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If you’re starting a new website or blog, one of the first decisions you’ll make is which hosting provider to sign up with, and one thing that can quietly save you money right out of the gate is a host that throws in a free domain name.
A domain name usually costs $10 to $20 a year on its own, so getting one bundled with your hosting plan is a nice head start, especially if you’re watching your budget for a first site. But “free domain” isn’t the only thing worth comparing. Speed, uptime, storage, backups, and what happens to the price after the first year all matter just as much, and hosts don’t always make those details easy to find.
In this article, I’ll walk you through some of the best WordPress hosting providers that include a free domain name, what you actually get at each price point, and what to watch out for once the introductory pricing ends. I’ve also included a short FAQ at the end for the questions I get asked most often about this topic.
Let’s get started.
WordPress Host | Starting Price | Free Domain | Domain Renewal (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
$2.99/mo | 1st Year | $14.99/yr | |
$3.99/mo | 1st Year | $15.99/yr | |
$1.99/mo | 1st Year | $14.99/yr | |
$3.75/mo | 1st Year | $19.99/yr | |
$2.89/mo | 1st Year | $19.99/yr | |
$2.95/mo | 1st Year | $17.95/yr | |
$2.95/mo | 1st Year | $14.99/yr | |
$4.59/mo | 1st Year (12+ mo terms) | $19.99/yr |
Prices reflect long-term promotional pricing (typically 36 to 48 month terms) at the time of writing and can change. Always confirm current pricing on the provider’s site before you buy.
I’ll go over their features and pricing in more detail below so you can make the right decision for your site.
1. Hostinger
Hostinger remains one of the most affordable WordPress hosting providers on the market, and it still includes a free domain name on its higher plans.
It offers fast, LiteSpeed-powered hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and its custom hPanel control panel makes it easy to install WordPress in one click, take backups, and manage server resources without needing any technical background.
Hostinger also throws in free SSL, free site migration if you’re moving from another host, and an AI-assisted setup and troubleshooting tool that handles a good chunk of common WordPress issues automatically.
Key features of Hostinger:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Free Site Migration
- Free SSL
- Weekly Automatic Backups
- AI Website Builder and AI Troubleshooting
- LiteSpeed Servers
- 24/7 Support
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- Multiple Data Centers
Let’s take a look at the pricing plans of Hostinger:
Hostinger’s entry-level plan starts at $2.99/month on a long-term commitment, but the free domain is only included from the Starter/Premium tier and up. Its cheapest plan doesn’t include one, so double-check that before you buy.
Hostinger is a solid pick if your main priority is keeping monthly costs as low as possible while still getting decent performance, and its 30-day money-back guarantee gives you room to test it out.
2. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of only a few hosts officially recommended by WordPress.org, which says something about how closely the two have worked together over the years.
It offers fast, secure WordPress hosting built to handle everyday traffic while automatically applying WordPress core updates, so your site stays current without any manual work on your end.
What continues to make Bluehost popular is how little setup it asks of you. The 1-click installer gets WordPress running immediately, and its AI website builder can put together a first draft of a site from a short description.
Key features of Bluehost:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Automatic Malware Scanning
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- Automatic WordPress Updates
- AI Website Builder
- Free SSL and Free CDN
- 24/7 Support
Let’s take a look at the pricing of Bluehost:
Bluehost’s pricing starts at $3.99/month on a long-term plan, and every plan includes a free domain for the first year. Just know that renewal pricing jumps meaningfully after your first term, so it’s worth budgeting for that ahead of time.
Whether you’re launching your first site or managing a handful of them, Bluehost remains one of the more beginner-friendly, well-supported options for WordPress hosting.
3. MilesWeb
MilesWeb WordPress hosting is built around speed, security, and simplicity, and it’s a newer name on this list worth taking seriously if you want modern infrastructure without a steep price tag.
It runs on NVMe storage and LiteSpeed servers, backed by automatic daily backups, free SSL, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Its WordPress hosting plans also include an AI website builder, AI-driven speed optimization, one-click WordPress installation, automatic updates, staging environments, and WP-CLI and SSH access for anyone who wants deeper control.
