Best UK Hosting With Free Domain (2026)
A free domain saves you £5–15 in year one — but not all "free" deals are equal. We compare 9 UK hosts that include a free domain, reveal what the domain costs at renewal, and rank by first-year total value.
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TL;DR — Top 3 UK Hosts With Free Domain
Our picks balance the free domain value with hosting quality, renewal fairness, and included features.

IONOS
Free .co.uk or .com domain for the first year with all shared plans — hosting from just £1/mo with 200 GB storage and UK data centres

HostArmada
Free domain, daily backups, free SSL, and cloud SSD storage on 9 global locations — from £1.59/mo

DreamHost
Free domain + 97-day money-back guarantee — and one of the smallest renewal markups at just 131%
What "Free Domain" Actually Means
Before comparing hosts, understand exactly what is (and is not) included in a free domain offer.
What IS included
- First year of domain registration (typically .co.uk, .uk, or .com)
- DNS management through your hosting control panel
- Full ownership — you can transfer the domain to another registrar
- WHOIS privacy included free by some hosts (IONOS, Bluehost, DreamHost)
What to watch out for
- Domain renewal after year one (£8–18/year depending on extension)
- WHOIS privacy sometimes charged extra (£3–10/year)
- 60-day transfer lock on new domains (ICANN policy, not provider-specific)
- Premium extensions (.io, .dev, .london) usually not covered
Free Domain Hosting — Full Comparison Table
All 9 UK hosts offering free domain registration, ranked by cheapest intro price. Features and included extras shown side-by-side.
| # | Provider | Score | From | Renewal | Uptime | Free SSL | Backups | Money-Back | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ![]() | 7.8 | £1.49/mo | £7.89/mo | 99.9% | 100 | None | ||
| 2 | ![]() | 7.0 | £2.49/mo | £6.99/mo | 99.9% | 1 | 14 days | ||
| 3 | ![]() | 7.6 | £4.99/mo | £14.03/mo | 99.9% | 100 | 30 days | ||
| 4 | ![]() | 8.0 | £5.00/mo | £8.00/mo | 99.99% | 5 | 30 days | ||
| 5 | ![]() | 7.8 | £5.75/mo | £5.00/mo | 99.99% | 1 | 30 days | ||
| 6 | ![]() | 8.0 | £5.96/mo | £5.99/mo | 100% | 5 | 97 days | ||
| 7 | ![]() | 8.5 | £7.42/mo | £7.96/mo | 99.9% | ∞ | 45 days | ||
| 8 | ![]() | 7.8 | £7.45/mo | £10.99/mo | 99.9% | 5 | 30 days | ||
| 9 | ![]() | 7.9 | £12.30/mo | £12.99/mo | 99.99% | 5 | 90 days |
Free Domain Renewal Costs — What You Pay After Year 1
Your domain is free in year one, but you will pay renewal fees from year two onwards. Here is what each provider charges to renew the most popular UK extensions.
| Provider | .co.uk Renewal | .com Renewal | Year 1 Saving | WHOIS Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | £10/yr | £13/yr | £10–13 saved | £3–10/yr |
![]() | £8/yr | £12/yr | £8–12 saved | £3–10/yr |
![]() | £15/yr | £18/yr | £15–18 saved | £3–10/yr |
![]() | £10/yr | £15/yr | £10–15 saved | Free |
![]() | £8/yr | £12/yr | £8–12 saved | £3–10/yr |
![]() | £9/yr | £12/yr | £9–12 saved | Free |
![]() | £12/yr | £14/yr | £12–14 saved | £3–10/yr |
![]() | £14/yr | £18/yr | £14–18 saved | Free |
![]() | £13/yr | £16/yr | £13–16 saved | £3–10/yr |
💡 Pro Tip: After year one you can transfer your domain to a cheaper registrar. See our domain price comparison to find the best renewal rates across all UK registrars.
First-Year Total Value — Hosting + Free Domain
The true first-year value includes hosting cost plus the domain you would have paid for separately. Sorted by best overall deal.
| Provider | Year 1 Hosting | Domain Saved | Effective Cost | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | £12 | -£10 | £2 | 8.0 |
![]() | £19 | -£12 | £7 | 8.5 |
![]() | £26 | -£10 | £16 | 7.8 |
![]() | £35 | -£15 | £20 | 7.6 |
![]() | £35 | -£14 | £21 | 7.8 |
![]() | £31 | -£9 | £22 | 8.0 |
![]() | £36 | -£13 | £23 | 7.9 |
![]() | £36 | -£8 | £28 | 7.0 |
![]() | £60 | -£8 | £52 | 7.8 |
Free Domain Hosts — Detailed Provider Breakdown
In-depth look at the top free-domain UK hosts, including plan specs, domain details, and who each provider suits best.

