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If you’re running a business, it’s smart to obtain an email domain that’s consistent with your branding. Using a personal address to communicate with your customers doesn’t look professional and might undermine your credibility. However, finding a free email domain can be tricky.
There are plenty email providers on the market, but none of the most popular solutions offer free business emails. The thing to consider here is that you need a separate business email address even if you’re a small business owner. For instance, you’d expect from a big ecommerce store when they confirm your purchase to have one, so you can assume your customers will expect the same from you.
Many web hosting companies offer free email domains if you purchase one of their plans. Some of them are a real bargain, and you can easily connect them to your Gmail account. Alternatively, if you don’t want any associated costs, there are other solutions that might suit you better.
In this article, we’ll discuss four methods you can use to create a free email domain, with or without purchasing web hosting or your own domain name. Let’s dive right in!
- Get a free email domain with Mail.com
- Create an email domain with Zoho Mail
- Get a free email domain from Bluehost
- Get a free email domain from DreamHost
👉 FAQs in relation to free email domains
4 ways beginners can get a free #email domain 🆓
What’s an email domain?
In simple terms, an email domain is the part of the address that comes after the @
symbol. For example, if your email address is john.smith@yourdomain.com
then the email domain in this case is yourdomain.com
.
What’s great about email domains is that they allow you to have a completely custom email address that features your business name or any other unique phrase that you want to use – and not the usual endings, associated with big companies.
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Method 1: Get a free email domain with Mail.com

If you want a 100 percent free email domain without the need to purchase your own web hosting and/or domain name, you may want to consider using Mail.com. This service provider won’t enable you to create a custom email domain, so it may not be the best solution for established businesses. However, if you’re a freelancer or a new startup and don’t mind using a generic domain name from a ready-made catalog, it could be optimal for you.
Mail.com enables you to set up an industry-specific email account that’s completely free. You can pick from a variety of domain names such as example@graphic-designer.com
or example@programmer.net
. Simply sign up for an account to get started:

Once you’ve filled in your details and chosen your password, click on I agree. Create an email account now. Then, select Activate your account now, and you’re done:

Note that, unfortunately, this option won’t allow you to send and receive emails via Outlook or Gmail. You’ll have to log into Mail.com each time you want to use it.
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Method 2: Create an email domain with Zoho Mail

If you already have a domain name (e.g. for your website), you can use Zoho Mail to set up a matching email address for free. This email service offers a variety of plans, including a Forever Free Plan with access for up to five users, 5GB of data, and a 25MB attachment limit.
To set up your free email domain, go to Zoho Mail’s pricing page and scroll down to Forever Free Plan. You’ll find it near the bottom of the page and it’s less obvious than the paid plans.
Next, you’ll need to add your existing domain or buy one through Zoho. You can purchase a domain name for about $10 per year:

Select Add Now beneath Add an existing domain. Then, fill out the information in the popup window:

Once you click on Add, you’ll land in your setup area, where you’ll need to verify your domain using either the TXT, CNAME, or HTML method. Zoho Mail’s detailed setup guide gives you step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish this:

Once you’ve verified your domain, you can create your first email address, which will also become the primary administrator account. Click on Create.
Next, it’s time to configure your email delivery. You’ll need to log into your web hosting portal, head to the DNS manager, and locate the section with your MX information:

Here, you’ll need to add a new record, specify the value as mx.zoho.com
, and set the priority to 10
. The exact steps might differ between companies, so contact your domain registrar or web hosting provider if you’re unsure. You can also check out Zoho Mail’s setup guide for a configuration tutorial using GoDaddy.
Once you save your new MX record, it might require around 30 minutes to take effect. After that, you can log into your account via Zoho and start using your new business email.
Create email with Zoho
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Method 3: Receive a free email domain from Bluehost

