Overview

The .app domain is a Google Registry-operated gTLD launched in May 2018 specifically for mobile and web applications. It costs $14–$20 per year, requires mandatory HTTPS for all sites, and is used by major products including Linear.app, Notion.app, and Figma.app. It is open to anyone worldwide and ranks on Google without penalty.

What Is the .app Domain Extension?

Google's Domain Registry Bet

The .app extension is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) operated by Google Registry, a division of Alphabet Inc. Google acquired the rights to operate .app during ICANN's gTLD expansion program, paying approximately $25 million for the registry rights — one of the largest bids in that auction cycle.

Google launched .app for general registration in May 2018. The extension was immediately positioned as the definitive home for mobile and web applications, and the market responded enthusiastically. Within the first 24 hours, hundreds of thousands of .app domains were registered.

The HTTPS Requirement: A Defining Feature

The single most distinctive feature of the .app domain is its mandatory HTTPS requirement. All .app domains are included in the HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) preload list, which means browsers automatically require HTTPS connections for every .app website. There is no option to serve content over plain HTTP.

This mandatory security layer is both a feature and a requirement that developers must plan for. It signals to visitors that security is taken seriously, and it ensures that .app domains never accidentally serve unencrypted content — a meaningful trust differentiator.

.app Domain Registration: Who Can Register

Eligibility Requirements

Unlike some specialty extensions that require proof of industry affiliation, .app registration is open to anyone worldwide. You do not need to have a published application to register a .app domain. Individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and developers at any stage can register.

That said, .app works best when the domain is actually used for an application — whether a mobile app, web app, SaaS product, or developer tool. Using .app for an unrelated purpose is technically allowed but creates a brand mismatch that confuses users.

Claiming Your .app Domain

Before general availability, Google offered an Early Access Program (EAP) for .app, allowing brands to claim their names at premium prices. Today, standard registration follows normal processes through accredited registrars. Many popular names were claimed quickly in 2018, so searching for creative variations is often necessary.

.app Domain Cost in 2026

Registration and Renewal Pricing

The .app domain is one of the more affordable specialty extensions. Typical prices in 2026 range from $14 to $20 per year for registration, with renewal rates in the same range. Some registrars run promotional pricing as low as $10 for the first year.

This pricing makes .app highly competitive — you pay only marginally more than a .com but gain the brand clarity of an application-specific extension.

Premium .app Domains

Short .app names (three to four characters) and dictionary-word .app domains command significant premiums on the secondary market. If your preferred name is taken, expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for an established name with good metrics.

Pros and Cons of the .app Domain

Advantages

Immediate clarity of purpose. A .app domain tells visitors exactly what they are about to encounter: an application. This clarity reduces cognitive load and sets expectations correctly, which can improve first-visit engagement.

Built-in security credibility. The mandatory HTTPS requirement means every .app site is automatically more secure than a comparable HTTP site. Security-conscious users appreciate this, and it can reduce abandonment from users who check for the padlock icon.

Google Registry backing. The involvement of Google provides an implicit trust signal. Google maintains the registry professionally, and the likelihood of .app facing the instability issues that some smaller registries encounter is extremely low.

Strong availability of meaningful names. While the best single-word .app names were claimed early, descriptive compound names (think toolname.app, productname.app) remain widely available and are often highly brandable.

Clean aesthetic. The .app extension looks modern and intentional in marketing materials, app store listings, and social media profiles. It photographs well in press materials and communicates professionalism.

Disadvantages

HTTPS setup is mandatory, not optional. For experienced developers this is trivial — it is a best practice regardless of extension. For beginners, setting up SSL certificates adds a step that can cause initial confusion.

Higher cost than .com alternatives. At $14–$20 per year, .app is pricier than a standard .com, though the gap is modest compared to .ai or .io.

Association limited to apps. If your product evolves beyond an application into a broader platform or company, .app may start to feel limiting.

Less recognition outside tech circles. Non-technical audiences may not immediately connect .app with software applications, though this is improving as the extension gains exposure.

