How Much Does a Domain Cost in the Philippines? (.com vs .ph)

1. Domain prices in the Philippines at a glance

These are typical yearly prices we saw on registrar price pages in late October 2026. Most international registrars charge in US dollars, so the peso amounts are rough conversions and move with the exchange rate. Always check the current price at checkout before you buy.

Your domain is only one part of what a website costs each year. Hosting is usually the bigger yearly cost. Our website cost guide covers the full picture.

2. First-year promo vs renewal price

This is where most people get caught. Many registrars advertise a very low price for the first year to win your business, then charge the regular price every year after. The difference can be small for a .com, but huge for newer extensions.

For example, when we checked in late October 2026, a .shop domain could be had for around US$1 to US$2 for the first year at some registrars, but renewed at roughly US$30 to US$50 a year. That's a cheap start and an expensive habit. Some well-known registrars also renew a .com at well above their first-year price.

Before you buy any domain, look for these three numbers:

1. The first-year price, including any fees added at checkout.
2. The renewal price, which you'll pay for as long as you keep the domain.
3. The transfer price, in case you want to move it later.

A domain is a long-term cost. Over five years, a registrar with a fair renewal price usually beats one with a flashy first-year deal.

3. .com or .ph: which should you choose?

Choose a .com if

• You want the cheapest, most familiar option. Customers tend to type .com by habit.
• You might serve customers outside the Philippines, now or later.
• The name you want is available as a .com.

Choose a .ph or .com.ph if

• You want to signal clearly that you're a Philippine business.
• The .com you want is taken, but the .ph is free.
• The higher yearly price isn't a problem for your budget.

For Google, the extension doesn't decide whether you rank. A .com can rank well for searches in General Santos or anywhere in the Philippines, and so can a .ph. What matters more is having useful pages, a Google Business Profile (see our Google Maps guide) and real customers talking about you.

If your budget allows, you can own both and point the .ph to your .com, so nobody else can take your name. For most small businesses, though, one good .com is enough to start.

Tips for choosing the name itself

• Keep it short and easy to say over the phone.
• Avoid hyphens and numbers that people will forget or mistype.
• Use your business name, or your name plus your city or what you do, for example yourbusinessgensan.com.
• Check that the matching Facebook page name is free too, so your online presence is consistent. Our guide on Facebook pages vs websites explains how the two work together.

4. Where to buy a domain in the Philippines

You don't have to buy from a Philippine company. Any accredited registrar can sell you a .com, and many can sell .ph as well. The main options:

• dotPH (dot.ph) runs the .ph registry and sells .ph and .com.ph domains directly. Check its site for the current peso price.
• Cloudflare Registrar sells domains like .com at cost, with no markup, so its renewals are among the cheapest. You need to use Cloudflare's own DNS, and it doesn't sell every extension. When we checked, it didn't offer .ph.
• Porkbun has low, steady prices for .com and also sells .ph, with free privacy included.
• Namecheap is popular and easy to use. Its first-year prices are low, but renewals are higher than Cloudflare or Porkbun.
• GoDaddy is the best-known brand and often runs first-year promos, but its renewal prices are usually higher than the budget registrars.
• Hostinger and many other web hosts sell domains, often priced in pesos, and some include a free domain for the first year with certain hosting plans. Check the renewal price.

International registrars usually charge in US dollars by card or PayPal, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. If you prefer paying in pesos, look for a local reseller or a host that bills in pesos.

5. Domain privacy

When you register a domain, you give your name, address, email and phone number. In the past, this was often visible to anyone through a public lookup called WHOIS, which led to spam calls and scam emails.

Today, many registrars, including Cloudflare, Porkbun and Namecheap, hide these details for free on extensions like .com. Others charge extra for "privacy protection". Country domains like .ph can follow their own rules, so ask your registrar how your details are shown before you buy.

Privacy hides your details from the public, but it doesn't change who owns the domain. That's the next point, and it's the most important one in this guide.

6. Register the domain in your own name

The person or company listed as the registrant legally controls the domain. If your web designer, a former employee or a relative registered it under their name or their account, they control your web address and your business email.