This method requires you to purchase a web hosting plan, so it’s not entirely free. However, if you need to host a website anyway, you can use an affordable option such as Bluehost and get a custom domain email address as part of the deal, as well as a free domain name for a year and a free SSL certificate.
This is an excellent choice if you want to establish a professional online presence. It’s easy to set up, works seamlessly with WordPress websites, and gives you many tools to start your first website.
First, head to Bluehost and choose your plan. The cheapest option starts at $2.75 per month, which is still more affordable than purchasing a new domain or a dedicated email hosting service.
Once you’ve selected your plan, you’ll be able to register a website domain. If you’re unsure which name to choose, you can use a domain name generator that will give you suggestions and confirm their availability.
Once you’ve finished setting up your account, log into your Bluehost dashboard and in your control panel go to Advanced → Email Accounts. From here, you’ll be able to configure your email domain.
There are several ways you can start using your new email domain. For instance, you can use Bluehost’s webmail interface, or connect to a popular email client such as Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, or Gmail. Some users prefer this solution because it’s more convenient, as you don’t have to log into your hosting account to check your inbox.
Bluehost offers excellent support documentation, including tutorials on how to connect your Bluehost email to Outlook. You can also follow the instructions on how to set it up via Gmail.
Create email with Bluehost
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Method 4: Get a free email domain from DreamHost

