Register .au Domain — Price Comparison 2026
The .au TLD is Australia's country-code domain, one of the most trusted and well-recognised in the Asia-Pacific region. Essential for any business targeting Australian customers.
What is a .au domain?
.au is Australia's country-code top-level domain, administered by auDA (the .au Domain Administration). Since 2022, direct .au registrations became available alongside the well-established .com.au, .net.au and .org.au second-level domains.
Direct .au addresses are shorter and simpler: yourbrand.au vs yourbrand.com.au.
.au vs .com.au — which should you choose?
If you're establishing a new brand:
- .au — cleaner, shorter, modern
- .com.au — more established trust (decades of recognition)
For most Australian businesses, registering both and pointing them to the same site is the safest strategy. The .com.au has priority claims for those who registered .com.au names before the direct .au opened.
Why .au matters for Australian businesses
Australian consumers trust local domains. Studies on e-commerce behaviour show Australians are more likely to trust a .au or .com.au address for purchases, particularly in categories involving personal data or financial transactions.
Google also uses the TLD as a ranking signal for the Australian market (google.com.au). A .au domain with Australian content ranks more naturally in Australian search results than a .com competing for the same queries.
.au pricing guide
- Registration and renewal: typically $10–25/year
- Pricing is stable with few promotional spikes
- WHOIS privacy: auDA mandates that registrant data must be accurate, but many registrars offer privacy options
Compare all current prices in the table above.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Since 2022, Australia opened direct .au registrations to any person or organisation with a close and substantial connection to Australia — including Australian citizens, residents, and businesses. You no longer need to own a .com.au first. Non-Australians are generally not eligible.
- Direct .au is a shorter, simpler version — mybrand.au instead of mybrand.com.au. The .com.au has been the dominant Australian commercial TLD for decades and carries strong existing trust. Direct .au is newer (2022) and better for brand simplicity when you want the shortest possible address.
- Yes — very much so. Google treats .au as a strong geographic signal for Australian search results. Combined with Australian hosting and content, a .au domain is the strongest signal you can send that your website is for Australian audiences. Local businesses should strongly prefer .au or .com.au over .com.
- .au and .com.au are priced similarly at most registrars — usually $10–25/year. Some registrars offer .au slightly cheaper as the newer option. auDA (the .au registry) maintains consistent pricing.