.si vs .ai domains: should an AI startup switch to .si?
In September 2026, "Super Intelligence" became the buzzword of the AI world, and the Slovenian country code .si suddenly looked like a new home for AI brands. Registrations exploded. Should your AI startup choose .si instead of .ai?
What happened to .si?
After US President Donald Trump told the UN on September 22 that AI should be called "Super Intelligence", and a September 29 executive order told federal agencies to use "SI", the .si registry counted 20,276 new registrations in a single day, bringing the extension to 298,682 domains. In August, fewer than 2,000 new .si names had been registered. Read our summary of the .si rush.
.si vs .ai at a glance
- Price: a new .si name costs around $12 a year, against roughly $90 a year for .ai with its two-year minimum.
- Size: .si has about 300,000 domains; .ai passed one million in January 2026.
- Meaning: everyone in tech reads .ai as artificial intelligence. .si is still mostly read as Slovenia.
- Resale value: .ai has a proven aftermarket, with Bot.ai at $1.2 million and dozens of six-figure sales. .si has no comparable track record.
- Who registers: only about 3% of the new .si names mention AI, and many were quickly listed for resale, which suggests speculation.
Which should an AI startup choose?
For most AI companies, .ai is still the better choice. It is the extension the industry actually builds on, customers already understand it, and good names hold their value. A cheap .si name can be a useful redirect or a defensive registration, but it is a bet on a buzzword. Domain investor Elliot Silver called the debate a distraction for AI startups.
Want a short .ai name instead? Browse premium .ai domains and make an offer. Compare with other extensions in .ai vs .com and .ai vs .io.
Frequently asked questions
What is a .si domain?
.si is the country-code domain of Slovenia. In 2026 it became popular as a short form of "Super Intelligence".
Is .si better than .ai for an AI company?
Usually not. .ai is widely recognised as the AI extension, has over one million domains and a proven resale market, while .si is still mostly read as Slovenia and much of the 2026 rush looks speculative.
How much does a .si domain cost?
A new .si registration costs around $12 a year, against roughly $90 a year for .ai with its two-year minimum.
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