The most reliable way to get a free domain name is to take one with an annual website plan: Squarespace, Wix and WordPress.com all include a free custom domain for the first year. After that year, the domain renews at the normal price, so it's free to start, not free forever.
I've helped a lot of small business owners set up their first website, and the free domain is often what gets them to sign up. That's fine, as long as you know the conditions, because each platform words its offer differently and the small print decides whether you get it.
Three ways to get a free domain for your first year
- Squarespace: sign up on an annual website billing plan and you get one free custom domain for a full year, starting the day you register or transfer it. You can claim it up to one year after signing up.
- Wix: a free domain voucher comes with the first purchase of selected yearly or multi-year plans. It has to be redeemed within 2 months of buying the plan.
- WordPress.com: any new annual plan includes a free domain credit for one year. The credit doesn't expire, so you can save it until you've found the right name.
Free domain offers compared
| Platform | What qualifies | Deadline to claim | After the free year | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace | Annual website billing plan | Up to one year after signing up | Renews at the normal price | The domain must be in the lowest price tier |
| Wix | Selected yearly or multi-year plans | Within 2 months of buying the plan | Renews the following year | You enter payment details up front for the renewal |
| WordPress.com | New annual plan | No expiry on the credit | Renews at the standard price | Monthly plans don't include the credit |
The catch: free for a year, then you're paying
Every one of these offers is a first-year deal. WordPress.com says that after the first year, the domain renews at the standard price. Wix says you'll need to enter your payment information when you claim the voucher, without being charged, so that it can process your renewal after the first year. Squarespace limits its free domain to names in the lowest price tier, so premium or unusual extensions may not qualify.
WordPress.com adds two details that matter: the credit is only available on new plans paid annually, and monthly plans don't come with a free domain at all. You also can't use the credit to renew a domain you already have, though you can use it to transfer one in, which adds a year to its registration.
The bigger catch is lock-in. Your domain is your address online, so the platform that holds it holds your email address and your brand too. Before you take a free one, read about the best domain registrars so you know what moving it later would involve.
What about domains that are free forever?
Be careful here. A website address on a platform's own domain, such as yourname on a builder's subdomain, costs nothing, but it isn't your domain and it doesn't look professional on a business card. None of the three platforms above offers a custom domain that stays free after the first year, so treat any offer of a free-forever domain with caution and check who owns the registration.
If you want to keep renewal costs low rather than chase a free first year, look at how registrars price renewals. Cloudflare Registrar, for example, says its registration, transfer and renewal prices are always at or below what registries and ICANN charge it, and it includes free WHOIS redaction to keep your contact details out of public records.
How to claim your free domain, step by step
- Choose your platform first. The free domain shouldn't be the reason you pick a website builder; my guide to free website builders for small business can help.
- Choose annual billing. All three offers need a yearly plan.
- Search for your name and check it's in the eligible tier or price range.
- Claim it within the deadline: two months on Wix, a year on Squarespace.
- Turn on auto-renew and diarise the renewal date, so your site and email don't go offline.
- Check that you're listed as the registrant. ICANN says your registration must be under an agreement with an ICANN-accredited registrar, and you're entitled to know who that registrar is and its terms and pricing.
Privacy and ownership checks before you claim
When you register a domain, your contact details go into the domain's registration records. Wix notes that its free domain voucher doesn't include full privacy protection, which keeps your contact details out of the WHOIS records, and that you can only add it when manually extending the domain. Cloudflare Registrar includes free WHOIS redaction to keep your personal contact details out of public records. If you work from home, that matters, because your registration address could otherwise be public.
ICANN also sets out what you're entitled to as the registrant, including knowing the identity of your ICANN-accredited registrar, any privacy or proxy provider linked to it, and the registrar's terms and pricing for registrations. Keep a copy of those details with your business records.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My advice
Take the free first year if you were going to pay for an annual website plan anyway, because it's a fair saving. Just don't treat it as free forever. Put the renewal date in your calendar, make sure the domain is registered in your name, and if you think you'll move platforms within a couple of years, consider registering the domain separately from day one so your brand isn't tied to your website builder.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a domain name for free?
Yes, for the first year. Squarespace, Wix and WordPress.com include a free custom domain with annual website plans, and the domain then renews at the normal price.
Does Wix give you a free domain?
Wix includes a free one-year domain voucher with selected yearly or multi-year plans. You must redeem it within 2 months of buying the plan.
Do monthly website plans include a free domain?
Not on WordPress.com, which says monthly plans don't come with a free domain credit. Squarespace's offer also needs an annual billing plan.
What happens when my free domain year ends?
The domain renews at the platform's normal price. Wix asks for payment details up front so it can process the renewal, and WordPress.com says it renews at the standard price.
Is it better to register a domain separately from my website?
It can be. Keeping your domain with a separate registrar makes it easier to move website platforms later without risking your address or email.
