Updated 9 August 2026. Deal prices below are promotional rates published by the providers and change without notice — the linked page always shows the current price. NRB dollar-card rules are as per Circular 10/2077-78.
Transparency: this guide contains affiliate links, marked as sponsored. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it is one of the ways this site funds its free guides. Full policy: Advertising Disclosure. The recommendations below, including the advice to not buy several things, are editorial.
Buying a domain and hosting in Nepal involves two problems nobody warns you about: paying an international provider in dollars legally, and knowing which of the things in your cart you do not actually need. This guide solves both — the NRB-compliant payment route, the current deals worth taking, the renewal-price trap, and the one domain Nepalis can get completely free.
First: How to Pay in Dollars From Nepal (Legally)
International hosts do not take eSewa or Khalti. The standard legal route is a dollar prepaid card from a Nepali bank, permitted under NRB rules for exactly this kind of purchase:
- Limit: USD 500 per person per year (foreign-income earners can get more with proof)
- Requirements: citizenship, PAN (mandatory), an account at the issuing bank, a self-declaration form
- One card per person across all banks — issuance typically NPR 500–1,000
USD 500 is far more than enough: a sensible first-year web setup costs USD 30–60. Bank-wise fees and the full application process are in our dollar card guide; if you earn from abroad, pair it with our guide to receiving international payments in Nepal.
What You Need — and What You Can Skip
| Item | Do you need it? | The honest note |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Yes | Your address on the internet. USD 4–15/yr depending on the extension. |
| Shared hosting | Yes, for most sites | Enough for portfolios, business sites and blogs up to serious traffic. Skip VPS until you outgrow it. |
| SSL certificate | Usually free | Most hosts, including Namecheap shared plans, bundle free SSL (Let’s Encrypt). Buy one only for special cases — see below. |
| Private email | Worth it for business | you@yourbusiness.com changes how clients read you. Not needed for a hobby blog. |
| VPS | Rarely | Only if you run custom applications or heavy traffic. Wrong first purchase for a beginner. |
| Site builder add-ons | No | WordPress is free and every host below installs it in one click. |
Current Deals, Compared
Hosting
| Deal | Best for |
|---|---|
| 30 days of shared hosting, free | Trying a real host with zero risk — put a site live before paying anything. |
| Shared hosting, up to 68% off | The standard first-year buy for a portfolio, blog or business site. |
| Managed WordPress, first month free | If you want WordPress updates, caching and backups handled for you. |
| Domain + hosting bundle | One checkout, one renewal date — simplest for a new business. |
| VPS, up to 30% off | Only for developers who know they need root access. |
Domains
| Deal | Best for |
|---|---|
| .us domains at $3.98 | Cheapest way to test an idea with a real domain. |
| .xyz at 82% off | Startups and projects — first year costs about as much as a plate of momo. |
| .store at 96% off | Retail and e-commerce brands that want the shop in the name. |
The free option every Nepali should know: .com.np costs nothing. Mercantile’s register.com.np issues .com.np / .org.np / .edu.np domains free to Nepali citizens and organisations — you apply online with a citizenship copy (plus a cover letter for organisations) and renew free. The trade-offs: approval takes days rather than minutes, transfers and DNS changes are more manual, and a .com still reads more international. A common professional setup: free .com.np for the Nepali audience, paid .com pointed at the same site for everyone else.
Email and Security
| Deal | Best for |
|---|---|
| Namecheap Private Email | info@yourbusiness.com on invoices, PAN documents and proposals. |
| Namecheap SSL from $5.99 | When a client or platform demands a commercial certificate specifically. |
| SSLs.com certificates from $2.59/yr | The cheapest commercial certificates anywhere. |
| Wildcard SSL, 47% off | One certificate covering every subdomain (app.yoursite.com, mail.yoursite.com…). |
| VPN, $0.99 first month | Working from café or co-working Wi-Fi. |
Do not buy an SSL certificate reflexively. Every shared-hosting plan above includes free SSL, and that padlock is identical to a paid one for visitors. Pay for a certificate only when you specifically need a wildcard, an organisation-validated cert, or a client contract demands a commercial issuer. We would rather you skip a product we earn commission on than buy something your hosting already includes.
