Defaults.Exposed › Compare › .io vs .ai
.io vs .ai: which is more secure?
We graded 958,000 .io domains and 929,142 .ai domains across 34 checks. Data as of 2026-07-29.
The verdict
.ai comes out ahead. 71.3% of .ai domains score grade F (effectively unprotected — can be email-spoofed), versus 71.6% of .io — a 0.3-point gap. But both leave the clear majority exposed.
The numbers, side by side
| TLD | Domains graded | Grade F (exposed) | Grade A–B (secure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| .io | 958,000 | 71.6% | 3.2% |
| .ai | 929,142 | 71.3% | 3.2% |
Grade-by-grade breakdown
| Grade | .io | .ai |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 856 (0.1%) | 382 (0%) |
| A | 2,866 (0.3%) | 2,041 (0.2%) |
| B | 27,405 (2.9%) | 27,449 (3%) |
| C | 89,725 (9.4%) | 91,257 (9.8%) |
| D | 150,997 (15.8%) | 145,983 (15.7%) |
| F | 686,151 (71.6%) | 662,030 (71.3%) |
Here's the thing: your domain's security depends on how it is configured, not which ending you picked — even the stronger TLD here leaves most of its domains at grade F. The good news is that almost every problem is free and quick to fix.
Frequently asked questions
Is .io more secure than .ai?
.ai has the lower failure rate in this census edition: 71.3% of graded .ai domains score an F, versus 71.6% for .io — a 0.3-point gap. As of 2026-07-29.
Does the domain ending decide how secure a site is?
No. Security comes from how each individual domain is configured — SPF, DMARC, DNSSEC, TLS and the rest of the 34 checks — not from the ending itself. The averages here reflect the mix of owners and registrar defaults behind each ending, and even the stronger ending leaves most of its domains exposed.
How many domains are behind this comparison?
958,000 graded .io domains and 929,142 graded .ai domains, from a census of more than 296 million graded domains. Figures refresh with each census edition; this page reflects the 2026-07-29 snapshot.
Whatever your domain ends in, check it free → and see your grade across all 34 checks (private — only you ever see it).
Full grade breakdowns: .io · .ai · .com vs .io · .com vs .ai · .io vs .dev