Many webmasters spend more time and money on searching for a WordPress theme than on the domain names for their websites. We learned this from our many years of experience with customers and certainly, it’s not necessarily the best approach. Take into account that people remember your business based on the domain name and not on the theme used. The domain name is one of the pillars of your marketing strategy, so don’t rush to make a decision. Single out the domain name after you weigh out all the possibilities.
Don’t ever ignore the WordPress theme of your site, but also focus on domain names. This guide is everything you need to know about getting an ear-candy domain name for free! Yeah, you can get interesting domain names for free by choosing a proper hosting provider. Not only is it free, but the following hosting providers help you to search for and find the best domain name for your business. Check the offering of each of the below recommendations and get your domain name for free!
Bluehost
If you chose any plans of the shared, dedicated, or WordPress hosting you get a domain name for free for one year. You are free to choose traditional domain extensions like .com, org, or .co.uk, but also new ones like .online, .site, .store, .biz, .info, .tech, or .club. The sky is the limit under these circumstances. Supposing that you request a refund you have to pay the regular price for the domain name.
It’s hard to believe that Bluehost hosting won’t satisfy your needs. The plans cover all the needs – from a simple personal blog to complex online stores or magazine news. All plans include free Cloudflare CDN and a free SSL certificate. While the former option delivers the site to the users faster, the latter makes it more secure. Bluehost’s website builder is a solid reason to purchase its services – it’s a visual builder (no code required), WordPress compatible, and its AI-driven templates are excellent. The users’ panel is user-friendly and intuitive, so managing your Bluehost website is simple and enjoyable.
DreamHost
Another convenient place to find ear-candy-free domains is Dreamhost. This offer is valid for all WordPress plans. If you choose to host through Dreamhost and purchase a one-year or longer commitment, you get a free domain for a year, as well as introductory prices significantly lower than the regular offer. Although the free domain can’t have the .com extension, you get many other excellent alternatives.
Like Hostinger and many other quality hosting providers, Dreamhost DOES offer a free domain name for the most performant hosting plans. You do get a free domain name for VPS and dedicated plans.
Unlike Hostinger, Dreamhost is one of the best hosting providers, and it’s mentioned and endorsed in all hosting reviews. Dreamhost isn’t only a hosting provider, but it’s also a complex hub for online entrepreneurs. In addition to different types of hosting, Dreamhost offers tools to craft websites, free consultations, email and domain hosting, enhanced security, and professional web design, SEO, and marketing services.
Dreamhost offers tons of valuable options and services to launch and run a WordPress website, so be sure to consider it for your WordPress-powered websites.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks offers a free domain name for every buyer of WordPress or standard web hosting. If you choose VPN or reseller hosting, you don’t get this deal. Also, you have to stick to at least a one-year commitment to benefit from the free domain name. The available extensions are .com, .eu, .net, .org, .info, and .biz. For established brands, you may come with your domain name. Regardless of which plan you buy, all of them come with free website migration, free WordPress install, free backup, free CDN, free SSL certificate.
GreenGeeks goes the extra mile with its eco-friendly actions – they match three times the energy consumption with renewable energy. Moreover, GreenGeeks plants a tree for every hosting plan you purchase. It may not seem like a big deal, but imagine how our planet would look if more and more companies adopted this initiative.
This mix of a green approach, free domain name, and quality hosting makes GreenGeeks the number one option for many web admins.
HostPapa
Do you want a free domain name, and you passionately care about global warming? You should take a look at HostPapa’s offers. Except VPS hosting, all HostPapa plans include a free domain name for a year with a one-year or longer commitment. You don’t get restrictions for particular domain names like .com or .net. Yeah, you can get a .com domain name, as long as it’s not used by someone else! However, you shouldn’t cancel the HostPapa services to benefit from the free domain. Otherwise, you should pay the regular price for that domain name.
HostPapa isn’t as well-known as Hostinger or Dreamhost, but its hosting services deserve your full attention. HostPapa is a pioneer in the vital quest to provide green hosting. Check their website to learn more about how HostPapa buys green energy and how you can get involved in preserving our planet. HostPapa invites all clients to place a banner on their websites informing that the host uses 100% green energy.
Besides the green initiative, HostPapa comes with attractive plans for any project. Even the cheapest plan includes a free SSL certificate, free website migration, and free Cloudflare CDN. Besides, it allows hosting two websites, whereas the majority of competitors only allow one.
Namecheap
Namecheap prides itself on outstanding customer experiences and working with the client. Namecheap has excellent service and support that sets them apart from the competition. Perhaps you are not the most technically savvy individual, and the idea of trying to shift your hosting over from another company is intimidating. Don’t worry! We can help you with a free domain for a WordPress website.
Namecheap currently has a campaign where you can get a free .website domain. All you have to do is purchase hosting from then. You can get that for less than $2 a month, so it’s as close as it gets to be a free website.
Free Domains with Namecheap
If you are looking to register a domain name, why not check out Namecheap? They will let you choose your domain name as long as it is not already taken, and they are a leading domain registrar with low prices and excellent service. There is a wide variety of domains that you can choose from, and they also offer a tool that lets you quickly type in a possible name for a website to see if another person or company has already taken it.
Maybe you already have to host through another company such as Bluehost or GoDaddy? That is not an issue. You can quickly move your hosting and your new domain name over from other hosts and get set up with Namecheap efficiently and promptly.
Namecheap Will Guide You
Namecheap has years of experience working with customers who may not understand all of the digital world’s intricacies. They will be more than happy to walk you through each step to show you how easy it is to register a new domain name that comes with your hosting package or shift a site over from a competitor.
Not only that, but Namecheap also offers a market for domain names. Maybe you have your heart set on a particular word that was already taken. Check the marketplace and see if the domain is up for sale. At the same time, maybe you are looking to sell off your part. That can also be done through the marketplace, which is easy and intuitive to use. Check out Namecheap today! You can get a great domain name through them, and customer service will walk you through each step of hosting to have a great experience. When your first month is just $1, Namecheap is excellent for a managed WordPress site, and you get a free domain with the website extension.
Hostinger
Hostinger is a good option if you are looking for a free domain name. Excluding the cheapest plan, you get a free domain name for a year by purchasing hosting from Hostinger. Be it shared, WordPress, or cloud hosting, you get a free domain name. All you have to do is buy a suitable plan for your WordPress project and select the domain you want for your website.
Be aware that the domain name is only free for a year, and you will pay the regular renewal rate after the expiration date. Moreover, you can’t register .com domains. Yet, you have at your disposal a plethora of other cool extensions like .online, .tech, .store, .website, .press, .fun, .info, .net, and so on.
Hostinger is the ideal solution for looking for quality hosting and a free domain name at affordable prices. Although Hostinger has rarely reached the top 3 or top 5 positions, it’s mentioned in all top 10 reviews or hosting comparisons. Of course, you don’t get top-class services, but there’s no doubt that Hostinger is a reliable solution for small businesses, online stores, blogs, portfolios, and creative projects.
The competitive prices for new clients and the solid set of services and options make Hostinger’s offer unbeatable. In addition to a free domain name, you get free SSL and hosting for custom emails.
iPage
iPage highlights that a free domain name is the first step to building a solid online presence. Whether you go for web or WordPress hosting, you get a free domain name for a year. You don’t have restrictions about the extensions for your domain name. There are many .com domains available for your brand-new site. The search system is user-friendly, and even less-experienced users may find the needed domain in no time. Besides, the domain name suggestions are a genuine help to users who haven’t decided about the site’s domain name.
iPage positioned itself as the place where you get “everything you need to get online” instead of a standard hosting company. Indeed, its services and products are enough to create a solid online business. Be it a simple blog to a complex online store, iPage has all you need. WordPress hosting includes unlimited storage and bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, pre-installed themes and plugins, multiple shopping carts, and traffic analytics. So it’s no doubt that iPage might be a good partner for your next online business.
Inmotion Hosting
Inmotion Hosting doesn’t make it clear on its website that they offer a free domain name for every new purchaser. Altogether, they offer a domain for free to anyone who chooses a one- or two-year plan. You get not only a free domain name for a year but many other vital features such as no-downtime transfer, unlimited email accounts, and bandwidth, free WordPress site builder, and enhanced security. Remember that your selected domain name is accessible only for a year, even if you stick to a two- or three-year commitment.
Inmotion Hosting is developer-friendly – it has many configurable options that offer developers more freedom. It offers a large variety of services – from cheap shared plans to private cloud hosting. Additionally, it has multiple pricing plans to fit every budget. Overall, the prices are higher than those of competitors, but the hosting performance is superior.
Free Domains and Pitfalls
Some people might see free domains advertised on the internet and be tempted to try these out. As we stated at the outset of this article, a few things in life are truly free, with no strings attached. Companies will give you a free domain name, but they are profiting from you in other ways. For example, a web hosting company will provide you with a free domain name since hosting a site with them. However, they are making their money from the hosting fee and then rolling it into the overall price tag.
