According to the wiki, .cc is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian territory of only 14 km² (5.4 square miles; 1,400 ha) and about 600 inhabitants.

Credit: Image Source: Cocos Keeling Islands Visitor Centre.

.CC Domain Popularity

The most popular domain names on the Internet are generic top-level domains (gTLDs) like .COM, .NET or .ORG. But because of their popularity and domain investors this domain space is very scarce. In most of the cases if you want to start a new project or an online business the chances are high that .COM and most probably .NET equivalents will be occupied. What choices do you have in this case?

You would either pay thousands of dollars to the current owner of this .COM or .NET domain (if she/he is willing to sell), or look for another name in the .COM/.NET space (which will be also occupied), or move to a new alternative domain space. The most popular alternative TLDs are currently .IO, .ME, .CO and .CC.

What Are the Pros and Cons of .CC Domains?

The main advantages of the .CC country code top level domains are:

  • CC domains have a great usability. They are short and memorable. It consists only of 2 letters, which are also the same. Thus, to type this domain extension on a keyboard you need to make just 2 strokes on the same key.
  • CC domains are cheap. You can grab a new .CC domain for about $5-6 and renew a .CC domain for about $6-10. Of course, there are even cheaper TLDs, like .OVH (register for $1.26, renew for $3.81), but those are pretty unpopular and a pain to remember. Comparing to its rivals .CO, .IO and .ME, .CC is the cheapest one.
  • CC domains are also categorized as generic country code top-level domains (gccTLDs). Because most of the registered domains in the .CC space are not related to the intended geographic region (Cocos Keeling Islands) but are more of a generic nature, the whole .CC domain space is primarily treated as generic TLD (gTLD) by the majority of search engines, including Google. It positively affects the search engine optimization (SEO) aspects of the .CC domains. Some other ccTLDs are also enjoying this advantage, see the full list here.
  • CC are not as crowded as the popular gTLDs like .COM or .NET. It may still be available to purchase compared to .com or .net domains, which most will likely be taken.

The main disadvantages of .CC domains are:

  • As a country code top level domain (ccTLD) for Cocos (Keeling) Islands it should comply with the ruling authorities of the region or country. Theoretically, if the regional authorities decide to impose restrictions on domain ownership e.g. to make it open only for the residents of that particular region, then you may have a problem. This is also applicable to all other ccTLDs. I personally keep the probability of such a policy shift for very very low and unrealistic.
  • It’s still not a .COM. The domain extension .COM is the KING of all domains. Always, grab a .COM if you have a chance to register a new domain for its retail price, which can be as low as $0.99 for the first year!

Here are some popular .CC websites, which I’m aware of:

  • dict.cc (Alexa rank: 1827). Dict.cc is a free, multilingual online dictionary.
  • arduino.cc (Alexa rank: 2344). Arduino is an extremely popular open-source electronic prototyping platform that enable makers to easily create interactive electronic projects.
  • itead.cc (Alexa rank: 55748). ITEAD Studio is a Chinese consumer electronics company that produces very popular among hobbyists and makers affordable WiFi-based smart home appliances.
  • favicon.cc (Alexa rank: 97788). Favicon.cc is an online tool to create or download favicon.ico icons, that get displayed in the address bar of every browser.
  • wireframe.cc (Alexa rank: 105760). Wireframe.cc is an online wireframing tool to create and share simple wireframes of websites and mobile apps.
  • translit.cc (Alexa rank: 124379). Translit.cc is a free online multilingual transliterator that converts on the fly Latin letters into Cyrillic (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Belorussian), Greek, Armenian and Georgian letters.

Similarly to ITEAD Studio, .CC domains for some reason are gathering popularity among Chinese companies and domain investors.

My Personal Opinion

I personally have a rather positive impression of the dot CC top level domain and use it frequently for new web projects. The combination of its relatively cheap price and great usability are very inviting. It also has this nice association with the paradise islands, where the domain name is originating from. Isn’t it the ultimate dream for many Internet entrepreneurs out there? To reach the level of success to allow oneself to live offshore on a paradise island leading a laptop lifestyle?

What do you think about the .CC domains and other alternative domain name extensions like .CO, .ME and .IO? Would you use one of them for your next project or a web page?

About the Author

Karen Tamrazyan is an entrepreneur, open-source advocate and web & mobile apps developer. In his free from work time he finds joy and happiness in every little thing together with his family and friends. Karen is a passionate blogger and author, who is eager to learn new stuff and share his knowledge.