.ch, .swiss or .com? How to choose the right domain extension
Which domain extension suits your business in Switzerland? An overview of .ch, .li, .swiss, .zuerich, .gmbh, .ag and .com, with requirements and tips.
Your domain is your address on the internet – for your website as well as for every email you send. The extension you choose influences how customers perceive you and how easy your address is to remember.
.ch – the first choice for Switzerland
The .ch extension is by far the most widely used in Switzerland. It immediately signals a connection to Switzerland, and search engines associate it with Switzerland. Any person or company can register a .ch domain – a registered office in Switzerland is not required.
Tip: If the domain you want is available under .ch, secure it, even if you also plan to use another extension.
.swiss – exclusive and verified
The .swiss extension is allocated by the Swiss Confederation and comes with requirements: it is only open to companies, organisations and public bodies with a UID number, a registered office and a genuine presence in Switzerland – private individuals are not eligible. Every application is checked, so allocation takes a few days. In return, .swiss clearly signals Swiss origin.
Regional and industry extensions
- .li – the extension for Liechtenstein, which can also be registered freely worldwide.
- .zuerich – for companies, associations and offers connected to Zurich.
- .gmbh and .ag – show the legal form directly in the address, for example example.gmbh.
- .shop, .online or .tech – useful if the matching .ch name is already taken.
.com – international, but often already taken
For companies operating internationally, .com remains the best-known extension. However, short, memorable .com names have been scarce for years. For an offer aimed mainly at customers in Switzerland, .ch is usually the better choice.
Our recommendation
- Main address under .ch – short, without hyphens, easy to spell.
- Also secure important spelling variants and the .com extension, and redirect them to the main address.
- For brands with a clear connection to Switzerland, consider .swiss.
You can check the availability of all extensions directly with us. We always state registration and renewal prices openly.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
Yes. .ch domains are open to individuals and companies from all over the world. You do not need a residence or registered office in Switzerland.
.swiss is reserved for companies, organisations and public bodies that are entered in the Swiss UID register and have their registered office and a genuine presence in Switzerland. Private individuals cannot register a .swiss domain. Every application is checked before the domain is allocated.
For companies it is worth securing .com and important spelling variants in addition to the main .ch address, and redirecting them to the main address. This protects your name from being confused with others.
Country extensions such as .ch signal to search engines that a site is connected to Switzerland. For rankings, however, the content, loading time and user experience of the website remain decisive.