Other websites will promise a free domain, but this comes with strings attached. To fully understand why it would not be desirable for a business website, we must consider a fully qualified domain name with two parts. First, there is the top-level domain, and then the subdomains are associated with it. How do you know if you are looking at a top-level domain? Letters included after the “dot” will tell you that you are currently looking at the top level. You might see extensions such as .com, .net, or even .de for websites located in Germany and .ge for websites found in the country of Georgia. These are examples of your top-level when you see .com and .net.
What About .tk?
Many will point out that you can get a domain with an extension .tk for free. Why not try an option like this? First, we should cover what this is. The extension is for Tokelau. You are free to sign up if you are a small business or just a regular user. When you get a domain with them, there are some restrictions on the content you post. Anything that infringes on copyright would not be allowed. On top of this, you need to have steady traffic as well to maintain your domain. They don’t want somebody to sign up and then park their WordPress site on here permanently. You need to be working on the site and trying to improve actively. Then you can keep your domain with the small area of Tokelau.
So are there advantages to trying to use .tk with your WordPress site? You have the option of joining a network they call TiKinet. They set this up to try and increase your traffic to your page. If you have no way of advertising your page, you could go with this option. When you are searching for a free domain, that is often the case that you would not have money for advertising.
If you want a particular .tk domain, you would need to buy it. They will give you a paid domain for under twenty dollars in the US, and that will cover your first two years. Are people using this service? Should you put your WordPress site on a .tk site? Well, the stats show you over 31 million registered domain names. China which has the extension of .cn, has 16 million users. From this data alone, it is clear that many people are working with .tk wings.
Revenue from people that pay for special domains makes up a sixth of the income for the small island nation. That is a staggering number. So it is clear that people use the island nation to make money, and it is a great relationship.
WordPress And .tk
The .tk extension with the small set of islands is not the only one that promises a free domain that you won’t need to pay for. There are several options out there that you can utilize that are similar. What are the downsides, though, when you are starting a business? Many entrepreneurs will think this is a great way to try out various business ideas with no upkeep and zero ongoing cost. Is that accurate?
In reality, you want to avoid a .tk extension. It would be better to pursue a free extension through a dependable host. Back in 2006, when they researched sites with Tokelau, they had double the unwanted behavior you would expect. This included scams such as phishing for personal data and generating spam to advertise things like prescription pills. Do you want to use a domain that is going to be associated with something like this?
If you start up a business and are trying to brand yourself as worthy of trust, you will have difficulty convincing new users to work with your WordPress site and your business. A report put out in 2011 by an Anti Phishing group found that these domains were responsible for almost a quarter of all the phishing attacks around the globe. This is because the scammers are not putting up their hard-earned money. Instead, they are trying to find a loophole that will allow them to get free hosting and a domain to commit crimes.
In the end, you may feel like you are saving money when trying to go with one of these extensions, but it will hurt your site in the long run. You need to view your website as an investment. If you are unwilling to put forward the money to get a free domain from a reputable host, it will cost you your reputation later. Don’t spend hours writing articles and building up your SEO for a domain that will leave customers wary. It is better to use an average company such as Bluehost or Namecheap from the start.
An Investment
Instead of using strange extensions for a free domain, it is better to follow our guide so that you will be working with companies you can trust. By using our step-by-step guide, we go over exactly what you need to accomplish so that you can get a business started with little to no initial investment. So read on, and we will go over the steps so you can take advantage of this deal.
Step By Step: How To Get A Free Domain
You don’t need any preparation to get a domain; you only need to know that you cannot get a free domain for an existing server. Instead, you’ll have to buy hosting together with your free domain. Getting a domain for free is super simple if you follow this guide.
- Click on one of the hosting companies above, such as HostGator.
- Click Claim Free Domain and choose your hosting plan.
- Follow the steps and complete the checkout.
- Install WordPress and set up your website
That’s it; then you’re done! Getting a free domain doesn’t take much more than a few minutes. It’s different from week to week which domain extensions they’re giving away for free. Some weeks they don’t give any away either.
We’ll keep updating this guide whenever the hosting companies update how you can claim free domains through them.
Free Domains Pros
In this part of the article, we’ll go through the upsides of getting a free domain for your website. You can get a free domain for any website, whether you choose Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, or other options.
- Only professional hosting services offer free domains.
- Extra value when purchasing your website hosting.
- A domain name can be a big expense.
- It’s free!
Free Domains Cons
We have talked about the pros of getting a free domain. However, there are cons, as well. You have to be aware of a few things even though you save money on your initial purchase.
- The domain is only free for the first year.
- You still have to purchase website hosting to get your domain.
- Some hosting companies have hidden fees.
