Mat Bao · Domain Analytics

.NET & .COM Domain
Growth Report

Registration volumes, growth trends, and year-over-year comparison for the two flagship domain extensions.

Data period: January 2025 — May 2026 (17 months)
.COM · First 5 months 2026
8,064
▲ +160% vs. same period 2025 (3,099)
.NET · First 5 months 2026
1,171
▲ +261% vs. same period 2025 (324)
.NET peak — April 2026
399
▲ +364% YoY · highest month on record
.NET — May 2026
356
▲ +431% YoY · largest YoY jump
01

Monthly Growth Chart

The .COM line uses the left axis and .NET uses the right axis (since the two differ by roughly 10×), so both read clearly. The .NET breakout in April–May 2026 is unmistakable.

.COM (left axis) .NET (right axis)
02

Year-over-Year Comparison (YoY)

First 5 months of 2026 vs. the same period in 2025 — the window where both years have complete data.

.COM 2025 .COM 2026 .NET 2025 .NET 2026
Month .COM 2025.COM 2026YoY .COM .NET 2025.NET 2026YoY .NET
January3801,389+266%30136+353%
February558999+79%5587+58%
March7271,990+174%86193+124%
April 🔥7531,784+137%86399+364%
May 🔥6811,902+179%67356+431%
Total Jan–May3,0998,064+160%3241,171+261%
03

Impact of the .NET 129k Promotion

April–May–June program: .NET at 129k (regular 439k) + a free combo of .xyz, .cloud, .one — four domains for just 129k.

📈 The promotion pushed .NET to record highs

Before the promotion, .NET hovered around 87–193 domains/month (Jan–Mar 2026). The moment the 129k offer launched, volume surged to 399 (Apr) and 356 (May) — roughly 2–4× the prior baseline, and the two highest months across the entire 17-month history.

Even more telling is the shift in mix: .NET's share of total (.NET + .COM) normally sits around 8–9%, but jumped to 18.3% (Apr) and 15.8% (May). In other words, the 129k combo not only lifted absolute volume but also pulled customers toward .NET instead of defaulting to .COM.

The .NET YoY rates in April (+364%) and May (+431%) far outpace the non-promo months (February was only +58%), confirming this is growth driven by the campaign rather than an organic trend. The "4 domains / 129k" combo lowers the barrier to ownership very effectively — the service is far easier to sell.

⚠️ Point to monitor: the 129k price is a deep first-year discount (regular 439k). Real revenue and margin depend on the renewal rate of this customer cohort when the year ends. Set a renewal KPI from the start.

04

Customer Buying Behavior & Vietnam Market Insights

What the registration data — combined with the broader Vietnamese market context — tells us about how customers buy domains.

🇻🇳 A fast-digitizing market — but most sellers don't own a domain yet

Vietnam's digital economy is expanding at roughly 20% per year, with online retail projected to approach US$70 billion by 2030. In Q1 2026 alone, the four major marketplaces grew +46.6% year-over-year. SMEs make up about 97% of all businesses in the country.

Yet most micro-businesses and individual sellers operate on TikTok Shop, Facebook, Zalo and Shopee — not on their own domain. The domain is often an afterthought. With the new E-commerce Law (passed Dec 2025) and the national SME digital-transformation plan for 2026–2030, owning a real brand presence is becoming more valuable. This is exactly where the growth headroom for .COM and .NET sits.

Behavioral patterns visible in our own data

🛒.COM is the default trust choice

.COM carries the overwhelming majority of registrations (~85–90% of .COM+.NET volume). Vietnamese buyers reach for .COM first for brand credibility and an "international" feel — .NET only competes meaningfully when given a strong price/value reason.

🏷️Highly price- and promo-driven

The 129k .NET offer lifted volume +364% (Apr) and +431% (May) YoY. Vietnamese SMEs and individuals respond powerfully to a deep first-year discount — price is often the single biggest conversion lever.

🎁"Combo" psychology wins

The "4 domains for 129k" bundle converts because perceived value far exceeds price. Free add-on extensions (.xyz, .cloud, .one) make the deal feel generous, lowering the barrier to a yes — even if the buyer only really needs one domain.

