How to Buy a Domain Name for Less Than You Think

If you want to start a website, you need a domain name. Buying one takes less than five minutes and usually costs far less than most people expect—especially when you bundle it with web hosting. You need both to build a website, so it often makes sense to get them together. If you’re wondering exactly how to buy a domain name or how to save money when buying a domain, you’re in the right place.

Two Methods for Buying a Domain Name

Fortunately, it doesn’t really matter where you buy your domain—once registered, a domain is the same everywhere and you won’t see quality differences based on the registrar. What does vary is price, renewal terms, and perks like WHOIS privacy or domain security tools.

The biggest difference between one domain registrar and the next is the price—some offer domains for around $10–$20 per year (with occasional promos) while others charge more. There are two ways to get a domain name: one route includes a free first year with hosting, the other is purchasing from a registrar at standard annual rates.

1. Bundled With Web Hosting (Free)

If you’re starting one website with a single domain name, bundling your domain name with web hosting is the most popular route for beginners. It keeps billing and management in one place and is simple to set up.

Plus, many hosts include your domain name free for the first year on annual plans. Always check the renewal cost and which TLDs are eligible for the promo before you buy.

2. Through a Domain Registrar (Not Free)

If you’re buying more than one domain name or want to manage your domain and hosting services separately, you can use a domain registrar like Domain.com or Namecheap.

This route makes sense if you’re launching a business website and want to buy variations of your brand name to prevent others from grabbing them. Many registrars offer bulk discounts and built-in privacy protection, but you won’t get the first year free as you would with a hosting bundle.

Check out our top domain registrar recommendations, here.

How to Get a Domain for Free

If you already have hosting, you typically can’t retroactively apply a free-domain promo unless you upgrade to an eligible plan or switch providers. Timing matters if you want your first year of domain registration included.

If you’re starting from scratch, you need web hosting and a domain name—so bundling them is an easy way to save.

It’s a one-checkout setup for everything you need, and you’ll usually get the lowest introductory pricing on hosting plus a free first-year domain (eligible TLDs only, then standard annual renewal).

The most important step is choosing the right host for your site’s needs. Here’s how to pick a good one.

Web Hosts That Offer Free Domains

Launching a new website can get pricey, so here are hosts that include a free first-year domain on qualifying plans and make it easy to get online fast.

Many providers offer beginner-friendly plans with a complimentary domain for the first year. Our top recommendations:

1. Bluehost – Best shared hosting
2. HostGator – Best for budget-friendly scalability
3. Hostinger – Most affordable option
4. Wix – Best website builder
5. DreamHost – Best WordPress hosting
6. InMotion Hosting – Best VPS hosting services

1. Bluehost – Best Shared Hosting

Bluehost is one of the most popular hosting providers—reliable, beginner-friendly, and affordably priced.

You’ll get a free domain for the first year when you choose an eligible 12- or 36-month hosting plan. After year one, your domain renews at the standard annual rate for the TLD you choose.

Bluehost’s domain management is straightforward: intuitive controls, DNS access, auto-renew options, domain locking, and 24/7 support.

Introductory shared hosting promos are frequently among the lowest for reputable providers, and you can upgrade anytime as your site grows.

Bluehost also offers VPS, managed WordPress, and dedicated hosting if you outgrow shared resources.

2. HostGator – Best for Budget-Friendly Scalability

HostGator guarantees 99.9% uptime and provides 24/7 support via phone and live chat.

HostGator’s shared hosting line keeps it simple with Hatchling, Baby, and Business plans. The entry tier is frequently discounted, and the free domain perk applies to the first year on multi-month terms.

Remember: the domain renews at the regular annual rate after year one, so factor renewal pricing into your budget.

If you need shared hosting for more than one site, the Baby plan supports unlimited websites for only a modest increase over the entry plan.

Scalability is a strong point: unmetered bandwidth and generous storage on shared plans mean you can accommodate traffic spikes without nickel-and-diming over monthly visit counts (fair-use limits still apply).

The free domain offer typically supports popular extensions like .com, .net, .org, and several other common TLDs on initial registration when you sign up for 12, 24, or 36 months.

Business includes extra perks, but the free-domain count is still one; additional domains are purchased separately.

3. Hostinger – Most Affordable Shared Hosting

If you’re hunting for affordable hosting that doesn’t feel cheap, Hostinger is hard to beat.

You can snag a free domain on many Hostinger plans. If you don’t need the muscle of VPS or cloud hosting, the Premium Shared or WordPress Starter tiers deliver excellent value and include a custom domain for year one on eligible terms.

These plans often promo between about $2.49 and $2.99 per month on long terms and require at least a 12-month commitment for the free domain.

For most people, Premium Shared is the sweet spot—NVMe storage, solid speed and uptime, a free domain for the first year, and bundled tools like an AI site builder.

