How to Get a Free Email Domain: 4 Easy Methods

When you’re running a business, having a professional-looking email domain that matches your brand is crucial. Relying on a personal email address for business communications can seem unprofessional and might affect how customers view your credibility. While most well-known email providers don’t offer free email domains, there are still ways to get one, and we’re going to show you the best of those ways today.

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 alongside. Let’s dive right in!

How to get a free email domain in 2024

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

To recap, here are the four methods for acquiring a free email domain and free email account that we’ve discussed in this post:

1. Mail.com: The best option if you want a completely free email domain and don’t mind using a generic address.
2. Zoho Mail: Free or affordable plans for those who already have a domain name.
3. Bluehost: Ideal if you need web hosting and a custom email domain.
4. 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.

FAQs about free email domains

Do you still have any questions about how to create a free branded email address? Ask us in the comments!