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How to get a free domain in India (2026)

Nobody gives away domains; they bundle them. This guide explains where free .in and .com domains come from, what you pay after year one, how to make sure the domain is in your name, and how to claim one in seven steps.

⏱ 9 min read📅 Updated 28 October 2026✍ By Harshit Rajput, founder, Neweb

Search "free domain India" and you get three kinds of results: hosting companies that include a domain with an annual plan, website builders that include one with a paid tier, and a few leftover sites promising free .tk or .ml addresses that no longer exist. A domain costs the registrar money every year, so "free" always means "paid for by something else you are buying". That is fine, as long as you know what the something else is, what the renewal costs, and whose name the domain is in.

This guide is for an Indian small business owner who wants a real domain (yourshop.in or yourshop.com) without paying ₹800 to ₹1,500 upfront, and who does not want a surprise ₹2,000 renewal or a domain that belongs to a web designer. Neweb includes a free domain in its ₹249 a month plan; we explain that too, with the same scrutiny.

What you'll need

Keep these at hand; the whole process takes under an hour.

Two or three name options, tested on the domain checker and generated with the domain name generator if the first is taken.
An email address you control and will still control in five years; the domain is tied to it.
Your business name and address for the registrant record (WHOIS); use the business name, not a designer's.
A payment method for the plan that bundles the domain (UPI, card or net banking).
A decision on .in vs .com; see step 2.
A calendar reminder app for the renewal date, the single most forgotten step.

Understand what "free domain" actually means

There are three honest versions of a free domain in India in 2026:

Free for the first year with annual hosting. Hosting companies typically include a .com or .in when you buy a 12-month or longer plan. Year two, the domain renews at the registrar's full price, often ₹1,000 to ₹1,800 for a .com.
Free for the first year with a paid website builder plan. Builders like Wix and Squarespace include a domain voucher with annual plans; after year one you pay their domain price, which is usually higher than an Indian registrar.
Free for as long as you subscribe. Managed services such as Neweb register the domain in your name and keep paying the renewal while your plan is active; there is no separate domain bill at all.

There is also a fourth, dishonest version: a subdomain (yourshop.builder.com) called a "free domain". It is not a domain; you cannot move it, email on it, or rank it as your own brand.

Decide between .in and .com (and skip the exotic ones)

For a business selling mostly in India, .in is neutral or slightly positive with customers and typically costs less (₹500 to ₹900 a year at Indian registrars against ₹900 to ₹1,500 for .com). For a brand with export or global ambitions, .com still carries more recognition. .co.in is fine but longer; .shop, .store and .online are usually cheap in year one and expensive at renewal, so check the renewal price before falling for a ₹99 offer.

If both .in and .com are available and the budget allows, take the one you will use and consider buying the other later to protect the name. Our domain name guide has the full selection test.

Compare the offers that include a domain

Read the fine print on four lines: which TLDs qualify (often .com, .in, .net only), the minimum plan length, the renewal price, and who the registrant is. Typical 2026 shapes:

Hostinger, Bluehost India, GoDaddy India hosting bundles: free .com or .in for year one with 12-month or longer shared hosting that typically runs ₹1,500 to ₹5,000 for the first term and renews higher; you then need to build the site yourself or pay someone.
Wix, Squarespace, Zoho Sites annual plans: domain free for year one with plans typically ₹800 to ₹1,600 a month billed annually; renewal of the domain at the builder's price.
Neweb Starter: free .in or .com registered in your name, no separate renewal while subscribed, plus the website, hosting, SSL and Google Business Profile setup, for ₹249 a month billed in rupees with a GST invoice.

The right comparison is total cost over three years, not the year-one headline. See the table below.

Check availability and reserve the name

Type your candidates into the domain checker. If the .in is taken, check who holds it (WHOIS) before spending on a .com; a competitor on the same name causes confusion for years. Prefer names under 15 characters, no hyphens, no digits, and easy to say over the phone. Do not sit on the result: domains people search for tend to get registered.

Claim the domain through the plan, in your own name

During checkout, the plan asks for the domain and registrant details. Enter your business name, your email and your address. If a designer or agency is doing this for you, insist they use your email as the registrant and account owner; you can give them access later. ICANN requires registrants to verify their email within 15 days, so watch for the verification mail and click it, or the domain can be suspended.

With Neweb, the domain is registered to you at signup and shown in your dashboard with the registrant details; you can request the transfer code at any time.

