — and the recovery windows if you miss a renewal.
-
01
Registration
1 year minimum. Renewable up to 10 years for most TLDs. Lock in early for budget certainty.
$45.00 · first 1 year -
02
Active period
Your domain is fully active. Renew anytime up to expiry — no penalty, no downtime.
$63.00 · per 1 year renewal -
03
Grace period
If you miss the renewal date, your domain still works during the grace period. You can renew at the normal price — no extra fees.
30 days -
04
Redemption period
If grace expires too, you can still recover the name — but pay a redemption (restore) fee. After this window, the domain is gone.
30 days · restore fee $52.00 -
05
Release
After all recovery windows close, the name returns to the public pool and anyone can register it again.
Anyone can register
★ ENTRY REQUIREMENTS ★
Who can register .io
✓ Open to all earthlings
Open to anyone globally. No residency or nationality requirement.
★ FREE WITH EVERY DOMAIN ★
What ships with your .io
Every domain at Rocket Domains comes bundled with the essentials for getting online — included at no extra cost.
Premium Global Planetary DNS
Anycast DNS network with DDoS protection — 100% uptime SLA.
Mailbox
Custom email address at your own domain.
Calendar
Shared calendars with scheduling and invites.
Contacts
Address book that syncs across devices.
Email Forwarding
Route mail from your domain to any existing inbox.
Domain Forwarding
Send visitors from any domain to any URL.
COMS Interactive Website
Free tier — no-code site builder ships with every domain.
DNSSEC
Cryptographic DNS signing to prevent domain hijacking.
★ FREE WITH PLANETARY CLOUD ★
Add hosting, unlock more
Add Planetary Cloud hosting and your .io picks up another layer of premium tools — included.
Premium Speed
Google Cloud-grade infrastructure with intelligent caching.
Security & SEO Tools
WAF, malware scanning, daily backups, and built-in SEO toolkit.
Free Migration
White-glove migration from any host — included with hosting.
USA Directory Listing
Free listing on usa.directory — local discovery for US visitors.
Planetary CDN
Edge caching across 100+ global locations for fastest delivery.
Automatic Daily Backups
Restorable snapshots of your full site, retained for 30 days.
Free SSL Certificate
Auto-issued and auto-renewed Let's Encrypt SSL.
Analytics & Reporting
Visitor insights, performance metrics, and uptime monitoring.
★ FREQUENT TRANSMISSIONS ★
.io FAQs
The most-asked questions from earthlings, answered.
Why do startups love .io?
Short, memorable, tech-flavored, often available even when .com is taken. "IO" also means input/output in computing — a perfect fit for developer tools and APIs.
Will .io go away because of the Chagos Islands dispute?
No. Even if the territory's status changes, ICANN has procedures to preserve existing registrations. Major registries plan for continuity.
Is .io good for SEO?
Modern search engines treat .io as a generic TLD when used globally, not as a regional one. SEO impact is identical to any other open ccTLD used as a gTLD.
How does .io renewal pricing compare to .com?
.io has a higher wholesale price than .com — Rocket Domains charges $45 first-year and $63 to renew. Worth it for the brand signal in tech.
What's the difference between .io and .ai?
.io is the broad developer/SaaS extension. .ai signals "artificial intelligence" specifically. Many companies own both.
Ready to claim your .io?
From $45.00/yr, with free email, planetary DNS, and privacy included. No surprises, no upsells, no fuel required.