Real-World Brands Using .app Domains

The adoption list for .app includes well-funded companies and beloved developer tools:

Basecamp.app — Project management platform adopted .app branding

Discord.app — Gaming and community communication platform

Gmail.app — Google's own email service at a .app address

Notion.app — Productivity and note-taking platform

Figma.app — Design and prototyping tool

Linear.app — Engineering project management tool favored by elite engineering teams

Vercel.app — Deployment platform; all Vercel preview deployments use .app subdomains

The breadth here is notable — .app is working for everything from consumer apps to developer infrastructure tools.

Best Practices for Using a .app Domain

Setting Up HTTPS Correctly

Because HTTPS is mandatory for .app, your setup process needs to include SSL certificate installation before your site goes live. Most modern hosting providers (Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare, AWS Amplify) handle this automatically. If you are using a VPS or self-managed server, use Let's Encrypt to obtain a free certificate.

Never let your SSL certificate expire on a .app domain — browsers will block users from accessing your site entirely, not just show a warning.

Matching Your .app Domain to Your Brand

The most effective .app domain names follow one of a few patterns:

Product name + .app: yourproductname.app — clean, direct, and obvious Action + .app: build.app, track.app, ship.app — works well for tools with clear verbs in their brand Category + .app: finance.app, schedule.app — better for category-defining products

Avoid hyphens and numbers in .app names. The extension already communicates the product category, so the name itself should be clean and memorable.

Using .app for App Store and PWA Promotion

Consider using your .app domain as the canonical landing page for your mobile app's web presence. Link to your App Store and Google Play listings from the .app domain. For Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), the .app extension creates a natural, intuitive home.

.app Domain SEO Considerations

Does .app Rank Well?

Yes. Google treats .app domains as standard gTLDs with no geographic restrictions. Your .app site will be indexed and ranked based on the same factors as any other domain: content quality, backlinks, site speed, mobile-friendliness, and technical SEO.

One indirect SEO benefit of the mandatory HTTPS: Google confirmed years ago that HTTPS is a lightweight ranking signal. All .app sites automatically satisfy this criterion.

Content Strategy for .app Domains

If you publish content (blog posts, documentation, tutorials) on your .app domain, focus on topics relevant to your application's use case. This builds topical authority and attracts organic traffic from potential users searching for solutions your app provides.

Should You Choose .app Over .com?

The strongest argument for choosing .app is immediate audience recognition of your product category. When a developer or product manager sees yourname.app, they know instantly what they are getting. That clarity is valuable.

The strongest argument for .com is universal recognition and zero friction for non-technical audiences.

Many app companies hedge by owning both and using .app as the primary domain for logged-in users and .com as the main marketing domain. This dual-domain approach is common among well-resourced startups.

Conclusion

The .app domain guide boils down to this: if you are building an application and want a domain that signals professionalism, security, and product clarity, .app is one of the best choices available in 2026. Google's stewardship, mandatory HTTPS, reasonable pricing, and growing brand recognition make it a domain extension that continues to gain rather than lose relevance over time.

Expert Verdict

The .app domain represents one of the most successful outcomes of ICANN's new gTLD program — a specialty extension that earned genuine community adoption rather than merely existing as a registry speculation vehicle. Google's $25 million investment in the registry sent a clear market signal in 2018, and the subsequent adoption by products like Linear.app, Notion.app, and Figma.app has validated that signal through real-world usage by companies that engineers and product managers actually respect.

The mandatory HTTPS requirement is the .app extension's most underappreciated feature. In a web environment where security theater is common, .app enforces baseline security at the infrastructure level. Every .app site is guaranteed to serve encrypted traffic — this is a meaningful trust differentiator that compounds over time as users become more security-aware.

For any company building a software application — web, mobile, SaaS, or developer tool — .app deserves serious consideration as a primary or secondary domain. The $14–$20 annual cost is negligible for any funded company, the name availability for compound descriptive domains remains strong, and Google Registry's professional management eliminates the instability risk that plagues smaller registry operators. If your .com equivalent is unavailable, .app is the most strategically sound alternative for application-focused products in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions