How .org, .ngo, .com and country domains compare for nonprofits: who can register them, what they cost to renew, and which one helps your website and email most.
Domains & Web
Last updated: October 2026.
A new community organisation is setting up its website. The founder wants .org because it “sounds like a charity”. A board member argues for .com because “that is what people type”. Someone else has heard of .ngo, which is only for real NGOs. They all have a point, and the choice affects how people find you, how your emails are received and what you pay every year.
Short answer: For most nonprofits, .org is the best choice: it is familiar, widely associated with nonprofits and costs about the same as .com to renew. If your work is focused on one country, a country domain such as .org.bd in Bangladesh or .org.uk in the UK is just as good or better. Use .com if your .org is taken or your audience is mainly business. Treat .ngo as an optional extra, not your main address.
| .org | .ngo | .com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | Public Interest Registry (PIR) | Public Interest Registry (PIR) | Verisign |
| Who can register | Anyone | NGOs that meet eligibility rules | Anyone |
| Familiarity | Very high | Low | Highest |
| Renewal at Porkbun | $11.84 a year | $15.96 a year | $11.08 a year |
| Signals “nonprofit” | Usually, though not guaranteed | Yes, by its rules | No |
| Best for | Most nonprofits | A secondary or campaign address | When the .org is taken |
.org has been around since 1985 and is run by Public Interest Registry, a nonprofit created by the Internet Society. Most people associate it with charities, NGOs, open-source projects and communities, which is exactly the impression most nonprofits want.
Two things to know:
Renewal prices vary by registrar. In October 2026, a .org renewed for $11.20 a year at Cloudflare and $11.84 at Porkbun, but $19.18 at Namecheap and $24.19 at GoDaddy including fees. See our ranking of the cheapest domain registrars.
.ngo, and its Spanish and French equivalent .ong, are also run by PIR but are restricted to non-governmental organisations. According to PIR’s .ngo and .ong policy, an organisation must meet seven criteria, including working in the public interest, being non-profit-making, and being independent of government.
In practice, you confirm you meet the criteria when you register, and PIR checks only if someone complains. If an organisation is found not to be eligible, its domain can be deleted without a refund. Since June 2022, .ngo and .ong have been sold separately rather than as a pair, and organisations based in mainland China are excluded.
The idea is good, but .ngo has not caught on with the public. Few people will type it from memory, and some email systems treat unfamiliar extensions with more suspicion. It also costs more: $15.96 a year at Porkbun in October 2026, against $11.84 for .org.
.com is the most familiar extension in the world, and some nonprofits use it successfully, especially social enterprises and organisations that work closely with businesses. It makes sense if your .org is taken, if your name is already known as a .com, or if you plan to earn income through services or products. The downside is that it says nothing about your nonprofit status.
If most of your supporters and beneficiaries are in one country, a country domain can be the strongest option. Google treats country domains as targeting that country, and local audiences recognise them instantly.
In Bangladesh, NGOs can register a .org.bd address through BTCL for 700 taka for the first year and 1,020 taka to renew, excluding VAT, at the discounted prices on BTCL’s rate card. You need a national ID and a supporting document such as your registration or approval letter, and you can pay with bKash or Nagad. Since January 2026, shorter yourname.bd addresses are also available. See our guide to domain extensions explained for details.
Cost
What each extension costs to renew
Yearly renewal at Porkbun, October 2026, US dollars
Read from Porkbun’s public price list on 19 October 2026. Prices vary by registrar. A .org.bd in Bangladesh renews for 1,020 taka a year before VAT.
Newer extensions such as .charity and .foundation exist, often with a cheap first year. At Porkbun both cost $5.99 for the first year and $22.66 a year to renew in October 2026, nearly double a .org. They are fine as campaign addresses but rarely worth it as your main domain.
Common mistake: registering a cheap first-year extension for your main address and then facing a much higher renewal. Check the renewal price before you print the address on banners, reports and business cards, because changing it later is expensive.
Decision guide
Which extension fits your nonprofit?
Start at the top. Stop at the first yes.
Your domain is also your email address, and for many nonprofits email is how grants, partnerships and donations arrive. Whatever you choose, set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records so your messages are trusted, and avoid using free email addresses for official work. A familiar extension helps here too, because some organisations filter mail from unfamiliar ones more strictly.
Yes. .org has no eligibility checks, so businesses and individuals can register one too. It is associated with nonprofits but does not prove nonprofit status.
Not usually. .ngo is restricted to NGOs, but it is far less familiar to the public and costs more to renew. Most NGOs are better served by .org or a country domain, with .ngo as an optional extra.
No. Google treats .org, .com and .ngo the same for ranking. Only country domains send a location signal.
Through BTCL’s domain portal or an accredited reseller. You upload a national ID and a supporting document, then pay with bKash, Nagad, Teletalk or ekPay.
If it is cheap and your name is distinctive, it can stop others from using it. Point it at your main site so visitors who type .com still find you.
Find the lowest renewals in the cheapest domain registrars, see every option in domain extensions explained, and get your organisation’s data in order with our nonprofit data management guide. · BDIX hosting in Bangladesh compared
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