6 Best WordPress Hosts With a Free Domain Name in 2024

Many web hosts claim to offer free domain names with their plans, but what they actually mean is that they include the cost of domain name registration in the price of hosting. There is no such thing as a completely free domain name, because there are always fees paid to ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to register one.

But even if a domain name is never actually free, the fact that it’s included in the price of hosting adds a note of convenience. You don’t have to look for hosting and then register a domain name separately. Instead, you can focus on the hosting service that best suits your needs, and benefit from the included service. Just watch out for the renewal fees!

We’ve tested all of the top web hosting providers, and I’ve come up with a list of six hosts that offer good quality WordPress hosting with the cost of a domain name included.

What We Look For in a WordPress Host With Free Domain Names

We chose six providers that include domain name registration at no extra charge with most of their plans. Here are the features we tried to ensure were available with each of these providers:

• Standard domain name extensions. A free domain name isn’t useful if it can only include obscure domain name extensions. It should at least allow for one or more of .com, .net, and .org, alongside some other useful extensions like .me, .live, .pro, .click, or .shop, to name a few examples.
• Reasonably-priced renewals. Many hosts offer a free domain name and then charge inflated rates when it’s time to renew. What you need is a host that either includes the domain name for the duration of your plan, or renews it at a standard rate.
• Domain privacy. When you register a domain name, in most cases your contact information is stored in public records for anyone to see. Domain privacy protection is a service that conceals your details. While some web hosts offer this for free, others charge you for it, and in some jurisdictions your details are already protected by law.
• Reliable WordPress hosting. The web hosts on our list offer WordPress-optimized servers, advanced caching tools, access to free premium plugins, and many other features to help you successfully develop and grow your WordPress website.

1. Hostinger – Affordable WordPress Hosting and Free Domain Privacy Protection1

Hostinger’s WordPress plans are the best choice if you’re looking for low prices with very good performance. Installing WordPress is easy – you can have it preinstalled, or to fine-tune the settings, use the host’s Auto Installer app, included as part of its hPanel control panel.

Hostinger includes a free domain name with all its WordPress plans, except the entry-level one. The catch is that the subscription term you choose must be for a year or longer in duration. The domain name is free for one year, after which it renews at Hostinger’s regular rate, which is among the lowest available.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hostinger has one of the most extensive lists of free domain extensions. You can choose among more than 20, including .com and .net.

Features

• Free privacy protection. For a fee, domain registrars will replace your name and contact information in the public WHOIS registry with proxy details. Hostinger claims to offer this service “for free,” but as an EU-based company it is required by the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to hide your info. Still, this can come in very handy if you’re based in the US.
• Superb performance. My colleagues tested Hostinger over a few months, and it delivered excellent performance. With a near-perfect uptime and fast loading speeds, Hostinger became one of our top-performing web hosts. It uses the LiteSpeed web server and the LSCWP plugin, so your audience should experience fast-loading pages.
• Unlimited bandwidth. Hostinger’s WordPress plans, except the entry-level one, include unlimited bandwidth, making it a solid choice if you’re developing a project that you expect to bring in considerable traffic.
• Free email. The entry-level plan allows you to create only one email account, but all the other plans include up to 100 accounts that will have your new domain name in the address.

For more details, read our full Hostinger review.

2. IONOS – Easy WordPress Setup and a Free Wildcard SSL Certificate1

If you’re a complete beginner, you might want to try one of IONOS’ WordPress plans. A free domain name is included even in the entry-level plan if you purchase an annual subscription. You can choose between nine domain extensions, including .com, .net, and .org.

Wildcard SSL certificates are also included in IONOS’ WordPress plans. Unlike basic SSL, wildcard SSL secures your domain and all its subsequent subdomains. Furthermore, IONOS allows WordPress Multisite, which allows you to set up multiple subdomain-based sites with a single WordPress installation. So your wildcard SSL certificate will secure every single subdomain-based site you set up.

Just like Hostinger, IONOS includes free domain privacy. However, if you want this feature at no cost, the list of extensions for free domain names is shorter. Still, .com, .net, and .org are on it. You should also keep in mind that even if IONOS’ renewal rates are decent, they’re a bit higher than Hostinger’s.