#1 Flashcloud
From £1.49/mo · Free domain included · 99.9% uptime
Flashcloud is a refreshingly transparent hosting provider launched by industry veterans who set out to fix the common pain points of traditional web hosting — confusing pricing, restricted features, and inadequate support. Their value proposition is genuinely strong: every plan includes a free domain for life, free daily backups with 30-day history, a free handcrafted starter website, WAF protection, and an anytime prorated money-back guarantee. The LiteSpeed + NVMe SSD infrastructure delivers solid performance, and the pricing is remarkably competitive starting from just £2.20/month. The main drawback for UK audiences is the lack of a British data centre — their closest European location is Frankfurt, which adds some latency compared to London-based competitors. As a newer provider, they also lack the extensive track record of established players. That said, the transparent pricing model (renewal rates clearly published upfront) and the sheer volume of included features make Flashcloud an excellent option for small businesses and bloggers who value simplicity and honesty over brand recognition. New customers can use code COMPAREUK10 for 10% off Web Hosting and WordPress Hosting plans.

#2 123 Reg
From £2.49/mo · Free domain included · 99.9% uptime
123 Reg is the UK's largest accredited domain registrar, managing over 3.5 million domains since its founding in 2000. Part of the Host Europe Group since 2017, they've grown from a pure domain registrar into a full hosting provider offering shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, and domain registration. Their eco-friendly data centres in Maidenhead, Cambridge, and Leeds keep data firmly in the UK, and all shared plans include cPanel — a rarity at this price point. The main concerns are around reliability and pricing transparency. Independent uptime monitoring shows a mixed track record that doesn't always meet the advertised 99.9% guarantee. Pricing is also somewhat misleading: all advertised rates exclude 20% VAT, and introductory prices roughly double on renewal (Economy goes from £2.99 to £6.99/month ex-VAT, or £8.39 inc-VAT). The 14-day money-back guarantee is notably shorter than the industry-standard 30 days. That said, for UK small businesses primarily needing domain registration with straightforward shared hosting, 123 Reg's brand recognition, cPanel access, and UK data centres make them a reasonable choice — just go in with realistic expectations about uptime and long-term costs.

#3 HostPapa
From £4.99/mo · Free domain included · 99.9% uptime
HostPapa is a solid choice for small businesses and beginners who prioritise excellent customer support and eco-friendly hosting. Their multilingual 24/7 support consistently earns praise, and the 100% green energy commitment appeals to environmentally conscious users. However, the significant gap between intro and renewal pricing, lack of free automated backups, and absence of UK data centres hold it back from the top tier.

#4 IONOS
From £5.00/mo · Free domain included · 99.99% uptime
IONOS (formerly 1&1) offers excellent value for UK users with dedicated resources, fast UK servers, and unusually transparent pricing. The assigned personal consultant is a unique touch, though the interface feels less modern than competitors.

