Whether your website is a personal, school, social or commercial project, having the ideal domain will allow you to share it and communicate to your users what the name is and even the purpose of that website. It is possible to register free domains for websites and here I will tell you how and where to do it.
When you decide to create a website, there comes a unique and critical moment: naming it. Doing so goes beyond choosing a fun name, which encompasses everything your page represents and its function. You will also need to register it.
In this article, I will tell you what a web domain is, where you will find domains to upload free web pagesas well as the advantages and disadvantages of using free domains. You will only have to think of a great name for that online project. Accompany me! 🚀
What is a web domain?
A Web domain is the unique alphanumeric identifier that a site receives when you activate it and it becomes part of the Internet. Initially, when creating any space on the network, it receives an identification number or IP address, which indicates where it is hosted and looks like this:
223.54.63.67
Then, the Internet uses a DNS or Domain Name Server to “translate” that number into something much more convenient for the user, which includes a suffix to classify the type of site it is and the country where it is located, and in the end it is see something like this:
cookieschokolatozas.com.mx
This name is the Web domain and every site on the internet has one to identify and stay unique. Literally, it is the address that corresponds to the web space that you create, search for or visit. Now, when creating a website, the owner or person in charge of it can give it the name they want, and this is where the web domain registration.
What is a paid web domain?
It is a name or web address that has an activation cost and a duration period. Typically, you must renew it every year. You carry out the process to activate or renew it and thus have it with a domain name registrar and, depending on its characteristics, it can cost you between $220 and $637 MXN per year.
📢Type: In our article , you will find more information about the advantages and disadvantages of paying for the name of your site. And if you dare to pay, in , we tell you how.
What is a free web domain?
There is the alternative of carrying out the same process mentioned above, but without paying for it. You get this with a domain name registrar or domain name service. hosting or web hosting, and as its name indicates, it has no cost.
Now, getting a web domain for free might seem like the ideal option, but there are pros and cons. Let’s see the most relevant:
Advantages of a free web domain
- It’s free! 😁
- It is a great option for pilot projects, test projects, essays or personal sites.
- Depending on the availability with the registrar or service of hostingit is possible to find the exact name you are looking for available.
- There are providers that offer free domains for life, when contracting their services.
- Once you have the domain name you want, you can transfer it to a paid option for added functionality, stability, and security.
Disadvantages of a free web domain
- The vast majority of free domainsactually they are not, because they depend on you being a user of a web hosting service or personalized email to maintain the privilege.
- Many of the free domains only stay free for the first year of use.
- By not paying, you do not own the name of your site and you must abide by the guidelines and restrictions of the one who “gave it to you for free”.
- The free domainsusually, they do not have the same support and that a paid domain.
- The functionality of free domains is basic or limited. You are not entitled to unlimited traffic and downloads, stability guarantees or advanced security certificates.
What is the difference between domain and hosting?
The domain is the alphanumeric address that a website has, that is, the name that you enter in the navigation bar when you want to visit it. The hosting refers to the hosting where a website or web page is stored.
If we wanted to explain it with an analogy, the hosting is the land where your house is built, while the domain is the full address where that same house is located. Simple truth? 🏠
How to get free domains for web pages?
There are several methods to obtain a free domainbut the most used are:
- Providers of hosting.
- Email services.
- Free web domain registrars.
I will briefly explain what each one consists of.
Providers of hosting
providers of hosting often offer domains to upload free web pages. Of course, it is almost always only during the first year and you necessarily need to purchase one of its packages or services to obtain this benefit.
These providers have a search engine that shows you the availability of the domain you are interested in and they offer you different options, ranging from TLDs (Top Level Domains or Top Level Domains) with the ending indicating the type of site, such as .com either .orgto domain extensions or suffixes by geographical area, such as endings .com.mx or alone .mx.
email services
Just like web hosting providers, there are personalized email services that offer free domains to upload web pages. And also, as in the previous method, the benefit is annual and is only valid while you purchase one of their email plans.
