How strong is zapp.dev?
A score out of 100 for any name, every point explained, and the spellings a listener would type checked to see who already holds them.
Looking up…
The five criteria.
- Length, 25 points. Full marks up to 5 letters, then fewer for each letter more.
- Radio test, 25. Points off for digits, hyphens, sound-alike words, a letter shared at the join of two words, and, in invented names, spellings a sound allows more than one way (ph or f, c or k, a final z or a dropped vowel).
- Easy to say, 20. Syllables, runs of consonants or vowels, and the balance between them.
- Easy to remember, 15. A common English word scores highest, then two words, then a smooth invented name, then the rest.
- Easy to type, 15. Tripled letters, letter pairs that look like others (rn and m), rare letters and great length.
The radio test, checked.
The checker spells the name the ways a listener might after hearing it once: a sound written another way, a double letter written once, a sound-alike word, an s added or dropped. It then asks the registry whether each of those .com names is taken. A taken one is someone else's address that your visitors and mail can reach by mistake.
Questions people ask.
What makes a strong domain name?
It is short (eight letters or fewer is ideal), easy to say, spelled the way it sounds, easy to remember and easy to type: no hyphens, no digits, no doubled letters at a join, and no words that sound like other words.
What is the radio test?
Say the name once, as if on the radio, and ask someone to type it. If they cannot without asking how it is spelled, people will lose you. Digits, hyphens, sound-alike words and creative spellings such as a dropped vowel fail it.
How is the score worked out?
Five criteria add up to 100: length (25), the radio test (25), easy to say (20), easy to remember (15) and easy to type (15). Every point is shown with its reason. It is Hivex's own guide to how a name works as a brand, not a price.
Should I register the misspellings too?
The likely ones, if they are free: point them at your site. A misspelling someone else holds as a .com is where some of your visitors and email will end up.
Does a high score mean I can use the name?
No. The page checks the name as a domain in seven extensions; before you commit, search the trademark registers where you will trade. This is not legal advice.
Hivex index
Short names, still free to register.
Starting something new? Hivex keeps a live index of short, brandable .si names nobody has claimed yet, each checked with the registry.
From code, or an AI assistant.
The same lookup is a free JSON API, with no key and open CORS, and a tool any AI assistant that speaks MCP can call.
curl "https://hivex.si/api/v1/tools/availability?domain=zapp.dev"More Domain tools
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Sources
By Hivex. Updated 11 October 2026. The score is worked out on Hivex's server from the name alone; domains are checked live with each registry. Names are not stored.