5+ Ways to Get a Domain For Free in 2024 that Work!
Names.co.uk free domain offer had been running for a while now and is one of the few ways to get hold of a UK domain name absolutely free. This got us thinking are there other ways that you can get a free domain name without paying a penny?
Chances are you have been looking to find a free domain name for your website. Often articles will suggest signing up with ‘such or such’ web hosting provider to get a free domain name. Fine if you need web hosting too. But not ideal if you are looking for totally free domain name options.
We are going to take a look at some genuinely free ways to get a domain name without paying a penny!
How to Get a Genuinely free domain in 2024without hosting
1. Names.co.uk
As we mentioned at the start of the article, Names.co.uk is offering a totally free co.uk or .uk domain name to new customers. In our opinion, it is one of the best ways to get a quality domain name for no cost!
What’s the catch? I hear you ask! – Well, it is only free for the first year then renews at the regular rate. However, their renewal rates are still extremely competitive and come often come on top of our .co.uk comparison results.
Its worth noting that there is a limit of one discounted domain name for your account.
Unlike many other offers from companies such as Fasthosts, Godaddy, LCN etc. there is no need to purchase additional years to secure your domain name.
2. Namecheap Free .Me domains for Students
If you are a university student, then Namecheap is offing a free .Me domain name registration for students at the following eligible universities.
In addition to this, you can either claim free Github pages (for the first year), free logo design or free business cards to promote your new domain name.
Who is eligible? – The free .Me domain is only available to select universities in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. If you are not a student of one of these schools, then you cannot take part in the scheme.
3. Free .TK (also .ML / .GA / .CF / .GQ) Domain Names
Another way to get a free domain is by securing a .TK domain name for free via FreeNom. The government of Tokelau (a group of small islands in the south pacific), offered the dot.TK domain extension for free to anyone wishing to register. Promoted as “Free Domains For All” to raise awareness of Tokelau.
Are there any restrictions? – Unlike most domain names you can register between 1 and 12 months at a time (with unlimited renewals) for free. However, the registrar (you) will be the user rather than the owner.
If you want to register the name for a more extended period (1-10 years) or to receive greater ownership rights, then you can do so for a yearly fee. The royalties generated by this goes towards helping fund the island of Tokelau as well.
The above options will allow you to register your domain and host your website elsewhere if you choose to do so. But what are some other ways to get a free domain name
What are some other ways to get a Free Domain?
If you are not content in just getting a free domain name, then the following services offer a free domain with free hosting. As we are purely looking at genuinely free services – these services won’t require you to pull your wallet out of your pocket!
1. Free Domain Name with Free PHP/MSQL Hosting – Biz.NF
Sometimes a free domain is not just not enough. So if you are looking for a free domain with free hosting, then Biz.NF offers just that. You can register yourname.c1.biz and receive 1000MB of storage and 5GB of bandwidth. You will also receive 1 email address and support for PHP/MySQL.
What are the limitations? – Essentially what you are getting is a subdomain, so if you choose to move your site, you will also lose your domain name. The database size is small too (30mb) just installing WordPress will take up a third of your allocated database storage.
You do also get a site builder included, so provides you with plenty of options to get your website online.
2. Free Site Builder and Domain – Wix.com
Wix is undoubtedly one of the leaders in site builder services. However, if you know that you can get a free Wix Subdomain and unlimited site builder with them for no charge?
Website builders are a popular way to create an online presence quickly and cheaply with little or no technical knowledge.
What is a Wix Subdomain? – A subdomain is a website that is associated with another domain name. For example, mysite.wix.com will be a subdomain of Wix.com. A subdomain can work entirely independently of the main domain.
Are there limitations? – Like with any service that uses a subdomain if you choose to move your website away from Wix, you cannot take the domain with you. You are also foreced to display a Wix advert on your website.
3. Free Blog Domain Names – Blogger or WordPress.com
Much like Wix and Biz.NF, if you wanted to create a blog, you could use Blogger or WordPress.com and operate under a subdomain, i.e. yoursite.blogger.com or yoursite.wordpress.com. Both are highly versatile platforms allowing you to get your blog online for free.
How to get a Free domain with Web Hosting
As always, the easiest way to get a free domain name is to get your wallet out. Fortunately, many web hosting providers offer free domain registration with hosting on most of their plans. Some providers such as Krystal’s Ruby plan also provide free domain registration for the lifetime of the account. Others will offer the first years registration for free.
Tip: You can compare web hosting providers that offer free domain registration with hosting here.
So there you have it, you should now have some ideas on how to get a free domain name while not all options will be suitable for everyone. It provides those with little or no budget to get their website online and help it grow into something more fruitful.
We always welcome any feedback or suggestions. Maybe you used a service that we have not mentioned here or can provide others with tips on getting a free domain name for their website.