Valuation

Comps (Comparables)

Historical sales of similar domains used to estimate a domain's value — like real estate comps.

What Is Comps (Comparables)?

Comps (short for comparables) are historical sales data from similar domain transactions used to estimate a domain's current market value. Just as real estate agents use recent sales of similar homes to price a property, domain investors use comparable domain sales to assess fair market value.

A good comp matches across multiple dimensions: similar length, same or comparable TLD, similar keyword quality, similar brandability, and similar age. The more dimensions that match, the more reliable the comp. For example, when valuing a 6-letter brandable .ai domain, you'd look at other 6-8 letter brandable .ai domain sales.

NameBio is the primary source for domain sales comps, with over a million recorded transactions. However, not all sales are reported — private transactions and certain marketplace sales may not appear in the database.

Using comps

To value a brandable .ai domain: search NameBio for .ai sales, filter by similar character length and type, and identify the price range.

Why This Matters for Startups

Before buying a domain, always research comps. If someone is asking $20,000 for a two-word .io domain, check what similar two-word .io domains have actually sold for on NameBio. This prevents you from significantly overpaying. Similarly, if you're selling a domain, comps help you set a realistic asking price that attracts buyers without leaving money on the table. Our Domain Appraisal Tool uses comparable sales data as one of its key valuation inputs.

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