We have just released the 2026 edition of the DOTZON study “Digital City Brands.” Since first presenting the study in early 2017, DOTZON has now analyzed for the tenth consecutive year how cities successfully use their Digital City Brands. The Digital City Brand represents the digital aspect of a city’s brand and reflects how digitally advanced a city is.

Major European capitals such as Berlin, Paris, and London were pioneers in establishing their own Digital City Brands. Soon after, global cities like Tokyo, New York, Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro followed. The study is based on analyzing 35 cities worldwide with their own city top-level domain (cityTLD). Taken together, they operate 40 Digital City Brands, as five cities—Barcelona, Istanbul, Cologne, Moscow, and Abu Dhabi—run two cityTLDs each.

The study’s underlying data is based on eight key performance indicators (KPIs):

• The number of registered domain names
• The annual sales volume
• The number of active domain names
• The number of pages per TLD listed at Google
• The number of domains listed in visibility rankings (Tranco)
• The number of domain names per 1,000 inhabitants
• The gross domestic product per domain name
• Comparison between cityTLD and the national top-level domain (ccTLD)

All figures are drawn from public databases and city-specific local parameters.

The study “Digital City Brands 2026” marks a change at the top of the ranking for the first time in four years: .tokyo takes first place from .berlin, which moves to second. .brussels returns to third place after a one-year absence. Notably, .wien and .vegas drop out of the top 10, reaching 11th and 12th place respectively, while .okinawa and .paris enter the top 10 at 9th and 10th place. Seven of the top 10 positions are again held by European city brands.

Digital City Brands Ranking 2026

1st place: .tokyo

For the first time, .tokyo takes the top spot—making it the first Asian cityTLD to reach first place. Operated by Tokyo-based company GMO, it achieved first place in number of registered domains with 89,847 and in the Tranco ranking with 119 listed domains, second place in revenue, and sixth place in the city-versus-country-TLD comparison.

2nd place: .berlin

After many years at the top, .berlin moves to second place. It retains first place in revenue at 1.9 million US dollars, second place in GDP per domain, and two third-place finishes in number of domains and Tranco domain visibility.

3rd place: .brussels

The Belgian capital improves by one place to third. Key drivers include first place in domains per inhabitant with nearly 30 domains per 1,000 residents, sixth place in the Google ranking, and two seventh-place finishes in Tranco visibility and the city-versus-country TLD comparison.

4th place: .amsterdam

Moving up two places from sixth, .amsterdam benefits from third place in GDP per domain and two sixth-place finishes in number of domains and domains per inhabitant.

5th place: .gent

The second Belgian city brand in the top 10! After tenth place last year, .gent improves significantly, driven by second place in active domains, fourth place in Google ranking, seventh in GDP per domain, and ninth in domains per inhabitant.

6th place: .nyc

Up one place from seventh, .nyc achieves second place in number of domains, third place in revenue, and two fourth-place finishes in Tranco visibility and the city-versus-country TLD comparison.

7th place: .koeln

Down from fifth, .koeln retains a strong position with first place in GDP per domain at 3.8 million US dollars, seventh in number of domains, and eighth in domains per inhabitant.

8th place: .hamburg

After third place last year, .hamburg settles at eighth. Two sixth-place finishes in revenue and GDP per domain, as well as two ninth-place finishes in number of domains and active domains, contribute to the result.

9th place: .okinawa

Returning to the top 10 after a one-year absence, .okinawa achieves first place in active domains at nearly 59 percent, and ranks highly in domains per inhabitant and popularity relative to the national .jp extension.

10th place: .paris

Back in the top 10 for the fifth time, .paris achieves three fifth-place finishes across number of domains, revenue, and Tranco domain visibility.

“In the Wild”—Great Uses of cityTLDs

• Local businesses and professionals benefit from city TLDs because they instantly communicate local presence and trustworthiness. Examples include lawoffice.kyoto, lawyers.melbourne, and anwalt.cologne.
• Local events are effectively promoted with city TLDs, enabling memorable and location-specific web addresses. Examples include hafengeburtstag.hamburg, bosphorun.istanbul, and 2026worldcup.miami.
• Tourism offerings gain visibility and credibility through city TLDs. Providers taking advantage include citypass.barcelona, broadway.boston, tourvirtual.barcelona, thediamond.amsterdam, and visiting.istanbul.
• Small local businesses use city TLDs to stand out from competition and build regional identity. Notable examples include unum.osaka, 019.gent, freelancer.zuerich, e69.berlin, translations.boston, yutaka.london, and uncapped.capetown.

Outlook

Digital City Brands continue to serve as foundational digital infrastructure for cities worldwide, enabling stakeholder communication, location marketing, and smart city initiatives. As digitization and e-government continue to shape urban development, city TLDs are expected to play an increasingly important role.

The study is availabe for download here.