Features

• Free email. Every IONOS WordPress plan includes email. Depending on which subscription you go with, you get up to 10 email accounts, each with 2 GB of storage.
• No-questions-asked money-back guarantee. You have 30 days to change your mind about IONOS’ hosting plans, and if you do, you’ll get a refund without having to provide a reason.
• Unlimited traffic. IONOS doesn’t limit your traffic and bandwidth even if you opt for the entry-level plan. This prevents both throttled traffic and overage fees.
• WordPress Assistant. Tailored for beginners, this tool can help you build your WordPress website more quickly and more easily by recommending a suitable theme and plugins based on your particular purpose.

Read our full IONOS review to learn more.

3. Scala Hosting – Get a Free Domain Name for the Duration of Your Hosting Agreement1

Scala Hosting offers three well-rounded plans on its shared infrastructure. Although they are presented separately, the shared and WordPress plans are exactly the same. With the purchase of an annual or longer subscription, you get a free domain name for one year. You can choose between five domain name extensions: .com, .org, .net, .info, and .eu.

Unlike many other providers, you can get your domain name included over and over again if you opt for a top-tier WordPress plan and pre-pay it one year in advance every time you renew. This means the cost of the .com is always included in the renewal fee.

Features

• Unmetered bandwidth. You don’t have to worry about throttled traffic because Scala Hosting offers unlimited bandwidth with all its WordPress plans.
• 99.9% uptime guarantee. Scala Hosting’s Terms of Service agreement includes a sliding scale of just how much credit you’re entitled to if your website suffers a particular amount of monthly downtime under 99.9%. If uptime is reduced to 99% or less, you will be entitled to 100% credit for the month in which the downtime occurred.
• Unlimited email accounts. Even if you choose the entry-level plan, you don’t have a limit on how many email accounts you can create.
• Excellent security. Scala Hosting’s SShield Security Guard provides real-time monitoring and blocks 99.998% of attacks, notifying you as necessary. However, this feature is not included in the entry-level plan.

Check out our full Scala Hosting review for more details.

4. InMotion Hosting – Free Domain Name and Excellent Performance-Enhancing Tools1

When you purchase a WordPress plan from InMotion Hosting, you get access to premium WordPress plugins, performance-enhancing tools, and decent resources even with the entry-level plan. You can have WordPress preinstalled at checkout, and the cheapest plan allows you to host two websites as opposed to just one.

InMotion Hosting includes a free domain name with all of its annual WordPress subscriptions except for the entry-level plan. The domain name is free for one year. There are six available domain extensions, including .com, .org, and .net.

All of InMotion Hosting’s WordPress plans include NVMe SSD storage. This technology enhances overall performance because it allows faster data transfer speeds between servers and storage systems, minimizing latency. Also, InMotion Hosting is generous with its storage, topping Hostinger and IONOS. Its entry-level plan has 100 GB of NVMe SSD storage, while the other three don’t have a limit.

Features

• 90-day money-back guarantee. The industry standard when it comes to refund policies is 30 days, but InMotion Hosting shows a lot of faith in its services by going three times better.
• UltraStack. This is a proprietary caching system InMotion Hosting uses alongside the advanced NGINX web server. This configuration is designed to deliver fast-loading WordPress pages to your visitors.
• Perfect uptime. My colleagues tested InMotion Hosting’s performance, and our test website delivered 100% uptime over the entire testing period. The average loading time was within optimal parameters too.
• BoldGrid. BoldGrid is a website builder designed specifically for WordPress. It makes designing a WordPress website a whole lot easier.

To learn more, feel free to read our full InMotion Hosting review.

5. GreenGeeks – Free Domain Names for Both Registrations and Transfers1

GreenGeeks offers three WordPress plans and is yet another great choice if you’re just starting out. When you first subscribe for a year or longer, you’re offered a free domain name. There are six available domain extensions, including .com, .net, and .eu.

Domain name transfers are free as well. You don’t even have to do the transfer yourself because GreenGeeks can move your WordPress website from another host free of charge. It’s a very helpful feature if you want to avoid hassle.

On a less technical note, GreenGeeks is making real efforts to minimize its carbon footprint. Not only does it plant a tree for every hosting account, but it matches three times the energy it pulls from the grid with renewable energy credits. You might be happy to learn that when using GreenGeeks’ services, you’re doing something for the environment as well.

