While a website is not necessary for every business, it’s crucial to have one. And you can typically get your hands on one with little effort and cost by registering a domain name in demand. Are you getting ready to launch a new website? The first step in this procedure is finding and registering a domain name. Of course, if you’ve never done it before, it may be a little perplexing. Fortunately, registering a domain name is simple and free. That’s correct. It is not necessary to pay to register a domain. There are several options for obtaining a free domain name for your new website. This post will teach you how to receive a free environment whether you’re launching a blog, an online portfolio, a tiny personal website, or a company website.
Using Bluehost to Get a Free Domain Name
- Your hosting package includes a free domain name.
- Support is available by phone and chats 24 hours a day, seven days a
- Money-back guarantee for 30 days
- Domain hosting at a low cost
The most straightforward approach to receiving a free domain is via Bluehost. You’ll also need to host your website online and a domain name. On our list of the best web hosting companies, Bluehost comes on top. You’ll receive a free domain when you sign up for Bluehost hosting. You’re effectively killing two birds with one stone, one of which is still alive.
I’ll guide you through how to acquire a free domain name with Bluehost step by step.
Step 1: Go to Bluehost.com.
The first step is to go to Bluehost’s official website. When you arrive, you’ll see a variety of menu navigation possibilities. For example, “Domains” is written on one of the menus.
- Do NOT go to the “Domains” page.
You won’t obtain your domain for free if you go this method. So instead, choose “Hosting” from the drop-down option.
Bluehost provides three distinct web hosting options:
- Hosting on a shared server
- Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting
- Hosting on a dedicated server
All of them come with a one-year free domain. Hosting on a shared server is the best option for most people. This is especially true if you’re starting a website from scratch. The other hosting types are more expensive and provide resources you likely won’t need right now.
Step 2: Pick a Web Hosting Package
We must now choose a hosting package.
Bluehost offers a few different Hosting on a shared server plan. Here’s a look at the other price points for each of those plans:
Here’s what goes into each plan, as well as what you could get:
Basic
- Host a single website with a storage capacity of 50 GB.
- Bandwidth with no limits
- SSL certificate for free
- There are five parked domains and twenty-five subdomains.
Plus
- With unlimited storage, you may host an infinite number of websites.
- There are no limits on the number of domains, parked domains, or subdomains you may have.
- Experts in spam
- For 30 days, you may use Office 365 Mailbox for free.
Option Plus
- Websites and storage are both infinite.
- Domain security and privacy
- CodeGuard Basic Site Backup
Pro
- Sites and storage are both unlimited.
- 2 Experts in spam
- Exceptional performance
- Dedicated Internet Protocol (IP)
My recommendation is to go with the Basic plan.
For most of you reading this, it’s more than enough. Plus, you can switch to a different plan when your website grows. See our whole Bluehost web hosting review for more information on these plans.
Regardless matter the plan you pick, you’ll receive a free domain name for a year.
Step 3: Decide on a domain name.
You’ll be led to the following page after choosing a hosting plan:
You have three choices from here:
- First, make a new domain name.
- Use a domain that already exists (that you already own)
- Later, create an environment.
Do you already have a domain name in mind? Then, in the box on the left side of the screen, look for it.
Bluehost provides a variety of domain extensions, including:
- .com
- .online
- .site
- .webspace
- .space
- .tech
- .store
- .blog
- .net
- .org
- .info
- .co
- .biz
- .us
- .club
In most cases, the a.com domain is the only one I propose. However, there are two reasons you can choose a different domain extension: cost and availability.
A.site or. The Tech domain is less expensive than the a.com domain. However, in this scenario, you’ll receive a year for free.
Aside from the cost,.com, domains are better for your website’s long-term performance.
If the.com domain is unavailable, individuals may consider using an alternate extension. If you attempt to create a name with quicksprout.com, for example, Bluehost will offer you the following warning:
Instead of choosing one of the alternative extensions listed below, you should create an entirely new.com domain. Review our article on how to acquire a domain name for additional information on domain selection.
Step 4: Make a User Account
Select an available domain. After that, you’ll be asked to establish a Bluehost account.
You may skip the domain registration and proceed straight to this stage, as described before. When you finally register it, you’ll still receive a free domain.
The account creation process is as simple as it gets. First, fill in the needed information in the form blanks.
All of this is quite normal. On practically every website’s checkout page, you’ll be required to fill out the same information.
Without a Bluehost account, you won’t be able to receive a free domain.
Step 5: Decide on your payment terms.
Now is the moment to make your decision.
Bluehost provides 12-, 24-, and 36-month web hosting contracts. The cost varies depending on the duration of your contract.
The following are the prices for Bluehost’s entry-level shared plan:
- $4.95 per month for a 12-month subscription ($59.40 total)
- $3.95 per month for 24 months ($94.80 total)
- $2.75 each month for 36 months ($99 total)
These prices are only good for the first contract you sign. With a 36-month plan, Bluehost Basic renews for $8.99 each month. Renewal is $9.99 for the 12-month program.
The 36-month contract offers the most significant overall pricing, but it also demands the most upfront payment when you sign up. This is just a question of personal taste. Some individuals would rather pay a higher price to avoid being locked into a long-term contract. Others are willing to spend a little more now to get the most excellent bargain over the next three years.
Step 6: Choose your add-ons. (Optional)
Bluehost offers a few extras that you may want to consider before entering your financial information and signing the contract.
Get Domain security and privacy. Trust me. Without it, your personal information will be listed on a public database.