Which Setup Fits You?
Student or first-timer — under USD 10
A .xyz domain plus the 30-day free hosting trial. Learn WordPress on a live site; decide about paying after a month. Or start fully free with .com.np while approval patience lasts.
Freelancer — around USD 35–45 first year
Domain + hosting bundle plus Private Email. A portfolio at your own name and invoices from your own domain — the two cheapest credibility upgrades that exist. Pair with our freelancer payment and tax guide.
Registered business — USD 50–70 first year
The bundle, Private Email for every staff member who talks to customers, and — if you run subdomains — the wildcard certificate.
Developer or agency
VPS at 30% off when shared hosting genuinely limits you, cheap certs from SSLs.com (up to 63% off) for client projects.
The Renewal-Price Trap — Read Before Checkout
Every promotional price above is a first-year price. Renewal happens at the regular rate, which can be several times the promo — a $1 first-year domain can renew at $12–15. This is industry-standard, not a scam, but plan for it:
- Check the renewal price on the product page before buying. It is always listed, in smaller print.
- Register for 2–5 years upfront if the promo allows it — you lock the low rate for longer.
- Set a calendar reminder 30 days before renewal; providers email you, but those emails land in Promotions.
- Budget in NPR at ~Rs 140/USD and remember your dollar-card balance is the annual USD 500 pot.
Buying Steps From Nepal, Start to Finish
- Get the dollar card — citizenship + PAN + self-declaration at your bank. Takes a few days if you do not have one.
- Load it with USD — most banks let you load from the app in minutes.
- Buy through the deal link — the card works as a normal Visa/Mastercard at checkout. Use your real Nepali billing address.
- Point the domain at the hosting — with a bundle this is automatic; otherwise it is two nameserver lines, and the host’s chat support does it for you.
- Install WordPress from the hosting panel — one click — and your site is live.
Want us to set it up for you?
Digital Solution builds websites and sets up domains, hosting and professional email for Nepali businesses and freelancers — you get the logins, we do the wiring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a domain and hosting from Nepal without a dollar card?
The dollar card is the standard legal route. Some Nepalis use a relative’s card abroad or a reseller, but a card in your own name keeps the account recoverable — the person who pays is the person the provider trusts. eSewa and Khalti do not work on international checkouts.
Is the .com.np domain really free?
Yes — Mercantile’s register.com.np issues .np domains free to Nepali citizens (citizenship copy required) and organisations (registration documents plus cover letter). Renewal is also free. The trade-offs are slower manual approval and a more old-fashioned management panel.
How much does a website cost per year from Nepal?
A realistic first year on promotional pricing: USD 30–60 (roughly NPR 4,000–8,500) for domain, shared hosting and optionally private email. Budget more for renewal-rate years — check each product’s renewal price before buying.
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate?
Usually no. Shared hosting plans include free SSL, which is technically identical for visitors. Buy one only for wildcard coverage, organisation validation, or when a contract specifically requires a commercial certificate.
Is VPS hosting better than shared hosting?
It is more powerful and more work — you manage the server yourself. For portfolios, blogs and business sites, shared hosting is the right call; move to VPS only when you have a concrete reason, like a custom application or sustained heavy traffic.
Will these prices stay the same at renewal?
No — promotional prices are first-year prices, and renewals bill at the regular rate. The renewal price is shown on every product page; registering multiple years upfront is the main way to hold a low rate longer.
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Rabin Paudel
Rabin Paudel is the Founder of Digital Solution, a Content Creator, and an AI Trainer. He shares practical and easy-to-understand content on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Literacy, Online Services, FinTech, and Technology. His mission is to make technology simple, accessible, and useful for everyone.
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