Yes, on Ethereum Mainnet. If you already own a .com, .net, or .org, you can point it at your wallet, host a decentralised website on it, or use it as your name in any app that reads ENS. You don't move the domain.
Not on ENSv2 Testnet yet. There's no DNS import in the ENS App or ENS Explorer, so .eth is the only type you can register there.
Get paid to
yourname.cominstead of a long0xaddress.Point a decentralised website at the name, hosted on IPFS, Arweave, or Swarm.
Show up in apps that read ENS, in profiles, transaction confirmations and search results, the same way a
.ethname does.Use subnames.
vault.yourname.comcan point at a different wallet fromyourname.com.
Onchain or offchain?
Route | Cost | Where records live | Best if |
One gas-only transaction on Ethereum Mainnet | In the ENS App | You want the full ENS feature set (multi-chain addresses, avatar, decentralised website, subnames) and you want to manage records in the ENS App. | |
Free: no gas, no fee | At your DNS provider | You only need an ETH address on the name (no avatar, no other-chain addresses, no website). You want zero gas. You keep managing in your DNS panel. |
Both routes need DNSSEC turned on at your DNS provider. The difference is where the records live, what you can put on the name, and whether there's a transaction. Most people want onchain.
Switching offchain to onchain is a one way change. You can start offchain and upgrade to onchain later. Be aware that once a name is imported onchain, the onchain claim takes priority over any offchain TXT record — so an offchain record on the same name will be ignored. You cannot switch back to offchain.
Important: DNS controls ENS. Whoever owns the DNS domain can reclaim the ENS version at any time by changing the TXT record at their DNS provider. If your domain expires or you transfer it, the new owner can take the ENS name. Keep your DNS domain active to keep control.
Common questions
Does this work for any DNS domain?
Most of them. Your domain needs DNSSEC turned on at your registrar, using RSA/SHA-256 or ECDSA keys. Check your DNS host's docs for "DNSSEC". WordPress.com hosting doesn't support it, so move your DNS elsewhere if you're hosted there. You also need to own the domain already, as ENS doesn't sell DNS domains.
Will the ENS name still work if I change my DNS host?
Only if you move the TXT record and the DNSSEC settings to the new host. ENS reads your DNS records. If they aren't there, the ENS name stops resolving.
Why does the app show me a .eth name when I search my .com?
The search bar adds .eth to whatever you type, so vitalik.com offers you vitalik.com.eth, a different name. Opening a profile URL directly doesn't help either: that route renders an empty profile shell for any string, even one that was never registered. Neither is a sign the name is claimable. On ENSv2 Testnet, ENS Explorer says "DNS import not available" for a .com.
Would a free .eth subname work better for me?
Maybe. If you only want a custom name to receive crypto and don't already own a DNS domain, a free project subname like yourname.uni.eth may fit better: no DNSSEC, no registrar fees, no transaction. See What are project subnames?