.it Domains in Price Comparison

Concise and Functional - Who is a .it Domain Suitable For?

Despite numerous alternatives with the introduction of new Top Level Domains (TLDs), finding an attractive domain can be challenging. A popular option for certain country code top-level domains like .it or .es is the connection between the address and the extension. .it is the Country Code (ccTLD) for Italy, introduced in the late 1980s. Due to its similarity to the English personal pronoun 'it', it is among the internationally sought-after extensions that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often choose for their national or global representation through web hosting.

Who Manages the .it Domain?

Similar to country-specific domain extensions and unlike regional alternatives like .berlin or .eu, the domain is subject to the national legislation of the country, which appoints a registrar responsible for registration and infrastructure. In this case, it is the Institute for Information Science and Technologies of the National Research Council (CNR) based in Pisa, under the Ministry of Universities and Research. Its operations began in December 1987 with the allocation of the first Italian domain cnr.it to itself, and have since expanded to registering addresses, technical administration, managing the Domain Name System (DNS), and the necessary root servers.

Are There Restrictions When Registering a .it Domain?

In the 1990s, many ccTLDs were restricted to national companies and individuals - a barrier that still applies today, for example, to alternatives like the German .de domain, which requires a valid address in Germany for registration. To register a .it domain, Italy requires a national or European citizenship with an address within the EU. However, many web hosts offer a free service where they register a trustee as a local contact person. This process is legal and is also offered by major domain resellers for internet addresses in Germany.

What are the Characteristics of a .it Domain?

Internationally, .it is considered a popular domain suitable for professional online presence. Alongside .de and .uk, it is among the top ten most important and popular ccTLDs, with nearly 3.5 million registered internet addresses (as of 2021) and a consistent annual growth rate of approximately five to ten percent since 2008. Other typical characteristics of the domain include:

• Simple and quick registration possible through various providers
• Free use for commercial, private, or public purposes
• Low fees in the global price comparison for ccTLD
• No regional or content-related requirements
• Address or contact person within the EU required
• Support for special characters like umlauts according to IDN
• Compatibility with the standard DNSSEC for secure name resolution
• Renewal is always for 12 months with prepayment

The primary focus is on the Italian and European market, where the majority of websites with .it TLD are targeted. Additionally, there is a larger number of commercial providers using the extension as part of their name, not directly targeting a specific location or customer base.

What alternatives to a .it domain are available?

The low costs in price comparison, the relevant designation, and the universal use advocate for a .it address - alternatives such as .eu or .de offer numerous options that provide similar advantages. However, when integrating the ccTLD as part of the name, there are only a few alternatives - the most well-known among them is the German translation .es Domain for Spain, which is exclusively targeting German-speaking users and therefore has significantly lower distribution and reach.