discussion Could Affordable Third-Level .AI Domains Become the Next Opportunity?

[Ricado]

Domain names have been around for decades, and let's face it, most of the really good names are already taken. We've seen new extensions enter the market, and private companies offering third-level domains through names like IT.com and us.com, etc.

That got me thinking. Could something similar work with .ai?

AI is everywhere these days, but .ai domains are still pretty expensive, especially for individuals. For businesses, paying $80–100 a year might not be a big deal, but for students, freelancers, independent developers, or people just experimenting with AI, it's not exactly cheap.

What if someone took a domain like idv.ai or me.ai and turned it into a registration service specifically for individuals?

For example, instead of paying the full price for a .ai domain, someone could register john.idv.ai for just $10–20 a year. It's short, easy to remember, and still carries that .ai identity.

Of course, there are questions about trust, long-term stability, and whether people would actually want third-level domains instead of traditional ones.

But if IT.com and us.com can build a business around this model, why couldn't something similar work for the growing AI community?

I'm curious what everyone thinks. Is there a real market for affordable personal .ai domains, or would most people still prefer to pay more for their own .ai domain?

 

[KarmaDomains]

I get the idea for a low-cost portfolio, but I'd check idv.ai's renewal and transfer terms and what happens to those addresses if the owner lets the domain expire. It's not the same as owning a separate .ai domain

 

[Ricado]

I get the idea for a low-cost portfolio, but I'd check idv.ai's renewal and transfer terms and what happens to those addresses if the owner lets the domain expire. It's not the same as owning a separate .ai domain

100% agree.


I never trusted these kinds of domains in the past. In fact, I even considered them somewhat deceptive.


However, after seeing how some similar services have developed over the past few years, my perspective has shifted a little.

 

[accurate]

This doesn't work.

It's been tried many times.

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