📅Clear Tet seasonality

Both extensions dip every February (Lunar New Year) — e.g. .COM fell to 999 in Feb 2026 between 1,389 (Jan) and 1,990 (Mar). Q1 is softer; mid-year and H2 are structurally stronger. Campaign timing should work with this rhythm.

🔁Discount cohorts carry renewal risk

Deep first-year pricing attracts some low-intent and speculative registrations. Many of these may not renew at the full 439k. Activation and renewal nurturing for the promo cohort is essential to convert volume into lasting revenue.

😴Most domains sit "parked"

A large share of registered domains never get a live website or email attached. A parked domain delivers no visible value to the owner — which both depresses renewal and wastes the upsell opportunity. Activation is the missing link.

05

Growth Opportunities for the Domain Extensions

Turning the insights above into concrete levers — anchored on making domains genuinely useful and embedding domain discovery into easy-to-use products.

Activate domains via easy-to-go add-ons

  • Bundle domain + Vibe Hosting (deploy a site in minutes, no code, no server) so the customer leaves with a live website, not just a name. "Buy a domain → your site is online in 5 minutes."
  • Domain + E-NameCard for freelancers and individuals: an instant digital name card on their own domain gives the name immediate, visible purpose.
  • A domain pointing to a live site/card renews far better than a parked one — directly addressing the renewal-risk insight.
  • Position these as the default next step at checkout, not a separate later sale.

🔎 Promote & suggest domains inside the platforms

  • Reverse the funnel: let users start with the easy product (E-NameCard / Vibe site) on a free subdomain, then suggest a matching real domain during setup — "Want yourname.net? Available for 129k."
  • In-product suggestion engine: when someone creates a card or site, auto-recommend available domains from their name/brand, surfacing the .NET combo prominently.
  • Upgrade prompts: persistent "claim your own domain" CTAs on free subdomains to convert usage into ownership.
  • Every Vibe/E-NameCard user becomes a warm domain lead — they already have a reason to want one.

💡 Additional plays

  • Persona combos: Freelancer (E-NameCard + .net combo) · Micro-SME (Vibe Hosting + domain + email) · Growing SME (hosting + multi-domain brand protection).
  • Brand-protection bundle: upsell existing .COM owners to grab .NET + .VN together to lock their brand.
  • Capture social sellers: target Facebook/Zalo/TikTok shop owners — "turn your shop into a real brand: domain + 1-page site."
  • Loyalty & retention: auto-renew incentives, multi-year price locks, and a renewal offer for the Apr–Jun cohort before expiry.
  • AI domain-name generator as a free lead magnet, feeding straight into the combo checkout.
06

Recommendations for Upcoming Promotions

Based on the effectiveness of the .NET combo and the volume scale of .COM.

.NET SUSTAIN MOMENTUM

  • Keep & repeat the 129k combo in short bursts (7–10 day flash sales) rather than running it continuously, to create scarcity and lift trough months like January and February.
  • Multi-year price lock: allow 2-year registration at the promo price to raise retention and reduce the risk of churn when renewals hit the regular 439k.
  • Dedicated renewal campaign for the Apr–Jun 2026 cohort before they expire: a year-2 renewal offer (e.g. ~199–249k) to prevent churn.
  • Upsell from the combo: leverage the 4 domains per customer to cross-sell hosting, email, and SSL — turning a low entry price into high lifetime value.
  • Push the "4-domain combo" message harder in ads — it is the clearest conversion driver.

.COM LEVERAGE SCALE

  • Test a similar combo to .NET: .COM currently lacks an equally strong offer — a ".com + free international extensions" combo could multiply an already large base (8,064 in five months).
  • Attractive first-year price + upsell: .COM is the volume line, so maximize revenue with hosting/email cross-sell right at checkout.
  • Fix the February trough: both .COM and .NET dip in February (Lunar New Year season). Run a pre-Tet campaign ("buy your domain for the new year") and a post-Tet push to flatten the trough.
  • Enterprise/reseller tiers: with high volume, design discount tiers for bulk buyers, agencies, and resellers.
  • Maintain the H2 cadence: these are .COM's naturally strong months — concentrate marketing budget on peak season instead of spreading it evenly.