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.com vs .app: which domain should you choose?

The default address against the extension made for applications. .com is cheaper in the first year, and over three years (SAR 156.84 against SAR 197.93).

.com and .app prices

From our current price list, in SAR. +VAT 5% where applicable. The order form always shows the price before you pay.

.com and .app prices in SAR; the lower price in each row is marked.
Price.com.app
First year SAR 52.28LowerSAR 67.43
Renews at (per year) SAR 52.28LowerSAR 65.25
Transfer inUsually adds a year to the registration. SAR 52.28LowerSAR 62.96
3 years in totalFirst year plus two renewals. SAR 156.84LowerSAR 197.93
Price rise after year one NoneNone

Who each one suits

.comGeneric

The original commercial extension (1985) and the one people type by default.

Run by
Verisign
Who can register
Anyone, anywhere, for any purpose.
Best for
startup or SaaS product, local business, tech or developer project, online shop, personal brand or portfolio
Costs
SAR 52.28 first year, then SAR 52.28 a year

.com details and search

.appGeneric

A 2018 extension for mobile and web applications.

Run by
Google Registry
Who can register
Anyone.
Best for
startup or SaaS product, tech or developer project
Costs
SAR 67.43 first year, then SAR 65.25 a year

.app details and search

Registry rules and restrictions

What applies before and after you register. We confirm anything special before you pay.

.com

  • Anyone, anywhere, for any purpose.
  • No HTTPS requirement from the registry, but every site should still use SSL.

.app

  • Anyone.
  • On browsers’ HSTS preload list: a .app site only loads over HTTPS, so it needs an SSL certificate from day one.

.app is HTTPS-only: browsers refuse plain http:// for every name in the extension. Every GlobalHostia hosting plan includes free SSL, or add a certificate.

SEO: does the extension matter?

Short answer: not for rankings. Content, links and site speed decide where you rank; the extension mostly affects trust, memorability and which country search engines assume you serve.

.com

A generic extension: no ranking advantage or penalty on its own. Search engines rank the content and the links, and let you target any country.

.app

A generic extension: no ranking advantage or penalty on its own. Search engines rank the content and the links, and let you target any country.

Myth check: no extension gets a hidden ranking bonus, and keyword extensions (like .shop or .tech) do not rank better for that keyword. Switching an established site to a new extension costs time while search engines re-learn it, so choose well up front.

Our verdict, by kind of site

Based on what each extension signals to visitors and its three-year cost at today’s prices.

  • Startup or SaaS product.comBoth fit equally well; .com costs less over three years at today’s prices.
  • Local business.com.com is what local customers expect; .app reads as less local.
  • Tech or developer project.comBoth fit equally well; .com costs less over three years at today’s prices.
  • Online shop.com.com tells shoppers they can buy here or is the address they trust most; .app fits a shop less naturally.
  • Non-profit or community.com.com is the better fit for an organisation or community; .app reads as more commercial or technical.
  • Personal brand or portfolio.com.com reads naturally as a personal name or portfolio; .app is less personal.

.com vs .app: questions and answers

.com is cheaper in the first year (.com SAR 52.28, .app SAR 67.43). Renewals are SAR 52.28 and SAR 65.25 a year, so three years cost SAR 156.84 for .com and SAR 197.93 for .app, in SAR before VAT where it applies.

Got the name? Register it in .com or .app

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