Newer plan structures include up to 3 websites, around 20 GB of SSD storage, weekly backups, and 2 free mailboxes per website for the first year. If you need higher limits, Hostinger’s Business and Cloud tiers increase sites, storage, and email capacity.

Hostinger’s Premium Shared plan includes:

• NVMe SSD storage (entry tiers start around 20 GB)
• Support for multiple websites on a single plan
• 2 free email mailboxes per website for 12 months
• One-click WordPress installation and managed updates
• LiteSpeed/Cloudflare-protected nameservers to help improve speed and security
• Weekly backups with easy restores
• Free domain for the first year on annual terms

When you’re ready to choose a domain, you’ll find hundreds of TLDs—.com, .net, .tech, .online, .live, .digital, and more—plus easy DNS management to get everything configured quickly.

Try Hostinger risk-free for 30 days to see if it’s right for you (and to snag your free domain)!

4. Wix – Best All-in-One Website Builder

Wix is an all-in-one website builder that’s a great starting point for blogs, stores, business sites, portfolios, and more. Its drag-and-drop interface is approachable for beginners and comes with 900+ professionally designed templates without sacrificing design freedom.

On Wix’s free plan, you get a Wix subdomain (yourdomain.wixsite.com/your-site). It’s not as polished as a custom domain, but it’s a no-cost way to start.

Upgrade to a yearly or multi-year premium plan to use your own domain and get a free first-year registration. You’ll also benefit from managed security and infrastructure so your site stays fast and protected.

Entry paid plans that let you connect a custom domain now start closer to the high teens per month, and Core/business plans with more storage and ecommerce tools sit above that, but every paid tier still includes the full editor, template library, and essential features.

5. DreamHost – Best WordPress Hosting

If you want to host a WordPress site, DreamHost is a standout that includes a free domain with annual shared plans.

Beyond the free domain, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee on shared hosting, unmetered traffic, fast SSD or NVMe storage, automatic WordPress installation, and an easy drag-and-drop site builder.

DreamHost currently offers multiple shared tiers instead of just two—so you can start small and move up to higher allowances for sites, storage, and traffic as needed, while still keeping the free first-year domain on eligible annual terms.

Entry promos on multi-year terms stay competitive with other reputable WordPress hosts, with straightforward renewals after the initial term.

As you grow, DreamHost’s DreamPress (managed WordPress), VPS, cloud, and dedicated servers make scaling straightforward—without switching providers.

It’s easy to start small and expand as your traffic and requirements increase.

6. InMotion Hosting – Best VPS web hosting

InMotion Hosting offers both shared and VPS hosting, with free first-year domains on shared plans and a domain credit on VPS when you take six months or longer.

VPS hosting is a smart upgrade when you’ve outgrown shared resources and need faster performance or more control.

Managed VPS plans include modern NVMe storage, generous bandwidth, multiple dedicated IPs, and the ability to scale resources as demand grows—plus root access for advanced control.

Intro pricing for managed VPS now typically starts around the $9–$15 per month range on longer terms, with renewals higher afterward, so it’s still accessible for growing sites that want better performance.

If you’re switching from shared hosting, start with the entry VPS tier and upgrade as traffic and workloads grow. You can choose monthly or multi-year agreements; multi-month terms typically unlock the free-domain credit.

Developers can also opt for unmanaged VPS for even more flexibility and command-line control.

How to Buy a Domain: What to Look for When Making Your Final Decision

Choosing a host that includes a free first-year domain can simplify setup, but don’t decide on price alone. Consider reliability, true renewal costs, security features, and support quality.

Use the checklist below to compare providers:

Reliability

Pick a provider with a long track record and clear uptime commitments. Founded in 2003, Bluehost is one of the largest and most established hosts, and plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee on hosting if things aren’t a fit.

Also look for features like malware scanning, automated backups, and easy DNS controls for your domain.

Cost

Introductory promos often look amazing—but check renewal rates for both hosting and your domain. Many reputable hosts offer 12-month entry pricing in the low single digits per month, with 24–36-month terms delivering the best overall value.

If you’re on a tight budget, a one-year plan with a free first-year domain can be an excellent balance of flexibility and savings. Just note the standard annual domain renewal after year one.

Customer Support  

Responsive support matters. Bluehost, HostGator, DreamHost, Hostinger, and InMotion all provide 24/7 assistance on core plans—via chat, phone, or both—so you can get help when you need it.

Before you commit, browse the knowledge base and confirm support channels for your specific plan and term length.

Our Top Recommendations for Getting a Free Domain

If you’re looking for an all-in-one website builder, a Wix premium plan (billed annually) is the easiest way to get a free first-year domain and launch fast. If you prefer the self-hosted route, Bluehost and HostGator are excellent choices for most users, with Hostinger offering some of the lowest long-term rates.

With a free first-year domain and affordable hosting, you’ll have everything you need to get online quickly—just be sure to confirm renewal pricing and eligible TLDs before you check out.