.com vs .app: Price, Renewal and Availability
Pick .com for the company and .app when the thing you are naming is an app and the .com is taken. .app starts cheaper ($8.75 vs $10.88) but renews at $14.93, so five years run $68.47 vs $54.40. Every .app site must be served over HTTPS: the whole extension is on the browsers' HSTS preload list. 75% of .com names checked on domhaul were already registered, against 37% of .app.
Standard (non-premium) names, USD per year, quoted October 24, 2026.
| Measure | .com | .app |
|---|---|---|
| First year (lowest) | $10.88 | $8.75 |
| Renewal (lowest) | $10.88 | $14.93 |
| Renewal vs first year | same | +71% |
| 5 years, cheapest registrar | $54.40 (Dynadot) | $68.47 (Porkbun) |
| Minimum term | 1 year | 1 year |
| Porkbun first year | $11.08 | $8.75 |
| Porkbun renewal | $11.08 | $14.93 |
| Porkbun transfer | $11.08 | $14.93 |
| Dynadot first year | $10.88 | Not sold |
| Dynadot renewal | $10.88 | Not sold |
| Taken when checked on domhaul | 75% of 4,260 | 37% of 399 |
| Type | Generic | Generic |
| Registry | VeriSign Global Registry Services | Charleston Road Registry Inc. |
| Rules | Open to anyone | Open to anyone; HTTPS required (HSTS preload) |
| DNSSEC | Signed | Signed |
Is your name free as .com and .app?
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Pick .com if
- You are naming the company, not one product.
- You want the lowest renewal and no HTTPS requirement.
- The .com is free or affordable.
Pick .app if
- The domain is for an app people install or use in the browser.
- The .com is taken and name + .app reads well.
- Your hosting serves HTTPS anyway (almost all does).
.com vs .app questions
Does a .app domain need HTTPS?
Yes. The whole .app extension is on the HSTS preload list built into Chrome, Firefox and Safari, so browsers only load .app sites over HTTPS and refuse plain HTTP. Put a TLS certificate on the site before you point the domain at it (most hosts issue one free). Email is not affected: HSTS applies to websites, not to mail.
Is .app cheaper than .com?
.com costs $10.88 for the first year and $10.88 to renew; .app costs $8.75 and $14.93. Over five years (first year plus four renewals at the cheaper registrar) that is $54.40 for .com and $68.47 for .app, so .com is the cheaper one to keep. Standard names at Dynadot and Porkbun, quoted October 24, 2026.
Who runs .app?
Google Registry (Charleston Road Registry Inc., a Google company). .app opened to the public in May 2018, with HTTPS enforced for every site from day one. It is open to anyone; you do not need an app in an app store.
Can I use a .app domain for email?
Yes. The HTTPS rule covers websites only; mail on a .app domain works like any other once you add MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records.
More comparisons
- .io vs .app 5 yrs $235.32 vs $68.47
- .app vs .dev 5 yrs $68.47 vs $60.23
- .com vs .net 5 yrs $54.40 vs $62.60
- .com vs .org 5 yrs $54.40 vs $54.55
- .com vs .co 5 yrs $54.40 vs $140.30
- .com vs .io 5 yrs $54.40 vs $235.32
Full price pages: .com and .app. All domain extension comparisons, the price list for every TLD, and the long read on .com vs .io vs .app vs .dev for startups. Have a name? The domain value calculator prices it and finds available alternatives.