How to Register a .app Domain in South Africa

Step-by-step guide to registering a .app domain in South Africa — pricing, HTTPS setup, and why .app is the right extension for your mobile or web application.

Registering a .app domain is straightforward and takes about five minutes. At Allanux Web, it costs R371.11/yr — and the only extra step compared to a .com is making sure you have an SSL certificate ready, since .app enforces HTTPS at the browser level.

Whether you're launching a mobile app landing page, setting up a SaaS product site, or building a progressive web app, here's how to get your .app domain registered and live in South Africa.

Step-by-Step: Register a .app Domain at Allanux Web

Step 1: Search for Your Name

Head to our .app registration page and type in the name you want. The search checks availability instantly. Because .app is newer than .com, many short, descriptive names are still available — yourproduct.app might be open even when yourproduct.com was taken a decade ago.

Step 2: Select Your Registration Period

Minimum one year at R371.11. Multi-year options are available up to 10 years if you want to lock in the current price and protect against future increases.

Step 3: Configure DNS and Privacy

Set your nameservers (Allanux Web defaults work if you're hosting with us) and enable WHOIS privacy to keep your personal details off the public registry. Both are included at no extra cost.

Step 4: Complete Payment

We accept credit card, EFT, and PayFast. Your domain activates immediately after payment — no manual approval or waiting period.

Step 5: Install SSL and Go Live

This is the critical step for .app domains. Before your site loads in any browser, you need a valid SSL/TLS certificate. On Allanux Web hosting, Let's Encrypt certificates are provisioned automatically. On other hosts, confirm SSL is active before pointing your domain. Once SSL is live, update your DNS records and you're ready to go.

What Your .app Registration Includes

Every .app domain at Allanux Web comes with:

• Free DNS management — full control over A, CNAME, MX, TXT, and SRV records
• WHOIS privacy — your personal details stay off the public registry
• EPP transfer code — you own the domain and can move it anytime
• Instant activation — no waiting period after payment

.app Pricing Summary

Renewal is R24.75/yr more than registration — a modest increase with no surprise jumps. Transfers include one year of registration added to your existing term.

Best Practices for Your .app Domain

Match Your App Store Name

If your app is called "Budgetly" on the App Store, register budgetly.app. Matching your domain to your app name eliminates confusion and makes it easy for users to find your website from your app listing.

Set Up a Landing Page Before Launch

Register your .app domain early — even before your app is ready. Use it for a pre-launch landing page that collects email signups. This builds an audience before day one and protects the name from being taken.

Use Your .app Domain for Deep Links

If your app supports deep linking (opening specific content directly in the app from a URL), a .app domain makes the URLs intuitive. budgetly.app/expenses makes more sense to users than budgetly.com/expenses when the link opens in a mobile app.

Don't Forget the .com

Even with a great .app domain, many users will instinctively type .com. Register the matching .com (R299/yr at Allanux Web) and redirect it to your .app domain. This costs less than losing visitors who guess wrong.