Key features of MilesWeb WordPress Hosting:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Free Website Migration
- Free SSL
- Daily Automatic Backups
- AI Website Builder
- AI Agent for WordPress
- LiteSpeed Server
- Cloudflare CDN
- Automatic WordPress Updates
- WordPress Staging
- WP-CLI and SSH Access
- Malicious Software Detection and Removal
- 24/7 Expert Support
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- NVMe Storage
MilesWeb’s Starter plan begins at $1.99/month for one website with 10 GB of NVMe storage, a free domain for the first year, daily backups, AI features, and SSL. The Premium plan starts at $2.49/month and supports up to 25 websites with 50 GB of NVMe storage, while the Business plan begins at $3.49/month with 100 GB across up to 50 websites. For larger needs, the Cloud Startup plan offers up to 100 websites and 150 GB of NVMe storage for $6.99/month. Every plan comes with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If you want NVMe-level speed and a genuinely useful set of WordPress-specific tools (staging, WP-CLI, AI speed optimization) without paying for it, MilesWeb is worth putting on your shortlist.
4. HostGator
HostGator has been around since 2002, making it one of the longest-running hosts still active today, and it currently powers a large share of websites worldwide.
It offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, 1-click WordPress installs, and free site transfers if you’re bringing an existing site over. Its control panel is straightforward, letting you scale resources and manage accounts without much of a learning curve.
Key features of HostGator:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Free SSL Certificate
- Free Site Migration
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- Cloudflare CDN
Let’s take a look at the pricing of the HostGator Shared Hosting plans:
HostGator’s entry-level shared plan starts at $3.75/month with a free domain included for the first year on 12-month-plus terms. Just note that domain renewal fees on HostGator tend to run a bit higher than average (around $19.99/year for a .com), so factor that into your second-year budget.
HostGator is a reasonable pick if you’re migrating an existing site or want a host with a long track record and familiar cPanel-based management.
5. DreamHost
DreamHost is one of the more transparent hosts on this list, with a 100% uptime guarantee and pricing that’s easier to predict than most competitors.
Its shared hosting plans are unusually generous on paper, letting you host a large number of websites with unmetered bandwidth and storage on even the entry-level plan. DreamHost also builds in daily automated backups and free privacy protection, both of which some other hosts charge extra for.
Key features of DreamHost:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Unmetered Bandwidth and Storage
- Free SSL
- Daily Automated Backups
- Free Privacy Protection
- Free Automated Site Migration
- 97-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Let’s take a look at the pricing of DreamHost:
DreamHost’s pricing starts around $2.89/month on a long-term plan, and it includes a free domain for the first year. It’s also one of the only hosts on this list where the free domain can keep renewing at no charge for as long as you stay on an active shared hosting plan, which is a meaningful long-term saving compared to hosts that only cover year one.
If you want a host that’s straightforward about pricing and doesn’t push a lot of upsells, DreamHost is one of the more trustworthy picks here.
6. GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is built around eco-friendly hosting, matching the energy it uses with renewable energy credits, which has made it the default choice for site owners who care about their hosting’s environmental footprint.
Beyond the sustainability angle, it delivers solid, dependable shared hosting performance with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and built-in scalability as your traffic grows. It also takes security seriously, offering nightly backups, proactive monitoring, and real-time malware scanning as standard.
Key features of GreenGeeks:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Free Site Migration
- Free SSL
- Built-in Caching
- Nightly Backups
- Free CDN
- Unlimited Databases
Let’s take a look at the pricing of GreenGeeks:
GreenGeeks starts at around $2.95/month for its Lite plan, and a free domain name is included for the first year on all plans. It’s priced competitively with the rest of this list, so choosing GreenGeeks doesn’t mean paying a premium for the sustainability angle.
If environmental impact plays into your buying decisions, GreenGeeks is one of the few hosts that lets you act on that without giving up performance or reliability.
7. HostPapa
HostPapa is a Canada-based host that leans into hands-on support, including a free one-on-one onboarding call with a real person, something you won’t find at most hosts in this price range.
