Since 2022 Australian businesses can register both yourbusiness.com.au and the shorter yourbusiness.au. Which one should you actually use? Short answer: it matters less than people think — but there’s a right way to decide.

What’s the difference?

.com.au is the classic Australian business domain — it’s what most customers have typed for thirty years. .au “direct” is the newer, shorter version. Both require an Australian presence (an ABN does the job), both are managed by the same registry rules, and both say “Australian business” to your customers.

Does Google care which one you pick?

No. There is no ranking difference between .au and .com.au. Google treats both as Australian domains, and your content, not your domain ending, decides where you rank. Anyone selling you a domain “for SEO” is selling you a myth.

Trust: the real difference

Older customers recognise .com.au instantly — it’s been the default their whole lives. .au is cleaner and shorter but still newer to some eyes. For most established businesses we suggest .com.au as the main domain; for new brands aimed at a younger market, .au works fine as the lead.

The smart move: own both

The practical answer for most businesses is to register both and point one at the other — a redirect costs nothing on our hosting. That way nobody else can pick up the twin of your name, and customers reach you whichever they type. At our prices that’s $14.94/year for .au and $19.50/year for .com.au — cheap insurance for your brand.

One warning

If you own a .com.au and have never registered the matching .au, check it soon. The priority window for existing .com.au holders has closed, meaning your .au twin is available to anyone. Most names are still free — but only until someone else notices.

Check your .au and .com.au now — live prices, instant availability →