This is how business owners end up losing their web address: they part ways with a designer who registered it, or the person who set it up can't be reached when the domain expires. To protect yourself:

• Make sure your name or your business name is the registrant.
• Use an email you control as the contact email, because renewal and transfer notices go there.
• Ask for your own login to the registrar account, or at least proof of who the registrant is.
• Keep a record of when it expires and who pays the renewal.

If someone builds your website and includes the domain, ask them directly: "Whose name will the domain be in?" A good provider will answer without hesitation.

7. Moving a domain to another registrar

You can move (transfer) your domain to another registrar, for example to get cheaper renewals or to manage everything in one place. The usual steps:

1. Unlock the domain in your current registrar's dashboard.
2. Get the transfer code, also called an authorization or EPP code.
3. Start the transfer at the new registrar, enter the code and pay. For a .com, this usually adds a year to your registration.
4. Approve it if you receive a confirmation email, then wait for it to complete, which can take a few days.

Most registrars won't let you transfer a domain for a set period after you first register or last transfer it, so you can't move a brand-new domain right away. Don't wait until the last few days before expiry to start a transfer. And make sure your website and email settings (DNS) are copied over, so nothing goes offline during the move.

8. What happens if your domain expires

If you forget to renew, your website and any email addresses on that domain stop working. Customers searching for you find an error page, and messages to your business email bounce.

Most registrars give you a short grace period to renew at the normal price. After that comes a recovery period where you can still get it back, but often for a much higher fee. If nobody renews it after that, the domain is released, and anyone can register it, including people who buy expired domains to resell them or to use for spam. The exact timing depends on the extension and the registrar.

To avoid this:

• Turn on auto-renew and keep the card on file valid.
• Keep your contact email current so you see the reminders.
• Register for several years if your registrar allows it.
• Set your own reminder a month before the expiry date.

9. How GensanWeb helps

Our Starter Website is ₱3,499 for businesses anywhere in the Philippines, and it takes the domain question off your plate for the first year:

• A free .com domain and hosting for 1 year, plus free SSL
• Up to 5 pages, mobile-friendly design
• Contact form, plus Call, Messenger and WhatsApp buttons
• Google Maps and basic SEO setup with Google Search Console
• 1 round of design revisions before launch
• Unlimited small changes for 1 month after launch
• You check the finished website on a preview link before you pay by GCash or InstaPay QR

Whoever builds your website, including us, ask before you pay what the domain and hosting will cost to renew after the first year, and whose name the domain will be registered under. Planning an online store? Our guides on selling online in the Philippines, accepting GCash on your website and Shopee and Lazada vs your own store will help. Restaurants, resorts, clinics, flower shops, real estate agents and construction companies can also see what a website looks like for their industry, starting with our restaurant, resort, dental clinic, flower shop, real estate and construction pages.

Not ready to commit? Request a free homepage preview and see your website before you decide.

10. Frequently asked questions

How much is a .com domain in the Philippines?

A .com domain usually costs roughly ₱600 to ₱1,200 a year (about US$10 to US$20) at most registrars. Some sell the first year cheaper as a promo and charge more on renewal, so check both the first-year and renewal price before you buy.

How much is a .ph or .com.ph domain?

.ph and .com.ph domains usually cost more than a .com. At many registrars they were roughly ₱2,500 to ₱3,500 a year in late 2026, and some charge a lot more. Prices change, so check the current price at dotPH and a few accredited registrars before you buy.

Should I get a .com or a .ph domain?

For most small businesses, a .com is the practical choice: it's cheaper, familiar to customers and easy to remember. A .ph or .com.ph makes sense if you want to show you're a Philippine business, or if the .com you want is already taken. If budget allows, you can own both and point one to the other.

Can I get a domain for free?

Some web hosts and website packages include a free domain for the first year. You still pay the renewal from the second year, so ask what it will cost and make sure the domain is registered in your name, not the provider's.

What happens if my domain expires?

Your website and any email on that domain stop working. Most registrars give a short grace period to renew at the normal price, then a recovery period with a much higher fee. After that the domain can be released, and anyone can register it. Turn on auto-renew and keep your contact email up to date.