A domain name is the address of your website, and you can get one for free, but only for a limited time and with conditions. The honest way to get a free domain name is to buy a hosting plan or a website builder plan that includes a domain for the first year. The old route of free domain registrars no longer works, and we explain why below.
A domain name should be short and easy to remember, and it must be available. If the name you want is taken, you need another one or you need to buy it from its owner. In this guide, we explain how a free domain really works, which hosts and builders include one, and what you pay after the first year.
How to Get a Free Domain Name: Our Best Options
- Hostinger: the best way to get a free domain name overall
- DreamHost: a free domain with WHOIS privacy
- Bluehost: a free domain with WordPress hosting
- InMotion Hosting: a free domain with phone support
- HostGator: a free domain on annual terms
- Wix: the best website builder with a free domain
- Squarespace: a design-focused builder with a free domain
Why Free Domain Registrars No Longer Work
For years, the standard advice was to use a free registrar such as Freenom, which gave away domains under five extensions: .tk, .ml, .ga, .cf and .gq. That advice is obsolete. Freenom paused new registrations in March 2023 after Meta sued it over abuse and cybersquatting. ICANN terminated its accreditation as a registrar in November 2023, and Freenom announced in February 2024 that it was leaving the domain business. Around 12.6 million domains, mostly under .tk, .cf and .gq, stopped working, and the .ml and .ga extensions disappeared from its portfolio. Freenom has since returned to the market, but it now sells those domains for a fee, starting at roughly €8 a year.
Get a Free Domain With a Web Hosting Provider
The simplest way to get a free domain name is to pick a web hosting plan that includes one. You register the domain and the hosting at the same time, and everything sits in one dashboard. The domain is free for a year, and you renew the plan anyway, because otherwise your website goes offline.
1. Hostinger: Our Best Option for a Free Domain Name
Pros
- Free domain for the first year on terms of 12 months or longer
- Low prices, from $2.99/mo
- The free domain also comes with VPS plans
- AI domain name generator
- Free SSL and free migration
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Renewal prices are higher than launch prices
- WHOIS privacy and extra domain security can cost extra
Hostinger is fast, cheap and flexible, which makes it our top choice for getting a free domain name. Our Hostinger review covers the company in more detail. On a 48-month term billed upfront, Premium costs $2.99/mo for 3 websites, 20 GB of SSD storage and weekly backups. Unlimited costs $3.99/mo for unlimited websites under fair use, 50 GB of NVMe storage, daily backups, a CDN and staging. Code GIZMODO takes another 10% off, which brings the two plans to $2.69 and $3.59 per month.
The free domain also comes with Hostinger’s VPS plans, and with the AI Builder plans from Starter upward. Hostinger sells Domain Shield, a premium security add-on for domains, so check whether you need extra protection. Its domain generator uses AI to suggest available names.
Get Hostinger With Code GIZMODO
2. DreamHost: A Free Domain With WHOIS Privacy
Pros
- Free domain that comes with WHOIS privacy
- 25 websites on the Launch plan
- NVMe storage and free SSL
- Free site migration
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Free email lasts only 3 months on shared plans
- No phone support
DreamHost stands out because its free domain comes with WHOIS privacy, which many hosts sell separately. Our DreamHost review covers the company.
Launch costs $2.89/mo for the first year and renews at $10.99, and it allows 25 websites, which suits a business with several sites. Growth costs $3.99/mo and renews at $12.99. Each plan includes the free domain with privacy, NVMe storage, free SSL and free migration, so a new site owner pays little for a complete starting package.
Get a Free Domain With DreamHost
3. Bluehost: A Free Domain With WordPress Hosting
Pros
- Free domain for the first year with WordPress plans
- Recommended by WordPress.org since 2005
- Free SSL, staging and a one-click installer
- Chat support 24/7
Cons
- WHOIS privacy and email can cost extra
- Renewal prices are higher than launch prices
Bluehost is simple and beginner-friendly, and WordPress.org has recommended it since 2005. Managed WordPress plans start at $3.99/mo, and they include a free domain for the first year, free SSL, automatic updates and a one-click staging tool. The offer covers the most common extensions, such as .com, .org and .info, and it excludes some premium ones, so check the list at checkout.
The domain renews at its regular price after the first year, and WHOIS privacy is a separate purchase, so budget for both. Our Bluehost review explains every product.
See Bluehost’s WordPress Plans
4. InMotion Hosting: A Free Domain With Phone Support
InMotion Hosting includes a free domain and free SSL on its shared plans, and it gives you phone and chat support around the clock. The prices change with the term you choose, so compare the figure on the plan page. The 90-day money-back guarantee applies to terms of six months or longer, which gives you ample time to test the service. Our InMotion review has the details.
See InMotion’s Plans With a Free Domain
5. HostGator: A Free Domain on Annual Terms
HostGator gives you a free domain if you choose an annual term, and its shared plans include unmetered bandwidth and cPanel. The entry plan costs less than a monthly plan on a long term, and the domain renews at its regular price after the first year. Domain privacy is an extra, so check the price before you add it. Our HostGator review covers the plans.
Get a Free Domain With a Website Builder
Website builders are tools made to help you build a site without coding. Some of them include a free domain name for the first year, and as with hosting, the domain comes with a plan. You cannot claim the name alone, and you cannot keep it free after the first year.
