Free Domain Hosting Research 2026

Free Domain + Hosting Research 2026 — Best Options for Indian Users

Freenom is dead

Freenom closed free TLDs (.tk/.ml/.ga/.cf/.gq) in 2023–2025. As of 2026, there is no legitimate free custom domain like yourname.in. You will still need to buy a domain if you want full ownership and brand trust.

What IS free in 2026

Platform	Free URL type	Notes
GitHub Pages	username.github.io/repo	Subdomain only
Cloudflare Pages	name.pages.dev	Subdomain
Vercel	name.vercel.app	Subdomain
Netlify	name.netlify.app	Subdomain
Firebase Hosting	name.web.app	Subdomain

All these give you a free subdomain, but not a free custom domain.

Best stack for India

Best free stack: Cloudflare Pages + name.pages.dev

• Global CDN from Cloudflare
• Automatic HTTPS
• Git-based deployment
• Better performance than GitHub Pages
• If you later buy shaktitiwari.in, it easily connects

Cheapest paid domains India

Domain	Approx Cost/year	Where to Buy
.in	₹300–500	Namecheap, GoDaddy, Porkbun
.com	₹500–800	Same registrars
.dev	₹800–1200	Same registrars

My recommendation

1. Short term: Use shaktitiwari.pages.dev via Cloudflare Pages
2. Medium term: Buy shaktitiwari.in (₹300–500/year)
3. Connect both: Cloudflare Pages + custom domain when ready

SEO truth

Free subdomains rank, but 30–40% lower CTR than custom domains. Google treats subdomains as platform content; custom domains feel like brands.

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Tags: GitHub Pages, free domain, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, Netlify, web hosting India 2026, SEO, custom domain