Features

• Free email. GreenGeeks not only offers free email accounts, but it’s generous as to how many you can create, more than Hostinger and IONOS. The entry-level plan allows you to create 50 domain-based email addresses, while all the others don’t have a limit.
• On-demand backups. This feature allows you to restore your WordPress website easily in the event of data loss, although it isn’t available with the entry-level plan.
• Near-perfect uptime. GreenGeeks uses the LiteSpeed web server and the LiteSpeed Cache plugin to enhance performance. When we tested it, the uptime was almost perfect, and the average loading time was under the recommended two seconds.
• Unconditional refund policy. You have 30 days to decide whether or not you’re satisfied with GreenGeeks’ services. In the unlikely event that you’re not, you can ask for a refund, no questions asked.

Our full GreenGeeks review includes more information.

6. FastComet – Ideal for Target Audiences in Asia or Oceania1

You should consider FastComet’s WordPress plans if your website’s audience resides outside of the US or Europe. Although FastComet does serve these regions as well, its main selling point is that it has data centers in Singapore, Tokyo, Mumbai, and Sydney.

Apart from its impressive global presence, FastComet has one of the best customer support services we’ve interacted with. The response times were always fast, and the agents were knowledgeable, helpful, and truthful. They were not overselling anything and were genuinely interested in answering our questions.

When it comes to domain names, FastComet is a bit unusual compared to the other hosts on my list. It doesn’t include new free domain name registrations, but it covers the bill for the renewal if you decide to transfer from another provider. This applies to all the most popular domain extensions.

Features

• Free daily and weekly backups. Many providers put a price on daily and weekly backups, but with FastComet, you’ll get them for free even if you opt for the cheapest plan.
• Unlimited email accounts. FastComet does not limit the number of email addresses you can create even if you opt for its entry-level plan.
• 45-day money-back guarantee. FastComet is another provider that offers more than the standard 30-day refund policy. You have 45 days to try its shared hosting, risk-free.
• Affordable domain privacy. Unless you’re registering certain country-specific domain names (like .ca), or if you live in the EU, you’re going to have to pay for domain privacy protection. However, FastComet provides it for less than half the amount the other providers charge.

To find out more, check out our full FastComet review.

There Are Free Domain Names for Everyone, but Which WordPress Host Is for You?

All web hosts on this list provide a free domain name in one way or another. You still need to determine which one best suits your needs. If you require assistance in making your decision, here’s a helpful refresher.

If you’re looking for a budget provider that delivers excellent WordPress features and performance without spending a small fortune, choose Hostinger. It’s one of the best-performing shared hosting providers and has the longest list of domain extensions for its free domain names. It also offers free domain privacy.

Pick IONOS if you’re planning to create a subdomain-based network of websites, because it allows WordPress Multisite installation and you can secure all of them with the included wildcard SSL certificate.

And lastly, try Scala Hosting if you’re looking for well-rounded WordPress hosting with a free domain name for the duration of your contract.

Just to jog your memory a little bit, take a look at the table below.

FAQ

Can I get a free domain name and hosting?

Domain names are never truly free, because there are fees that must be paid for the registration of every domain name to ICANN. When providers say that they offer a free domain name with their plans, like the ones listed in this article, they actually mean that the cost is included in the price of hosting. So the best thing you can get is affordable hosting that includes the cost of a domain name.

Which free hosting is best for WordPress?

If you want to create a successful WordPress website, it’s better to go with a budget-friendly host like Hostinger rather than a free host. You do not have to spend a lot, but paid hosting gives you access to essential features, better performance, more storage, and better customer support.

Can I get a domain name that is free forever?

Since a domain name is never actually free, you cannot get one that’s free forever. However, Scala Hosting includes a domain name in its plans, and if you go for a higher-tier plan, it will include the cost of a .com in its renewal price for as long as you keep your subscription. It’s not free, but at least you don’t have to worry about renewing two separate products.

How much does it cost to host a WordPress website?

The cost of hosting a WordPress website doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re looking for affordability, then Hostinger is a good choice. It gives you plenty of resources and a WordPress-optimized infrastructure, and our tests recorded excellent performance. Plus, all its plans include a free domain name for a year, except for the entry-level one.