1. Wix: The Best Website Builder for a Free Domain
Wix is the best builder for a free domain, since it is one of the simplest and has more than 2,000 templates and strong drag-and-drop tools. Its premium plans include a free domain for the first year on annual billing, and the offer does not cover every extension. Wix also has a permanent free plan with a wixsite.com address, which we explain below.
On annual billing, Light costs $17/mo, Core costs $29/mo, Business costs $39/mo and Elite costs $159/mo, and monthly billing costs more. We recommend Business for stores, since it adds more e-commerce tools. Wix has a 14-day money-back guarantee, and our Wix review covers the builder, its AI tools and its limits.
Get a Free Domain Name With Wix
2. Squarespace: A Design-Focused Builder With a Free Domain
Squarespace also includes a free custom domain for the first year with its annual plans, from the entry plan to the commerce plans. It is known for polished templates, e-commerce tools and an intuitive editor, and it has a 14-day free trial, so you can test the builder before you commit. We tested it in our Squarespace review. The domain renews at its regular price after the first year, so keep that cost in mind.
Free Subdomains: The No-Cost Option With Limits
If you want a website at no cost at all, you can use a free subdomain. Wix’s free plan, for example, gives you an address ending in wixsite.com, and many builders and hosting platforms do the same with their own names. A subdomain looks like yourname.wixsite.com, and you do not own it.
A free subdomain works for a hobby site, a test or a school project. It has limits: the address shows another company’s name, it looks less professional, it does not give you a custom email address, and you cannot take it with you if you move. For a business, a real domain is worth the small cost. Our guide to free web hosting covers the free options in more detail.
How to Claim Your Free Domain Name
The steps are similar at most hosts. At Hostinger, which we recommend, the process works like this, although the screens may change.
- Search for the name you want, and have two or three backups ready in case it is taken.
- Go to Hostinger through our link and choose a plan on a term of 12 months or longer.
- Enter code GIZMODO at checkout for an extra 10% off.
- Register your account, pay for the plan and confirm the order.
- Search for your domain in the domain section and register it with the free-domain offer.
- Check whether you want WHOIS privacy and extra security, and add them if you do.
- Point the domain to your site, or let the host connect it for you.
Claim Your Free Domain on Hostinger
Write down the renewal date and the renewal price, and turn on automatic renewal. An expired domain can become available for someone else to buy, so renew it on time, or a few days in advance.
Free Domain Name Offers Compared
The table below sums up the offers. Prices and conditions change often, so check the plan page before you pay.
| Provider | Entry plan | Free domain | Conditions | WHOIS privacy | After the first year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | Premium, $2.99/mo on 48 months | 1 year | Terms of 12 months or longer | Check at checkout, Domain Shield sold separately | Regular domain price |
| DreamHost | Launch, $2.89/mo for the first year | 1 year | With a shared plan | Included | Regular domain price |
| Bluehost | WordPress plans from $3.99/mo | 1 year | Common extensions only | Sold separately | Regular domain price |
| InMotion Hosting | Varies by term | 1 year | With a shared plan | Check the plan page | Regular domain price |
| HostGator | Check the plan page | 1 year | Annual terms | Sold separately | Regular domain price |
| Wix | Light, $17/mo on annual billing | 1 year | Annual premium plans | Check at checkout | Regular domain price |
| Squarespace | Check the plan page | 1 year | Annual plans | Check at checkout | Regular domain price |
The Final Verdict
There are a few honest ways to get a free domain name, and the best one is a hosting plan or a builder plan that includes a domain for the first year. You cannot get a domain free forever, and the old free registrars are gone, so plan for the renewal price from the start.
Hostinger is our top pick, because it combines a low price with fast servers and a free domain on terms of 12 months or longer, and code GIZMODO takes another 10% off. DreamHost is the best choice if you want WHOIS privacy included, Bluehost suits WordPress sites, and Wix is the best website builder if you want to design without coding. Our guide to the best web hosting services compares more providers, and our pages on cheap web hosting and shared hosting go deeper on price.
Since you need a website to go with your domain, you are not technically paying for the domain. You are paying to build and host the site, and the domain comes as part of the deal.
FAQs About Free Domain Names
Can I Get a Free Domain Name Forever?
No. Domain names always cost money, and hosts and builders give you the first year for free to attract customers. After that, you pay the regular renewal price, or you lose the domain.
What Happens to a Free Domain After the First Year?
It renews at the registrar’s regular price, and you pay that fee each year. If you do not renew, the domain expires and goes offline, and it can later become available for someone else to buy. Turn on automatic renewal and note the date.
Does a Free Domain Include WHOIS Privacy?
It depends on the provider. WHOIS privacy hides your name, address and email from public records, and some hosts include it, as DreamHost does, while others sell it separately. It is not essential, but it helps if you want to avoid spam and snoopers.
Can I Transfer a Free Domain to Another Provider?
Yes, with a registrar that follows normal rules, once the registration is complete. Most registrars lock a new domain for 60 days, so you cannot transfer it during that period. Free domains from the old Freenom system were different, because you did not truly own them.
Is Freenom Still Free?
No. Freenom paused free registrations and lost its ICANN accreditation, and after it announced its exit, millions of domains stopped working. It has returned only with paid domains, and we do not recommend building a business on that kind of domain.
Does a Free Domain Include Email?
Not always. Some plans include a few mailboxes for a year, and others sell email separately. If you need business email on your own domain, our guide to small business hosting compares the email options.