Through a free web domain registrar
Unlike the options mentioned above, a registrar is just that: a place where you register the domain you want — from among those that are available — and all you need to do is register or activate an account.
The registrars have their guidelines to keep the domain free; for example, that the domain is not used for profit or that the mock-up of the web page is analyzed to confirm that it is a legitimate and useful project.
Additionally, these registrars are often run by social or activist organizations and do not have the equipment and advanced features of hosting services, such as security certificates, 24/7 support, or stability guarantees. Yes, your site with such a domain can be down for hours or days, until someone resets the servers.
How to get a free domain in 2022? The 12 best options for you
Now that you know where to look if you need free website domains, I will tell you what the most popular options are so that you can decide which one suits your project. The 12 best options to get a free domain are:
- domain.com
- Hostinger
- AwardSpace
- name.com
- googiehost
- Freename
- EU.org
- HostGator
- .biz.nf
- iPage
- IONOS
- Neubox
Let’s see each of them so you know their free offer.
What does it offer? A free domain for one year when you buy your $45 USD plan to have a website with unlimited storage and SSL security certificate. They have the most sought after domain extensions available, such as .com, .net Y .org.
It is ideal for: those who want a simple web page for a personal or professional project.
What does it offer? Hostinger’s guarantee is clear: if within the first 30 days after purchasing your web hosting plan with free domain included you are not satisfied with the service, they will refund your money. This allows you to get to know the platform and make a decision.
It is ideal for: those who want to try before committing to a longer contract.
What does it offer? Free domain registration for life! Sure, restrictions apply, such as you need to keep your Pro Plus Web hosting plan contracted and check the availability of the suffixes available for this offer.
It is ideal for: those people who already know what their domain name will be and are not afraid of long-term commitments.
What does it offer? In addition to the free domain offers included with hosting, they have a free domain package in partnership with GitHub for students. With it, you get your site name with awesome domains like .studio, .engineer either .ninja. We love ninjas! 🥷🏽
It is ideal for: students who want to set up their personal site or a school project.
What does it offer? Another free domain registration offer for life! But unlike AwardSpace’s offering, Googiehost adds a website migration tool to the deal to convince you to go with their Premium plan.
It is ideal for: who already have a website, but are looking for a hosting option that includes a more attractive domain.
What does it offer? If you have no problem with your domain suffix being .tk, .ga, .ml, .cf either .gq, Freenom gives you a free one for up to 12 months. Check their availability search engine (include any of those suffixes in the name) and if it is free, register and it will be yours.
It is ideal for: customize a site that may not be for the long term, or maybe after trying it out.
What does it offer? A free domain alternative — made by free Internet activists since 1996 — for non-profit users and sites that don’t have the resources to finance the cost of a domain. It is necessary to register, and yes, they all carry the subdomain .EU.org.
It is ideal for: medium and long-term projects that meet the requirements of this site and are comfortable without advanced features or personalized technical support.
What does it offer? If you have heard that HostGator has good prices it is because it is real. The lizard offers you your free domain for one year when you purchase hosting with them, and the latter has a 50% discount for new customers.
It is ideal for: people who are after a free domain accompanied by functions such as professional mail and dedicated servers.
What does it offer? Similar to the previous offer, this site offers registration of a domain —with the suffix .c1.biz— and free hosting for your website for one month, with limited data transfer (5 GB). Registration is required to activate this promotion.
It is ideal for: who will eventually have no problem entering a payment plan after the trial period.
What does it offer? If you dare to purchase their hosting plan, which includes a website builder for you to build your page, they give you domain registration with the most used suffixes for one year. All this for $2 USD if you activate the 36-month plan.
It is ideal for: who have already built websites and need a low cost option.
What does it offer? Your free domain for the first year in the most popular suffix: .com. But in addition, IONOS sweetens the deal by adding the suffix .mx free of charge during the same period when purchasing your entry package to develop your project.
It is ideal for:…
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