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Free domain name: what’s real and what’s a trap
A free domain name that you truly own forever doesn’t really exist. The realistic options are a domain free for the first year with a hosting plan, a free subdomain from a website builder or service, or a student pack. Otherwise, a cheap .com from a registrar that sells close to cost is the safest long-term choice; the table below compares prices.
Free for the first year with hosting
Many hosting companies include a free domain name for the first year when you buy a hosting plan, usually on a longer term. It is a genuine offer, but the domain renews at the normal price from year two, and the hosting plan itself often renews higher too. Hostinger, for example, lists a free .cloud domain for one year with its game server plans, according to its plan page.
Before accepting, check three things: the renewal price of the domain, whether WHOIS privacy is free, and whether you can transfer the domain out easily if you leave the host. After registration a domain usually can’t move to another registrar for 60 days.
Free subdomains
A subdomain looks like yourname.someplatform.com. Website builders, blog platforms, static hosts such as GitHub Pages or Cloudflare Pages, and dynamic DNS services give these away for free.
For a portfolio, a test or a hobby project, a free subdomain is perfectly fine. For a business it is weak: it looks less professional, you can’t take it with you if you change platform, and email on it is rarely possible. Think of it as a starting point, not a home.
Registrar prices
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| Provider | .com 1st year / Renewal | .ai 1st year / Renewal | .io 1st year / Renewal | .net 1st year / Renewal | .dev 1st year / Renewal | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spaceship | $8.88Renewal: $9.98 | $79.98Renewal: $79.98 | $31.98Renewal: $51.75 | $11.20Renewal: $11.20 | $8.28Renewal: $12.42 | See plan → |
| Dynadot | $10.88Renewal: $10.88 | $85.60Renewal: $85.60 | $28.89Renewal: $53.50 | $12.52Renewal: $12.52 | $8.00Renewal: $12.50 | See plan → |
| Porkbun | $11.08Renewal: $11.08 | $82.70Renewal: $82.70 | $28.12Renewal: $51.80 | $12.52Renewal: $12.52 | $8.75Renewal: $12.87 | See plan → |
| OVHcloud Domains | $9.20Renewal: $14.69 | - | $35.82Renewal: $62.69 | - | $9.91Renewal: $17.19 | See plan → |
| Name.com | $12.99Renewal: $17.99 | - | $53.99Renewal: $79.99 | $16.49Renewal: $19.99 | - | See plan → |
| Namecheap | $11.28Renewal: $18.48 | $89.98Renewal: $115 | $34.98Renewal: $75.98 | $12.48Renewal: $18.58 | $10.98Renewal: $20.98 | See plan → |
| Hostinger Domains | -Renewal: $19.99 | $89.99Renewal: - | $31.99Renewal: $74.99 | - | $9.99Renewal: - | See plan → |
| IONOS Domains | $1.00Renewal: $20.00 | $80.00Renewal: $120 | $40.99Renewal: $90.00 | $1.00Renewal: $20.00 | - | See plan → |
1st year / Renewal · yr · USD
Student and developer packs
Education programs, such as student developer packs from large tech companies, sometimes include a free domain for a year along with cloud credit and tools. If you are a student, check what your school email unlocks. As with hosting bundles, the domain renews at the normal price after the free period.
Set a reminder for the end of the free year. Decide in advance whether the project is worth keeping; if it is, renew or transfer the domain in time, because an expired name can be picked up by someone else once the registry releases it.
What happened to Freenom and “free forever” domains
For years Freenom handed out free .tk, .ml, .ga, .cf and .gq domains. In 2023 it stopped new free registrations, leaving many people who relied on those names looking for a new home. That story shows the core problem with “free forever” domains: you don’t really own them. The provider can take the name back, park ads on it or shut down, and everything you built on it goes with it.
Be careful with sites that still promise free domains with no strings attached. They may reclaim popular names, show ads on your domain, or make it hard to transfer out. Free endings are also often blocked by spam filters, which hurts email and search visibility.
The cheapest legit alternative
If you want a name you own, register it at a registrar that sells at or close to cost, with free WHOIS privacy and a renewal price close to the first-year price. A .com costs little per year and stays yours as long as you renew it. Check the name in our domain search, then compare first-year and renewal prices in the table below.
- Pick a common ending such as .com or your country ending, not the cheapest first-year promo
- Make sure WHOIS privacy is included
- Turn on auto-renew so you don’t lose the name by accident
- Keep the domain at a registrar separate from your hosting if you may switch hosts
Check .com, .ai, .io and more in one goTry the tool →
Questions people ask
Can I get a free domain name forever?
Not reliably. Free-forever domains can be taken back or shut down, as Freenom showed in 2023. A cheap domain you renew each year is the only name you truly control.
How do I get a free domain for my website?
Take a hosting plan that includes a free domain for the first year, use a free subdomain from your website builder, or check a student developer pack.
Does Freenom still give free domains?
No. Freenom stopped new free registrations of .tk, .ml and similar endings in 2023.
Is a free domain bad for SEO?
A free subdomain can rank, but you don’t own it and can’t move it. Free endings with a spammy reputation can hurt trust. For a serious site, a registered domain is worth the small yearly cost.