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 S$17.93, .app S$23.12). Renewals are S$17.93 and S$22.37 a year, so three years cost S$53.79 for .com and S$67.86 for .app, in SGD before VAT where it applies.
No extension ranks better on its own. Pick the one your visitors will remember and trust.
.com: Anyone, anywhere, for any purpose. .app: Anyone.
If the name is your brand, yes: register your main extension and point the other to it. It stops look-alike sites and catches visitors who type the other one. Both together cost S$41.05 for the first year.
Yes. A transfer costs S$17.93 for .com and S$21.59 for .app, and usually adds a year to the registration. Unlock the domain, get the transfer code from your current registrar and start from our domain transfer page.
Yes. The extension is on browsers’ HSTS preload list, so pages only load over HTTPS. Every GlobalHostia hosting plan includes free SSL.