diff --git a/src/url.ts b/src/url.ts
index c1276675..bfc1b7fa 100644
--- a/src/url.ts
+++ b/src/url.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import {
   encodeHost,
 } from "./encoding";
 
+/**
+ * @deprecated use native URL with `new URL(input)` or `ufo.parseURL(input)`
+ */
 export class $URL implements URL {
   protocol: string;
   host: string;
@@ -136,3 +139,10 @@ export class $URL implements URL {
     return this.href;
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated use native URL with `new URL(input)` or `ufo.parseURL(input)`
+ */
+export function createURL(input: string): $URL {
+  return new $URL(input);
+}
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 183e70eb..ee9dc7b1 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { $URL } from "./url";
+import { createURL } from "./url";
 import { parseURL, stringifyParsedURL } from "./parse";
 import { QueryObject, parseQuery, stringifyQuery, ParsedQuery } from "./query";
 import { decode } from "./encoding";
@@ -211,13 +211,8 @@ export function withProtocol(input: string, protocol: string): string {
   return protocol + input.slice(match[0].length);
 }
 
-// $URL based utils
-
-export function createURL(input: string): $URL {
-  return new $URL(input);
-}
-
 export function normalizeURL(input: string): string {
+  // TODO: remove dependecny on createURL
   return createURL(input).toString();
 }