Guides · Updated 19 September 2026
How to use a custom domain with Lovable without paying for Pro
You built a site in Lovable and it lives at something.lovable.app. You want it on yourname.com. Inside Lovable, connecting a custom domain is a paid plan feature. But your code is yours, and Lovable lets you take it with you. That is all you need.
The short answer
Download your project from Lovable as a zip, upload it to a host that accepts it, and connect your domain there. With Lovely Hosting that is three steps and takes a few minutes: drop the zip, pick a domain, pay $9.00 a month. You can stay on Lovable's free plan and keep editing there.
Step by step
- In Lovable, open the Code view (the menu next to the Preview button) and click Download codebase at the bottom of the file list.
- Find the zip in your Downloads folder. It is named after your project. Leave it zipped.
- Drag the zip into the box on the Lovely Hosting home page. No account or card is needed. Your site is built and put online at a free address so you can check it.
- Search for the domain you want, or type one you already own.
- Pay once at checkout. The domain is registered in your name and connected, including DNS and the SSL certificate. Most domains are live within a few minutes.
Why not just use a free host?
You can. If you are comfortable with GitHub, build commands and DNS records, free tiers at the big hosting platforms will run a Lovable export. Three things usually trip people up. New Lovable projects are server-rendered apps that are set up for Lovable's own hosting, so they need the right build settings elsewhere. Images added inside Lovable are not in the download, so they show as broken until you copy them over. And you still have to buy a domain somewhere and enter DNS records by hand.
Lovely Hosting exists for people who do not want to learn any of that. It detects the type of Lovable project, brings your images along, registers the domain and sets up DNS for you.
What it costs compared with Lovable Pro
Lovable's paid plans start at about $25 a month at the time of writing and include a lot more than domains, such as more AI credits. If the domain is the only reason you would upgrade, hosting the export is cheaper: $9.00 a month, plus the domain at cost (about $11 a year for a .com). Check Lovable's pricing page for their current numbers.
Try it now, free
Drop the zip from your Downloads folder here. No account, no card. Your site is online in about a minute.
Common questions
Do I own the domain?
Yes. The domain is registered in your name with your contact details, so you are the legal owner. You can move it to another registrar whenever you want, and it stays yours if you cancel hosting.
Can I use a domain I already own?
Yes. Choose "I already own one", type the domain, and we show you the two DNS records to add where you bought it. There is no domain charge, only the $9.00 a month for hosting.
What happens when I change my site in Lovable?
Download the codebase again and click "Upload new version" on your site page. The new version is live about a minute later. If you connect GitHub instead, every edit you make in Lovable goes live by itself.
Will my images still work outside Lovable?
Yes. Images you add inside Lovable are stored on Lovable's servers, not in the zip, which is why they break on most other hosts. Lovely Hosting fetches them for you during the upload so they keep working.