How to get a free domain name?
Are you ready to launch a new website?
Finding and registering a domain name is the first step in this process.
The first question that arises is whether to choose a free domain name or purchase one?
For those of you who have never taken this step before, I understand that it can be a little intimidating. You may not know where to start. At the same time, you may hesitate to spend money: for the purchase of a domain name, among other things.
The good news is that you are not required to pay to register a domain name. There are actually several ways to get a domain name for free. In fact, this is valid for all projects: creating a blog, an online portfolio, a personal website, a professional website...
In this guide, I will show you my tips for getting a free domain name.
1. Use Bluehost for a free domain name
Free domain name included in your hosting plan
24/7 phone and chat support
30-day money-back guarantee
Sorry, but there is no text provided for translation Try for free
Bluehost is the best way to get a free domain name, but with one condition: you will have to host your website there. I have already had the opportunity to write an article about this. I mentioned that day thatBlueHost ranks at the top of the list when it comes tothe best web hosting providers.
Now, I will guide you step by step through the process of obtaining a free domain name with Bluehost.
Step 1: Go to Bluehost.com
Once you are on their website, look at the menu and choose the category: domain. But: DO NOT CLICK ON IT.
It's a common mistake. I understand very well that it seems like a logical place to find their free domain name service. However, by choosing this method, you will not get a free domain name.
I advise you to go to the "Accommodation" category instead. I illustrate it very well in the following photo:
Bluehost offers three different types of web hosting: shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. All of these types of hosting come with a free domain name for one year.
If you are launching a new website from scratch and are interested in a free domain name, shared hosting will be the best option for you. Other types of hosting are more expensive and offer resources that you probably won't need right now.
Step 2: Choose a web hosting plan containing one free domain name
Bluehost offers four different shared hosting plans. Here is an overview of the different prices for each of them:
For each plan, here are the features:
Basic
Hosting a website with 50 GB of storage
Unmeasured bandwidth
Free SSL certificate
Five domain names and 25 subdomains
Plus
Host unlimited websites with unlimited storage capacity
Unlimited domain names, domains, and subdomains
Experts in spam
Free Office 365 mailbox for 30 days
Choice Plus
Unlimited websites and unlimited storage
Domain name privacy and protection
Website Backup - CodeGuard Basic
Professional
Unlimited websites and storage
2 spam experts
High performance
Dedicated IP
If you are new to the web industry, basic hosting is the best option. Later on, as your site grows, you will always have the option to upgrade to a higher offer.
Here again, you will get a free domain name for one year, regardless of the plan chosen.
Step 3: Choose a free domain name
After choosing a hosting plan, you will be redirected to this page:
You will have 3 options:
Create a new domain name
Use an existing domain name (that you already own)
Create a domain name later
Suppose you already know which domain name you want. In this case, enter it in the bar on the left side of the screen. Bluehost offers domain names with different extensions, including:
.com
.ch
.fr
.io
.online
Website
. Web space
.space
.tech
.store
Blog
.net
.org
.info
.co
.biz
. United States
.club
Unless you have a specific reason, it is best to choose the .com domain (especially if you plan to continue your online business for a long time). In general, people choose other extensions because of the price, the country they are targeting, or the availability of the domain name.
The extensions like .site or .tech are cheaper.
In case the domain name with a .com extension is not available, I suggest choosing another available domain name. For more informationTips on how to choose an effective domain name, you'd better read my other guide on this topic. However, if you are starting a business that focuses on a specific market such as Switzerland or France, you can opt for .ch or .fr.
Step 4: Create your account
If you do not already have a BlueHost account, you will be invited to create one. Otherwise, you will not be able to get a free domain name.
So, creating an account is very simple. Just fill in the fields of the form with the required information.
All of this is pretty standard. You will be asked to fill out the same information on the registration (and payment) page of almost every website.
Step 5: Choose your billing terms
On this same registration page, you will be asked to choose the terms of your plan. The price varies depending on the duration of the contract, with contracts available for 12, 24, and 36 months.
Here are the prices for Bluehost's entry-level shared hosting plan:
12 months plan - $5.95 per month ($71.40 total)
24 month subscription - $4.95 per month ($118.80 in total)
Base 36 months - 3.95 per month (142.20 in total)
These rates are only valid for your first contract. Bluehost Basic renews at $7.99 per month.