DreamHost offers a custom and free email domain with some of its hosting plans. Again, this method isn’t completely free. However, if you’re also in the market for a hosting provider, this could be a cost-effective solution.
Note that the email domain isn’t free with all of the hosting plans. For example, you’ll need to pay extra for an email address if you choose the Shared Starter package. Therefore, we recommend selecting the DreamPress option, starting at $16.95 per month.
Once you fill in all your details and pay for your hosting package, you’ll be able to choose a custom email domain address. You can do this by heading to your DreamHost dashboard and navigating to Mail → Manage Email.
Next, select Create New Email Address and enter your details. You’ll need to type in your chosen professional email address, password, and how much storage space you’d like to assign your inbox.
From here, you can respond to emails directly from your DreamHost dashboard. Alternatively, you can integrate your new address with a third-party platform such as Outlook. It’s that easy!
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Frequently asked questions about free email domains
We’ve just provided a few different ways to get a free email domain. Now we’ll answer some of the lingering questions that you might have.
Can I pick the exact domain with a free email domain?
With many free email domains, you are not able to choose the exact domain. You’ll need to use a branded address or choose from a list provided by the company. However, if you receive a free email domain through your hosting provider, you’ll typically have full control over the domain name.
Is a free email domain worth it?
A free email domain can be worth it if it reflects your website’s domain name. If you have to choose a random email ending, it will do little to distinguish your address from “hotmail.com”, “yahoo.com”, “gmail.com” or similar. Therefore, we recommend checking to see if your website hosting provider enables you to fully customize your domain and retain your company branding.
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Conclusion
Communicating with your customers using your personal email address doesn’t help your credibility. However, you probably want to avoid additional expenses associated with professional email domains. Unfortunately, free ones are hard to come by, but you do have some options.
The 4 best ways to get a free #email domain for your #business 🆓
To recap, here are the four methods for acquiring a free email domain and free email account that we’ve discussed in this post:
- Mail.com: The best option if you want a completely free email domain and don’t mind using a generic address.
- Zoho Mail: Free or affordable plans for those who already have a domain name.
- Bluehost: Ideal if you need web hosting and a custom email domain.
- DreamHost: Suitable for users who want reliable web hosting with a custom email domain.
If you’re willing to pay a small monthly fee, you can also use Gmail with your own custom domain name via Google Workspace (formerly G Suite). You can learn more in our full Google Workspace email tutorial.
Do you still have any questions about how to create a free branded email address? Ask us in the comments!
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FAQs
How do I completely get a free domain? ›
Hostinger is the best way to get a free domain name. Just sign up for a web hosting plan, and they'll give you a free domain for one year. There are other ways to avoid paying for a domain: using a free subdomain, joining an affiliate program, or using a sketchy ccTLD service.
How can I get a free email? ›- Gmail: Best for Offline Accessibility.
- AOL: Best for Interface Organization.
- Outlook: Best for Multiple App Integrations.
- Yahoo! Mail: Best for Lots of Storage.
- iCloud Mail: Best for IMAP.
- Mozilla Thunderbird: Best for Managing Multiple Accounts.
If you're only interested in a domain name registrar that offers a 100% free domain forever, you can opt for a free domain name registrar. However, it can result in untrustworthy-looking domain extensions, such as . tk, as opposed to a standard .com. As such, we don't recommend this option for small businesses.
Which is the best free domain? ›- Mailchimp All-in-One Marketing Platform.
- Zoho Mail.
- Constant Contact.
- WebsiteBuilder.
- DNSimple.
- OVHcloud.
- SiberName.
- HostMeNow.
Luckily, it's possible to use Gmail with your own domains for free. That way, you can have the best of both worlds — a custom domain email with the convenience of Gmail's interface. You also don't have to log in to different platforms to manage your personal and business emails.
How do I get a free 2022 domain? ›- HostGator (Free Domain With Certain Plans) ...
- Bluehost. ...
- Dreamhost (Free Offer With 12-Month Plans) ...
- Ionos (Free Options Available) ...
- Hostinger. ...
- Inmotion Hosting (free For Certain Plans) ...
- One.com. ...
- Green Geeks.
If you're looking for a free domain name without a hosting plan or a website building platform bundled into the offer, then Freenom is a great choice. It offers five TLDs to choose from: . tk, . ml, .
Are Google domains free? ›Domains start at $7/year. Email forwarding, privacy protection, one-click DNSSEC, Google 2-Step Verification, and more included.
What is the easiest email to set up? ›- Sort your email quickly with labels.
- Easily create filters to automatically organize incoming emails.
- Keep apps like Google Keep, Calendar, and other add-ons right at your fingertips.
- Choose from hundreds of colors or images for your inbox theme.
- Use canned responses to cut down on time you spend writing emails.
- Register Your Domain Name. Choose a reliable domain registrar like Google Domains or Namecheap. ...
- Create Your Google Workspace Business Account. ...
- Verify Your Google Workspace Domain. ...
- Add Google Workspace Users.
What is the safest free email account to have? ›
- ProtonMail.
- Titan.
- Gmail.
- Zoho Mail.
- Bluehost.
- Outlook.
- Startmail.
xyz is a top-level domain name. It was proposed in ICANN's New generic top-level domain (gTLD) Program, and became available to the general public on June 2, 2014. The domain name came about both because the three letters are the last in the Latin-script alphabet, and to refer to people from Generations X, Y, and Z.
Can I make my own domain? ›You can register a domain name from any of the top domain registrars that are authorized by ICANN to register domain names. Since there are so many different registrars, we will cover the three most popular ways to register a domain name, and you can choose the one that best fits your need.
How do I get a lifetime domain name? ›While it's not possible to permanently buy a domain, there are leases for indefinite lengths. The reason for this lies in how domain registration works. Domains such as .com, . net and .
How much does it cost to have your own email domain? ›Price: Business Starter: $6 USD per user, per month. Business Standard: $12 USD per user, per month.
How do I create my own email domain? ›- Step 1: Choose provider. NICs cooperate with various internet service providers. ...
- Step 2: Check e-mail domain. Once you've found a suitable e-mail host, you should check the availability of your desired domain. ...
- Step 3: Register your personal e-mail domain.
- Get a Domain & Hosting Solution. To make a custom, branded email address to use for work, you need a business domain name (e.g., yourbusiness.com). ...
- Choose a Format. ...
- Connect to Your Provider & Create Your Email Address. ...
- Add Your Account to Your Favorite Email App (Optional)
Creating a custom email account requires you to subscribe to a web hosting service. In simple words, a web hosting service is a service that lets you own 'space' on the internet in the form of custom domain names (that you'll use for your email), WordPress websites, and even fully custom websites for your business.