November 15, 2020
What is the difference between free and paid domain names?
When choosing a domain name, deciding between a free domain and paid domain should not be a difficult decision.
There are many blog beginners who will opt for a free domain for domain registration over a paid domain and this article will explain the advantages and disadvantages of free domains, and also who the free domain may be more suitable for.
Some common free domain extensions are .CO.CC, .TK, .ML, and .GA . They are provided by free domain name registrars and are valid for just one year. Let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of having a free domains.
Advantages:
It’s Free: The most obvious reason is a free domain names provide one year free domain registration, therefore these kinds of free domains are ideal for websites or blogs which remain active for less than one year.
Web Development: Not sure if web development is right for you? Free domains could be useful for enhancing your web development skills without having to pay for domain registration.
No Payment Required: If your stuck in a financial crunch, a free domain registration could be a good start.
Useful for One-Time Events: Free domains could be useful for one-time events such as college fest websites or competitions, simply because these websites are used only until the completion of the event. After that, they are not useful therefore registering a free domain name for this kind of websites could be worthwhile.
Disadvantages:
Free Domain Appears Unprofessional: When visitors come across your website, most people will be aware that your domain name is a free domain and will not take it seriously. The bounce rate will more than likely, be extremely high. Having a free domain name is simply not regarded as a good business practice. Visitors could possibly consider it as spam and become wary of browsing a website with an uncommon domain name extension. In order for your website to have a serious and professional appearance, free domain names can easily hurt your potential customers. Considering that free domains will often be related to malware distribution, your online business could be affected.
No Legal Ownership: Since you will not be the legal owner of the domain name, it’s not possible to hold the free domain registrar accountable for what they could do with your domain. When signing up, you basically permit them to hold all legal rights and could shut you down without prior warning or notice. It’s not worth the risk of losing all your hard work and time you invested. It may just simply disappear for no good reason. Should a free domain be your only option, be sure to read the legal terms and conditions of the free domain registrar.
Free Domain Limitations: Another disadvantage of using a free domain is it will leave you with very little options for your website to expand and grow. Most web hosting companies do not allow free domains, leaving you with a free web host as your only option. Furthermore, the majority of software companies could reject your application upon discovering that your domain name is “free”. In a nutshell, it’s basically impossible to have your website flourish.
Conclusion:
Using a free domain name should be avoided at all costs unless it’s absolutely necessary. The cons of using a free domain heavily out-weigh the pros.
We do offer a free domain with our annual web hosting plans. We have over 40 Top Level Domains to choose from with plans starting at only $9.99 for one year. You could signup for this special offer here.