It uses NVMe storage across its plans, along with automatic backups, free SSL, and website monitoring to catch problems early. Its 24/7 support team is available in multiple languages, which is worth knowing if English isn’t your first language.
Key features of HostPapa:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Free SSL
- Free Site Migration
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- Free Domain for the First Year
- Multilingual 24/7 Support
- NVMe Storage
Let’s take a look at the pricing of HostPapa:
HostPapa’s pricing starts at around $2.95/month, and a free domain name for the first year comes bundled with its plans. Like most hosts on this list, renewal pricing increases after your introductory term, so it’s worth reading the fine print before committing to a longer contract.
HostPapa is a good option if you’re new to hosting and want a real person walking you through setup rather than figuring it out entirely on your own.
8. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting rounds out this list with fast, secure hosting and a longer-than-average refund window, giving you more time to decide if it’s the right fit.
Its control panel makes WordPress installation a one-click process, and its plans include unmetered bandwidth so you don’t have to watch your traffic numbers closely. InMotion also runs its own US-based data centers and provides US-based support, which some buyers prefer over outsourced support teams.
Key features of InMotion Hosting:
- 1-Click WordPress Installation
- Free SSL
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- SSD/NVMe Storage
- 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee
- 24/7/365 US-Based Support
Let’s take a look at the pricing of InMotion Hosting’s shared hosting plans:
InMotion Hosting’s WordPress plans start around $4.59/month, and a free domain is included on 12-month-plus terms. Its entry-level tier doesn’t bundle automatic backups the way some competitors do, so you may want to add a backup plugin or upgrade a tier if that matters to you.
InMotion is a solid choice if US-based infrastructure and support are a priority, or if you expect to eventually need more horsepower than basic shared hosting offers.
Conclusion
There’s no single “best” WordPress host with a free domain, it really comes down to what you need most from your hosting.
- If you want the lowest possible starting price with genuinely fast, modern infrastructure, MilesWeb and Hostinger are both worth starting with, MilesWeb in particular stands out for its NVMe storage and AI-assisted speed optimization at a very low entry price.
- If you want the most beginner-friendly setup with an official WordPress.org endorsement, Bluehost is hard to beat.
- If pricing transparency and a genuine long-term free domain matter to you, DreamHost is the strongest pick on this list.
- If sustainability is part of your decision, GreenGeeks delivers solid performance without a green premium.
- If you’d rather have a real person guide you through setup, HostPapa‘s onboarding call is a nice touch.
- And if you want US-based infrastructure and support with room to scale later, InMotion Hosting or HostGator are both dependable, established options.
Whichever you choose, remember that the “free” domain is really only free for the first year (with DreamHost’s ongoing exception noted above), so look past the introductory price and check the renewal rate before you commit to a multi-year plan.
Still have questions or doubts about any of the hosts on this list? Feel free to comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all WordPress hosts offer a free domain name?
No. Most hosts only bundle a free domain with annual or multi-year plans, and some exclude their cheapest entry-level tier entirely. Always check which specific plan includes the free domain before signing up.
What happens to my domain after the first year?
In almost all cases, the domain renews at the host’s standard registrar rate, typically $10 to $20 a year depending on the extension. DreamHost is a notable exception, since its free domain can keep renewing at no cost as long as you stay on an active shared hosting plan.
Is it better to get a free domain from my host, or buy one separately from a registrar?
Getting it from your host is more convenient and saves you a step at setup, but it also means your domain and hosting are tied to the same account, which can make switching hosts later slightly more involved. If you plan to keep the same host long-term, bundling is usually fine. If you want more flexibility, buying your domain separately from a dedicated registrar is worth considering.
Can I use a domain I already own instead of the free one?
Yes. Every host on this list lets you connect an existing domain instead of claiming the free one, though you’ll usually need to update your domain’s nameservers or DNS records to point to your new host.
Which of these hosts is best if I want to run several WordPress sites?
DreamHost and MilesWeb both stand out here, since even their entry-level plans support hosting a relatively high number of websites. If you’re only running one or two sites for now, most of the hosts on this list will comfortably cover you.
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