3 Legit ways to get a free custom domain (Freenom alternatives)
By David Nge | Last Updated: October 30, 2025
My work is supported by affiliate commissions. Learn More
By David Nge | Last Updated: October 30, 2025
My work is supported by affiliate commissions. Learn More
This is not clickbait. Here are the legit ways to get a free custom domain for your website.
Most web hosting companies offer "free domain," but only if you sign up for their (paid) web hosting services. That defeats the purpose if you’re trying to get a domain without paying.
In this guide, I'll walk you through step-by-step how to secure a free domain for your website, email, and more.
Here's the summary if you want to jump ahead:
[Bonus] Get a custom domain for the ridiculously low price of $1
FAQ about free domains and website builder.
Let's dive right in.
Freenom used to be the only domain provider offering free domains, but it shut down in 2024.
An alternative is to register a free domain from DigitalPlat, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, through their FreeDomain initiative.
Note: The available top-level domains (TLDs) are currently limited, but more will be added over time.
Top-level domains (TLDs) are the letters at the end of a website address. For example, .com is the top-level domain for MakingThatWebsite.com and the most popular top-level domain.
When you get a domain with free TLDs on DigitalPlat, they work like any other domain name. You can use it for your website, blog, or email account, or even redirect it to another URL.
Important: Make sure to choose a unique username, as it will appear in your WHOIS records — a public registration record that shows who registered a domain name.
2. Next, look for the verification email from DigitalPlat FreeDomain NIC. Click on the verification link to verify your email.
3. Now you should be able to log in via the FreeDomain dashboard.
4. Complete the KYC. This Know Your Customer (KYC) step is to verify your identity — but you will NOT be asked to upload personal documents.
Its main purpose is to prevent misuse and abuse of the service, which is what previously caused Freenom to shut down.
If you don't have a GitHub account yet, create one for free here.
5. Now you can finally register your free domain name.
6. Enter your desired domain name and check the availability.
7. To complete the domain registration, you need to connect it to a Domain Name Server (DNS) provider.
Typically, web hosting companies charge for this service, but you can get it for free with Namecheap FreeDNS instead.
Just add your domain name, click "Get DNS" and you should see the Name Servers provided by Namecheap.
Note: If you get stuck at any point, you can follow along with this Namecheap YouTube tutorial.
8. That's it! You now have a free custom domain from DigitalPlat :)
After setting up your domain, you can now create an inbox or build a free website with your new custom domain
If you're a student, you are eligible to apply for GitHub's Student Developer Pack.
GitHub is one of the world's largest code hosting platforms. On it, you can find source codes from some of the most prominent companies, such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple.
To encourage students worldwide to pursue software development, GitHub partnered with several companies to offer free perks. These perks include free domains, cloud hosting, AI tools, and more!
Specifically, you'll get:
Click here to view all the perks in the GitHub Student Developer Pack.
To be eligible for the GitHub Student Developer Pack, you must:
Here are the seven steps to apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack.
Although Name.com doesn’t usually offer free domains by default, they sometimes provide gift cards with promo codes at events and conferences that you can redeem for a free domain.
So how do you get these free domains?
Follow their social media pages (Facebook or X) and keep an eye out for those free domain promo codes!
Here's an example of a local event to look out for to get those free domains!
And if you're lucky, you might get a chance to spin for a free domain on their Facebook Live event.
The next best thing to getting free domains? Getting them for just $1 :)
Here's a tip most people don't know — Namecheap has a perpetual promo where you can get popular domains for 99 cents.
Just apply the promo code 99SPECIAL at checkout to get your domain for $0.99.
If you're feeling adventurous, you can search for all the $0.99 domains that are available on Namecheap.
Now that you've gotten yourself a domain, go ahead and build yourself a website. There are tons of free website builders available.
But if you're not sure where to start, check out this step-by-step tutorial where I walk you through exactly how to set up a free website using the domain you just got.
Yes. You can get free custom domains from DigitalPlat. Although you won't be able to get popular .com domains, so they are recommended for personal use only.
There are several free website builders that allow you to use custom domains. These website builders are pretty easy to set up. So just get one of the free domains mentioned in this article and build yourself a website with a custom domain.
Yes, DigitalPlat domains are free. However, you can only get domains ending in .DPDNS.ORG, .US.KG, QZZ.IO, and .XX.KG at the moment.
Yes. DigitalPlat domains can be renewed for free indefinitely. You’ll be able to renew for the next year once your domain has fewer than 180 days left before expiration.
David Nge is the founder and writer behind MakingThatWebsite.com. Since launching in 2021, he’s been on a mission to help non-techies—especially small business owners—build better websites using easy-to-learn tools and smart, time-saving strategies. He specializes in website builders, SEO, and practical AI tutorials for small business owners.
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