Brand Name Availability Checker
Check if your business name is available across domains and social media platforms in seconds.
How to Check If a Business Name Is Available
"Is this name available?" is really four questions, and a name is only safe to build a brand on when the answer to all four is yes. The checker above answers the first two in a few seconds, so you can rule names out quickly and spend your time on the ones that survive.
- 1
The domain
Your website address. The checker looks up your name on .com, .io, .co, .app, and .ai. The .com is still the default people type from memory, so treat it as the one to win if you can — but a clean alternative extension beats a .com you had to mangle with hyphens and extra words.
- 2
The social handles
The checker looks for your name as a handle on Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. What matters is less any single platform than getting the same handle on all the ones you plan to use, so customers can find you without guessing.
- 3
The trademark
The layer this tool cannot check, and the only one with legal consequences. A name can have an open domain and open handles and still infringe a registered trademark in your industry. In the US, search the USPTO trademark database before you commit, and talk to a trademark attorney if anything close turns up.
- 4
The business registry
If you are forming an LLC or corporation, your state will not register a name that is the same as, or confusingly similar to, an existing entity in that state. Every US state runs a free business entity search, usually on the Secretary of State website. It is a separate check from a trademark search — passing one does not mean you pass the other.
The order matters. Domain and handle checks are instant and free, so run them first across your whole shortlist. Save the slower trademark and registry searches for the two or three names still standing. If you do not have a shortlist yet, the business name generator will give you one, our business name ideas by industry show the naming patterns in action, and our guide on how to choose a business name covers what separates a good candidate from a merely available one.
Which Domain Extension Should You Choose?
The checker tests five extensions because they are the five that new businesses realistically choose between. Each one sends a slightly different signal.
| Extension | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Almost everyone | The extension people assume. Most trusted and most memorable, which is also why short .com names are the hardest to find. |
| .co | Startups and small businesses | Short and widely read as "company." The main risk is type-in traffic leaking to the .com, so check who owns that first. |
| .io | Software and developer tools | A familiar convention in tech. Outside tech audiences it can read as unfamiliar, so weigh who your customers are. |
| .app | Mobile and web apps | Says what you are in the address itself. The .app extension requires HTTPS, so your site needs an SSL certificate — which it should have anyway. |
| .ai | AI products and services | Instantly signals the category. Make sure the label will still fit if your product broadens beyond AI. |
Whichever you choose, avoid hyphens and digits that have to be explained aloud ("that's the number 4, not the word"). The test of a good domain is whether someone who hears it once in conversation can type it correctly later.
What to Do If Your Business Name Is Taken
Most good names are partly taken — a perfect score across ten checks is rare for any real word. That is not the end of the name. You have four options, in rough order of preference.
Add a short modifier
When some platforms come back taken, the checker suggests variations built from the most common patterns: adding "co," "hq," or "app" to the end, or "get" or "official" to the front. Pick one modifier and use it everywhere — @getacme on Instagram and @acmehq on TikTok defeats the purpose.
Change the extension, keep the name
If the .com is parked or belongs to an unrelated business in another industry, a .co or .io with matching social handles is a perfectly workable identity. If the .com belongs to a competitor in your space, that is a different situation — see the last option.
Adjust the name itself
Blend two words, add a descriptive word, or change the spelling only if it stays easy to say aloud. A name people cannot spell after hearing it once costs you referrals for as long as you use it.
Know when to walk away
If an active business in your own industry already uses the name — especially with the .com and a registered trademark — do not try to squeeze in beside them. You would be building brand equity that a cease-and-desist letter can erase. Go back to the shortlist.
Before you settle, run the candidate through a quick reality check with real people — our name testing framework shows how — and scan the list of common brand naming mistakes so you do not trade an availability problem for a worse one.
Why Matching Handles Matter More Than Any Single Platform
Customers rarely look for you on the platform you expect. They hear the name, open whichever app is already in their hand, and type it in. If your handle is different on every platform, some of those searches land on someone else — occasionally a competitor, more often an abandoned account that makes your business look abandoned too.
Claim the handle on every major platform even if you only plan to post on one or two. It costs nothing, it keeps the name out of other hands, and it keeps your options open. Then make the profiles match — the social profile branding checklist walks through avatars, banners, and bios, and the social media branding guide covers each platform in depth.
Name availability checklist
Run every finalist through all seven before you print anything.
- The .com, or a clean alternative extension, is available
- The same handle is open on every social platform you plan to use
- No registered trademark for the same or a similar name in your industry
- Your state business registry has no conflicting entity name
- A web search for the name does not surface a competitor, a scandal, or an unfortunate meaning
- You can say it aloud once and have someone spell it correctly
- It still fits if the business grows beyond its first product or city
This page is general information, not legal advice. For trademark questions, consult a qualified attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a business name is available?
Check four things: domain availability, social media handle availability, trademark registration, and your state business entity registry. This tool checks the first two — five domain extensions and five social platforms — in one search. For trademarks, search the USPTO database or consult a trademark attorney; for entity names, use your state Secretary of State business search.
Which domains and social platforms does the checker cover?
Domains: .com, .io, .co, .app, and .ai. Social platforms: Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Your name is converted to lowercase letters and numbers only — spaces and punctuation are removed — because that is the form a domain or handle has to take.
How accurate are the availability results?
Treat them as a fast first pass, not a guarantee. Domain results are based on DNS and registrar lookups, and social results on public profile lookups; some platforms block automated checks or reserve handles that show no public profile, so an "available" result can occasionally be wrong. Always confirm a domain with a registrar before you buy, and confirm a handle by trying to claim it. Availability also changes quickly, so register what you need as soon as you have decided.
What does the availability score mean?
It is a simple count of how many of the ten checks — five domains and five social handles — came back available. A high score means you can likely get a consistent name everywhere. A low score does not make the name unusable, but it does mean you will need a variation on at least some platforms.
What should I do if my name is taken?
Try a short modifier such as "co," "hq," "app," "get," or "official," and use the same one on every platform. Consider a different domain extension if the .com is parked or belongs to an unrelated business. If a direct competitor already uses the name, choose a different name rather than a near-copy — that is a trademark risk, not just an inconvenience.
Does an available domain mean I can legally use the name?
No. Domain and handle availability only tell you that nobody has registered that exact address. Trademark rights are separate: a business can hold a trademark on a name without owning the matching domain. This tool does not check trademarks and is not legal advice — search the USPTO database and consult a legal professional before you invest in a name.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes. The checker is completely free, with no sign-up or email required, and you can check as many names as you like.
Should I buy the domain before I design a logo?
Yes — settle the name first. A logo, color palette, and brand kit are all built around the name, so securing the domain and handles before you invest in design saves you from redoing the work. Once the name is locked, Magnt can generate the full brand kit around it.
Name Locked In? Build the Brand Around It.
Once the name is yours, Magnt generates the rest — 5 logo concepts, a color palette, a font pairing, and a 1-page brand summary PDF — in about two minutes. One-time $19, full commercial rights.