This includes your name, phone number, mailing address, and email address. So anyone, including spammers, can access it. With Domain security and privacy, this information is hidden from public view.
The rest of the add-ons are optional. You may also enroll in CodeGuard Basic. It takes care of daily backups, automatic monitoring, and version restorations with a single click. Other means, such as WordPress plugins, are also available to access these functionalities. So please don’t feel obligated to acquire it right away.
Another popular add-on is SiteLock Security Essential. It includes further malware protection, blocklist monitoring, automatic malware eradication, file-level scanning, etc.
Again, use a different website builder. You can always add this additional protection afterward using a plugin (if you want to construct your site using WordPress, which is relatively straightforward) or another service.
The last step is to submit your payment information. Bluehost accepts credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express) and PayPal payments.
Your hosting account will be set up after you agree to the terms of service, and you’ll get a free domain name for a year.
Bluehost offers a money-back guarantee of 30 days. If you change your mind within that period, you may obtain a full refund on your hosting charges.
Other Options for Obtaining a Free Domain Name
While Bluehost is the most incredible option for getting a free domain name, it isn’t the only one. There are a few free options for obtaining a domain name listed below.
Make use of a no-cost subdomain.
Subdomains are available from several website builders.
A subdomain is a personal domain included inside a more meaningful domain name. A domain name it’s a domain name inside a domain name (yo dawg).
For example, if you design your website using a free website builder like Wix, you won’t have to pay for a domain. Your site will, however, have a subdomain in the following format:
yourusername.wixsite.com/yoursiteaddress
If your Wix login were “My Stunning Website 123” and the domain you wanted was “my blog site,” it would look like this.
This isn’t ideal. A domain like this belongs to no trustworthy website. I’d recommend utilizing this technique for an accessible environment if you’re trying out the website builder’s free features. However, in the long run, this isn’t a realistic approach.
Why? Your domain name should be simple and easy to remember. It’s neither of those things with a subdomain. Another generic domain with a long list of letters for your buyer to memorize (or forget). Furthermore, it demonstrates to others that you are unwilling to spend on a legitimate domain name. Automatically, no.
Another popular choice for a free subdomain is WordPress. It isn’t quite as intrusive as Wix.
The following is the format for a free WordPress subdomain:
yoursitename.wordpress.com
If you’re using WordPress to operate a tiny blog or personal site, you can get away with it for a time. However, if you want to build online authority, you’ll ultimately want to do rid of the subdomain.
Pay for a Site Builder Premium Plan.
In the same line as before, you may not have to settle for the free subdomain if you construct a site using Wix (or Squarespace, Zyro, or most of our other suggested website builders).
What’s the catch? Your website builder will want you to upgrade to a premium subscription.
For other people, this may not be a viable option. A premium site builder package will not just negate the savings of a free domain—it will almost certainly cost you more. Furthermore, any funds are lost after a year.
However, if you’re launching an ecommerce site or anything else that requires the extra capabilities of a premium Wix or Squarespace plan, this might be a way to save money in the first year.
Fortunately, even Wix’s ($14/month) and Squarespace’s ($12/month) entry-level premium plans have this benefit. Unfortunately, in the case of Zyro, you’ll need to go with the Unleashed plan (the second most affordable) or above. Fortunately, Zyro’s premium programs are often discounted for the first year.
However, do your homework on how much these domains will cost to renew. You don’t want to be trapped with a terrible bargain that eats up your first year’s free savings and costs more than simply paying for a domain from the beginning.
Advertisement Programs at Domain Registrars (Not Recommended)
Some domain registrars may provide you with a free domain in return for putting advertisements on your site.
This should not be done.
Ads on your website are perfectly acceptable. This strategy, however, gives you no control over the adverts and their placement. This will not only degrade your website’s user experience but will also harm your SEO ranking.
What if your website received a million visitors? Those advertisements wouldn’t bring you any money. So instead, you receive a free domain.
If you wish to display advertisements on your website, choose a reputable advertising network like Google. Don’t trade advertisements for a free domain.
Services with a free ccTLD (Not Recommended)
Several unrestricted TLD (top-level domain) services are available for various country codes (cc). This is the extension that follows your domain name.
As a result, you may register a domain with country codes such as:
- Tokelau (.tk)
- Mali (.ml)
- Gabon (.ga) is a country in Africa.
- Central African Republic (.cf)
- Equatorial Guinea (.gq)
These may be obtained using services such as Freenom or Dok.tk.
However, I strongly advise against it.
This makes your website seem shady, but it is also unpopular. If you search for reviews of these services on the internet, you’ll only discover negative feedback. Furthermore, you won’t have a good time with harmful adverts, pornographic material, and the domain being removed randomly.
Conclusion
The most straightforward approach to receiving a free domain name is via Bluehost. Sign up for a hosting web package, and you’ll get a one-year free domain. Employing a free subdomain, joining an affiliate scheme, or using a shady ccTLD service are all options for avoiding paying for an environment. However, I would not endorse the bulk of the alternatives. Think again if you’re considering acquiring a free part with a random country code from some South Pacific island. The expense of operating a spammy website isn’t worth saving a few bucks. Instead, stick with Bluehost or look for paid options among the finest domain registrars. They’ll provide a professional touch to your website and brand. The importance of first impressions cannot be overstated. You don’t want a terrible domain name to destroy yours.
- Your hosting package includes a free domain name.
- Support is available by phone and chats 24 hours a day, seven days a
- Money-back guarantee for 30 days
- Domain hosting at a low cost
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