Free Domain Extensions Available
It’s different from week to week, in which domain extensions are available for free. Since there are no official free domain endings besides .tk, which requires you to have many advertisements on your website that earn them money, you’ll have to check what domain extensions hosting companies are giving away for free. Following domain extensions are often offered for free by the brands we mention in this article:
- .online
- .org
- .us
- .biz
- .ca
- .com
- .company
- .shop
- .store
- .site
- .page
Can I Get Any Type Of Domain Extension For Free?
There are no official “free domain extensions”; all of them cost money. However, hosting companies offer new/existing customers a domain extension for free once in a while. At the start of this article about free domains, we listed all hosting companies that often offer free domains if you purchase one of their hosting plans. It’s important to note that when a domain is given to you for free, it simply means that the hosting company is paying for the domain.
The most common extensions available are listed in the section Free Domain Extensions Available in this article. We recommend that you look it through and wait patiently for your extensions to become free. Worst case you’ll have to pay, they usually cost $1-$20, which is okay since it’s a yearly one-time fee and not a monthly fee.
Top-level Domains
We had only six top-level domains to choose from in the past, but many more have been added now, including .biz or .photo. With a subdomain, this is the string of words, letters, and numbers in the URL. This might be Amazon, eBay, or Mcdonald’s. This subdomain will be attached to your website when you get a free domain name from another website. Why would this be undesirable?
Let’s look at another example. My name is Joe, and I want to start a business that sells fried chicken. I look at the cost for registering the name www.JoesFriedChicken.com and decide that I do not want to pay the annual fee, and instead, I want to try and get around the system with a free domain name.
In this example, Mcdonald’s will offer Joe a free domain. He is excited and quickly signs up so that the URL will look similar to this: www.Mcdonalds.com/JoesFriedChicken.com. What is the issue with this? Joe is happy because he could piggyback off the main website, and now he gets a free domain name.
A Domain Name Is a Must
The main issue with this setup will be that traffic going to Joe will not belong to him. If people visit his page, these visitors and sessions will be tallied for Mcdonald’s. If at any point, Mcdonalds decides that they do not want the competition, they can delete his page since they own the main website. Joe will also have difficulty trying to check statistics and analytics. Who are the people that are visiting his website? What are the demographics? When you own the domain name outright, it is straightforward to use Google Tag Manager to put in code snippets to see where the visitors are coming from and what they are doing on the website. When you try to piggyback off a more prominent site for free, it becomes much harder to check the analytics and see exactly how you can improve your traffic.
Get a Free domain name for Your WordPress websites
There is a famous quote that states there is no such thing as a free lunch. We all want to try and save as much as possible on our websites. Templates and themes do not come cheap on the WordPress platform when experts create them with years of experience in the industry. Plugins that can add many different functions and abilities to a website can also add up when you think about how many you need to have a professional website.
Some might be tempted to try and get a domain name for free. After all, how much does it cost to register a name when nobody else is using it? A domain name, in simple terms, is your address on the internet. You could think of it this way. The internet is a series of streets and roads that are all going to different homes and businesses. So if you want to get to a specific place, you need the address to know where you are going.
Get a Catchy Domain Name Makes It Easier for Your Customers To Find You
Similarly, your domain name is the address for your site or business. It gives people the ability to find you on the internet, and it can have a significant impact on the amount of business you get. On the other hand, a domain name is just a random string of letters and numbers put together that won’t be memorable. It will be hard for customers to think of where they can find you on the internet. For example, if you saw a website named www.scy43iond9.com, would you be able to recall that later on in the day if you wanted to purchase something from them? Probably not.
What would be a good domain name to choose from instead? A better way to keep yourself foremost in potential customers’ minds will be a domain name such as www.dogtreats.com if you sell snacks for dogs. Maybe you are an accountant or CPA that helps people prepare their taxes. An appropriate name might be www.YourCPA.com or www.YourAccountant.com. Both of these get across the idea of your business and what you can offer. In addition, these domain names would be easy for people to remember later on, even if they didn’t get a business card from you or write down the website’s name.
Domain Name Importance
Many companies will carefully consider their domain name before they launch. This is for many reasons. Your domain name is a piece of digital real estate that you control. As long as you continue to renew your right to the name, another competitor can not take it away from you. Competitors also can not start up a similar site with the same name to try and take customers away from you. A competitor might start a site with a similar name, but you will always control your domain name as long as you pay the fee.
The online world is already crowded with companies and, each day brings more websites and traffic to the internet. Even in a vast sea of other websites, though, a website that has built up a reputation over the years will stand out over other companies. Think of famous websites such as ebay.com or Amazon.com. These domain names are simple and easy to remember. When people hear these names, it automatically brings images and ideas to their minds. A domain name can do this for your business as well. A well-chosen name and good marketing can help your domain name stand out in the crowd.
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