The 36-month contract gives you the best price, but it requires you to pay the highest amount at the time of registration. It all depends on your preference. Some people, for example, prefer to pay more to avoid a long-term contract, while others do not like this alternative.
Step #6: Select additional features (optional)
Before entering your payment details and finalizing the contract, Bluehost offers you a series of additional options that you may consider.
At a minimum, I recommend the option for protection and privacy of your domain name for free. Without this, your personal information will be listed in a public database. If you use WordPress, I invite you to read my guide on the subject: the WordPress security plugins to install on your site.
Here are the information to protect: name, phone number, postal address, and email address.
Spammers will be happy to harvest them if they are not hidden.
Regarding CodeGuard Basic, it handles daily backups, automatic monitoring, and one-click version restores. While these features are available through other methods, such as WordPress plugins. For more information, I recommend reading my other article on the main WordPress plugins to installTherefore, do not feel obligated to get it now.
SiteLock Security Essential is another popular add-on. It provides additional protection against malware, blacklisting monitoring, automatic malware removal, file-level analysis, etc.
Once again, you can always obtain this additional security later on by using a plug-in or another service.
The final step is to enter your payment information. Bluehost allows you to pay with credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express) or PayPal.
Once you have accepted the terms of service, your hosting account will be set up and you will have a free domain name for one year.
Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you can get a full refund of your hosting fees if you change your mind during this period.
Other ways to get a free domain name
If Bluehost is the best way to get a free domain name, it's not the only one. I will show you some alternative methods to get a free domain name.
1. Use a free subdomain
Many website creators and other services offer free subdomains.
For example, if you use a free website builder like Wix to create your site, you won't have to pay anything for a domain name. However, your site will have a subdomain in this format:
yourusername.wixsite.com/yoursiteaddress
Here's what it would look like if your Wix username was "My Stunning Website 123" and the domain name you wanted was "myblogsite".
This is obviously not ideal. No credible website has a domain name like this. The only case where I would consider using this method is when experimenting with free features of the website builder. In any case, this is not a viable long-term strategy.
WordPress is another popular option for a free subdomain. But it is not as powerful as Wix.
The format for a free WordPress subdomain is as follows:
votrenom.wordpress.com
You can get by for a while if you use WordPress to manage a small blog or personal website. However, you will eventually give up if you want to build an online reputation.
2. Advertising programs for domain name registration websites free not recommended
There are many domain registration sites that will give you a free domain name in exchange for displaying ads on your website. It's a good idea, but I don't think it's the best way to go about it.
You will have no control over the ads and where they will be placed on your page. Not only will the visitor experience be hindered, but it will also harm your ranking in search engines.
What if your website was visited a million times? You won't even get a penny from those ads. Your share is only limited to your free domain name.
If you want my opinion, use Google for advertising on your website; it is legitimate. Do not exchange ads for a free domain name.
ccTLD services for a free domain name (not recommended)
The web is full of free TLD (top-level domain) services for different country codes (cc). This is the extension that follows your free domain name.
You can therefore register your free domain name with country codes such as:
.tk – Tokelau
.ml - Mali
.ga - Gabon
.cf - Central African Republic
.gq - Equatorial Guinea
You can get them from services like Freenom or Dok.tk. But I strongly advise against it.
Saying that it is a simplistic way to get a free domain name is an understatement. If you look at the reviews on the web about these services, you will only find criticisms.
You will be a victim of malicious ads on your website. I strongly advise against using this type of free domain name.
Conclusionthe best solution to obtaina free domain name
Bluehost is the best way to get a free domain name. Just subscribe to a web hosting plan, and they will give you a free domain name for one year.
There are other ways to avoid paying for a domain name, such as using a free subdomain or joining an affiliate program. But personally, I would not recommend the majority of these two options to get a free domain name.
If you are thinking of obtaining a free domain name using a random country code from a South Pacific island, it is also not a good idea. Saving a few pennies is absolutely not worth it.
Stay with Bluehost, or check out thebest domain registration officesfor paid alternatives..