#5 Fasthosts
From £5.75/mo · Free domain included · 99.99% uptime
Fasthosts is one of the UK's most established hosting providers, founded in 1998 and now managing over 1.1 million domain names. Their standout feature is genuinely premium UK infrastructure: a Tier-IV certified data centre in Worcester (opened 2022, £21 million investment) alongside London facilities, all powered by 100% renewable energy with ISO 27001 security certification. The 99.99% uptime SLA is backed by recorded reliability that consistently exceeds it. They're one of the few budget-friendly UK hosts offering both Windows and Linux hosting across shared and VPS plans, making them a strong choice for .NET developers. The main consideration is pricing: Fasthosts uses aggressive introductory discounts (shared from £1/month) that increase substantially on renewal. Their custom control panel works well but isn't cPanel, which may require adjustment for users migrating from other hosts. VPS plans are excellent value starting from £3/month with NVMe storage and 1 Gbit/s bandwidth, though they're unmanaged with Plesk as a paid add-on. For UK businesses prioritising established reputation, green credentials, and enterprise-grade data centre infrastructure, Fasthosts is a compelling choice — just be aware of post-introductory pricing.

#6 DreamHost
From £5.96/mo · Free domain included · 100% uptime
DreamHost differentiates itself with exceptional guarantees: 97-day refund window and 100% uptime commitment. As an employee-owned company officially recommended by WordPress.org, they prioritize transparency over aggressive upselling, making them ideal for WordPress users seeking long-term value.
What About Hosts Without a Free Domain?
Some excellent hosts do not include a free domain. If hosting quality matters more than a bundled domain, these are worth considering — you can register a domain separately from £1/year.

AccuWeb Hosting
From £1.48/mo · No free domain
Businesses needing Windows hosting or a choice between Linux and Windows with a London data centre
Review
EuroDNS
From £1.72/mo · No free domain
European businesses, domain investors, and SMBs who want a reliable EU-based ICANN-accredited registrar with 800+ TLD extensions, ISO 27001-certified infrastructure, managed WordPress hosting with Jetpack, and multilingual support — all backed by servers in Luxembourg and Germany
Review
Dynadot
From £1.87/mo · No free domain
Domain investors, small businesses, and individuals who want affordable, transparent domain registration with free WHOIS privacy across 500+ TLD extensions — and a simple drag-and-drop website builder for basic sites
Review
SiteGround
From £1.99/mo · No free domain
WordPress users who prioritize performance, security, and exceptional customer support
Review
HawkHost
From £3.35/mo · No free domain
Budget-conscious users who want LiteSpeed performance with a London data centre
ReviewBest Free Domain Hosting for Beginners
Starting your first website? These hosts bundle a free domain with easy setup tools so you can get online without separate registrar hassle.
Best Free Domain Hosting for Small Business
Small businesses benefit most from bundled domains — fewer accounts to manage, one renewal date, and often professional email thrown in.

IONOS
99.99% uptime SLA, UK data centres, scalable plans, and free .co.uk domain from £1/mo

InMotion Hosting
Free domain, 90-day money-back guarantee, and business-class shared hosting from £3.19/mo

Fasthosts
UK-headquartered, free .co.uk domain, no renewal price increase — £5/mo forever
Read our full best free domain hosting for small business guide
Cheapest Hosting With Free Domain
If budget is your top priority, these hosts offer free domain registration on their most affordable plans.
Looking beyond free domains? Our cheap web hosting UK guide ranks all budget hosts by value. For domain-only pricing, see our domain comparison page. Or use the hosting calculator for a personalised recommendation.
Free Domain Hosting — Frequently Asked Questions
Which UK hosting providers include a free domain?
Is the free domain really free, or are there hidden costs?
What happens to my free domain after the first year?
Can I transfer my free domain to another registrar?
Which free domain extensions are included?
Is it better to buy hosting and domain separately?
Do free domain hosts also include free email?
What is the best hosting with free domain for WordPress?
Ready to Get Hosting With a Free Domain?
Use our calculator to get a personalised recommendation based on your needs, or explore our full comparison of all 23 UK hosting providers.
