What Is a .dev Domain?
Google's developer TLD: enforced HTTPS, sane pricing, and excellent availability.
Updated June 2026 · Namizy Guides
The HTTPS-only TLD
.dev's defining feature is technical: the whole TLD ships on the HSTS preload list, so every browser forces HTTPS for every .dev URL, forever. No misconfigured HTTP fallbacks, no mixed-content downgrade tricks — security posture is enforced at the TLD level. For developer audiences this reads as a feature, and practically it costs nothing: certificates are free and automatic on any modern host.
Where .dev fits
Developer tools, CLIs, SDKs and APIs; documentation sites (docs.yourbrand.dev); open-source project homes; developer portfolios and blogs. The naming pattern that works: the project's actual name, clean, no suffix needed — tool.dev beats tooldev.com for this audience. For a company brand that will face non-developers (sales, investors, press), pair it with a .com or .io as the corporate front door.
Availability is the quiet advantage
Launched in 2019, .dev's namespace is still young — single dictionary words and clean compounds that are decades gone on .com remain registrable. Combined with .com-level pricing, it's the highest-value-per-dollar TLD for developer projects today. Check candidates with the availability checker (Namizy queries Google Registry's RDAP directly), and if your first choice is taken, the generator with the .dev pill selected expands one keyword into dozens of checkable options.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my .dev site work over plain HTTP?
By design. The entire .dev TLD is on the HSTS preload list baked into Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge — browsers refuse plain HTTP for any .dev domain. You must serve valid HTTPS. With Let's Encrypt and modern hosts this is automatic, but local development setups need certificates too (mkcert solves it).
How much does a .dev cost?
Typically $12-20/year — barely above .com, and far below .io. Google Registry operates it; retail pricing is stable across major registrars.
.dev or .io for a developer tool?
.dev is cheaper, fresher in availability, and signals 'developer' explicitly; .io has a decade more brand equity in startup culture and reads slightly more like a company than a project. Rule of thumb: products and companies → .io or .com; tools, docs, portfolios and open source → .dev shines.
Is .dev good for a personal developer portfolio?
It's arguably the best use case: firstname.dev or handle.dev is short, memorable, professionally on-signal, and very often available — a combination no other TLD offers developers right now.