Verify ownership and know the renewal terms

Once registered, confirm three things in the registrar or provider panel: the registrant email is yours, you can see or request the EPP or transfer authorisation code, and the renewal price and date are visible. Then set a reminder 45 days before expiry. Domains in India commonly lapse because the renewal email went to an old address; after expiry there is a grace period, then a redemption period with a higher fee, then the name is released and may be bought by a reseller.

Turn on auto-renew if you trust the card on file.
Enable domain lock to block unauthorised transfers.
Keep a note of the registrar name; not all free domains are at the brand you bought from.

Connect the domain to your site, SSL and email

If the domain came with a builder or managed plan, it is already connected. If it came with hosting, point the nameservers or A record at the hosting account and wait for propagation (usually under an hour, sometimes up to a day). Enable free SSL (Let's Encrypt is standard) so the site shows https. Set up email on the domain (hello@yourshop.in) through Zoho Mail, Google Workspace or the host; the business email guide walks through it. Then add the domain to your Google Business Profile, Instagram and WhatsApp Business.

Free domain offers compared over three years

Typical 2026 figures for a .com or .in domain plus the plan it is bundled with. Prices vary with promotions; check the renewal line on the provider page.

Offer type	Year 1 domain cost	Years 2 and 3 domain cost	What else you must buy	Domain in your name?
Neweb Starter	₹0	₹0 while subscribed	₹249/mo plan incl. site, hosting, SSL, GBP	Yes, always
Hosting bundle (12-month shared plan)	₹0	₹1,000 to ₹1,800 per year typical	Hosting ₹1,500 to ₹5,000 first term; the site itself	Yes, if you register it
Builder annual plan (Wix, Squarespace)	₹0	₹1,200 to ₹2,500 per year typical	Plan ₹800 to ₹1,600/mo billed annually	Yes, usually
Agency "includes domain"	₹0 on paper	Often bundled in AMC	Build ₹25,000+ and AMC	Often no; check the registrant
Subdomain (yourshop.builder.com)	₹0	₹0	Nothing	Not a domain at all

All figures are typical ranges seen across Indian vendors in 2026 and vary by city and scope; treat them as planning numbers, not quotes.

Common traps with free domains

Judging on year one. A ₹99 .shop domain that renews at ₹2,500 is not cheap; compare three-year totals.
Registrant is the designer. If the WHOIS and the account are in someone else's name, you do not own your brand online. Fix it before launch.
Missing the ICANN verification email. The domain gets suspended and the site disappears until you click the link.
Letting it expire. Reseller bots register good lapsed domains within hours; a 45-day reminder prevents it.
Thinking a subdomain is a domain. yourshop.wixsite.com cannot carry email, cannot be moved and ranks as the builder's site, not yours.
Buying privacy you do not need. .in registrations already hide most registrant data; WHOIS privacy upsells are mostly for .com.

Get a free .in or .com domain, in your name, with the site built

Neweb registers the domain to you, builds your site, and runs hosting, SSL and Google Business for ₹249 a month with no separate renewal bill.

Claim your free domain

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a domain name completely free in India?

Not as a standalone purchase; registrars pay a wholesale fee per domain every year. What you can get is a domain bundled free with a hosting plan or a website builder plan, free for the first year or, with a managed service like Neweb, free for as long as you subscribe.

Is a free domain really mine?

It is if the registrant details and the registrar account are in your name and email. Check the WHOIS record and confirm you can request the transfer code. If a designer or agency registered it under their account, ask them to transfer the registrant to you.

What happens to a free domain after the first year?

With hosting and builder bundles it renews at the provider's regular price, typically ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 a year for a .com and ₹600 to ₹1,200 for a .in. With Neweb there is no separate renewal while your plan is active. If you cancel, you can transfer the domain out and renew it elsewhere.

Should I pick a free .in or a free .com?

For a business serving mostly Indian customers, .in is fine and cheaper to renew. For a brand with international plans, .com. Avoid exotic extensions offered at ₹99 unless you have checked their renewal price.

Are .tk, .ml and other "free forever" domains still available?

The Freenom free TLDs (.tk, .ml, .ga, .cf, .gq) stopped new registrations in 2023 and are widely blocked or distrusted. Do not build a business on one.

Can I move a free domain to another provider later?

Yes, if it is registered in your name. Domains can be transferred after the initial 60-day lock, using the EPP or authorisation code from the current registrar. Some providers charge a transfer-out or require a renewal with the transfer; check before you need it.

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