Free Domain with Hosting
A free domain with hosting is a first-year registration waiver tied to a paid annual hosting plan, not a free name for life. From year two the domain renews at the normal rate — ₹1,480 a year for a .com at WebJi®, before 18% GST — and it is yours only if the registrant record names you.
For Indian site owners comparing bundle offers, who want the real three-year cost and proof that the name will be theirs.
knowledge
- Read time
- 5 min
- Sections
- 8
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026. Prices follow the dated sources on this page; checkout confirms current charges.
How a free domain with hosting offer works
A free domain with hosting is a first-year registration waiver: the host pays the registry for year one and recovers that cost inside an annual hosting bill. The registry never stops charging, so year two of the name, and every year after, is billed at the normal renewal rate.
Three quite different products are sold under the same "free domain" headline, and the difference decides who controls the name.
| Offer | What you get | Do you own a domain? | What you still pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free subdomain | yourname.hostname.com on a free host | No — the parent name is the host's | Nothing, until you need a real name |
| Bring your own name | Free hosting that accepts a domain you registered elsewhere | Yes, if you are the registrant | The registration, every year |
| First-year waiver | A .com or .in at ₹0 in year one with an annual plan | Only if the record names you | The hosting plan, and renewals from year two |
If you only need a test address, the subdomain route is genuinely free; the limits of free hosting explains what else that route gives up.
What a free domain really costs over three years
A "free" domain still costs two renewal years in a three-year window, and for most extensions those two years are worth more than the year that was waived. The renewal price, not the headline, is the number to compare.
| Extension | Registration (₹/yr) | Renewal (₹/yr) | 3 years if year one is waived | 3 years paid normally |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | 1,380 | 1,480 | ₹2,960 | ₹4,340 |
| .in | 1,000 | 1,000 | ₹2,000 | ₹3,000 |
| .co.in | 809 | 877 | ₹1,754 | ₹2,563 |
| .xyz | 1,754 | 1,957 | ₹3,914 | ₹5,668 |
The waiver saves exactly one registration fee — ₹1,380 on a .com — and nothing more. Hosts that waive a cheap-to-register extension with a high renewal are relying on the renewal to recover the cost, so read the year-two line before the year-one line. The domain and hosting cost guide adds both bills for a typical small site.
Which extensions a free domain offer covers
Only the extensions named in the offer are free; everything else is billed at the normal price even when the hosting plan qualifies. A waiver on .com rarely extends to .co.in, and premium or short names are almost always excluded.
- Named list: the offer page should print the exact extensions. If it says "a free domain" without a list, ask.
- Term condition: most waivers need a 12-month or longer hosting term; monthly plans usually do not qualify.
- Premium names: registry-premium names carry their own price and are not waived.
- Taxes and fees: GST still applies to the hosting line, and some registrars pass registry fees through.
Who owns a domain that came free with hosting
You own the domain only if the registrant on the record is you, not the host. Check the registrant, registrar and expiry date with a WHOIS domain lookup the day the name is registered.
Where WHOIS privacy hides the contact, log into the registrar panel and confirm the registrant name and email are yours. You also need access to that email, because transfer codes and renewal notices go there. A subdomain has no registrant record at all, which is why it can never be transferred.
What happens to the free domain if you cancel hosting
Cancelling hosting takes the website offline, but a domain registered in your name stays registered until its paid expiry date. The risk sits in the offer's terms: some waivers are clawed back or billed if the plan is cancelled early.
- Read the cancellation clause for the domain, not just the hosting refund.
- Wait out the lock. New registrations are usually locked against transfer for 60 days.
- Get the auth code from the registrar account and start a domain transfer to a registrar you choose.
- Close the old hosting last, only after the name shows under your control at the new registrar.
How WebJi® bills the domain and the hosting
WebJi® does not bundle a free domain; the name and the hosting are two separate lines, each confirmed before you pay and each taxed at 18% GST. Separating them means the domain never depends on the hosting plan staying active.
Webji Launch shared hosting is ₹299 a month or ₹2,868 for one year before GST. A .in on top is ₹1,000, so the first-year bill for both is ₹3,868 before tax. You can also register a name now and host it later — it can carry email first. Questions go to support@webji.services, answered 24/7 in Hindi and English with an average first reply under 60 minutes. The step-by-step order process is in how to buy a domain name in India.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free domain with hosting better value than buying the name separately?
Only if you wanted that host's annual plan anyway. The waiver saves one year's registration, for example ₹1,380 on a .com at WebJi® prices. If the bundled hosting costs more than a plan you would otherwise choose, the saving disappears.
Can I choose a .in instead of a .com in a free-domain offer?
Only when .in is on the offer's printed list. Many Indian offers do include .in because its registration cost is lower, but .co.in and newer extensions are often left out. Anything off the list is billed at its normal price.
Will the free domain renew automatically with the hosting?
It renews as a separate charge at the normal rate, often on the same date as the hosting. Keep auto-renew on and a working card or wallet saved; the domain renewal guide covers the grace and redemption periods if a payment fails.
Is a free subdomain bad for SEO?
Not directly, but any rankings and links it earns stay attached to the host's domain. Moving to your own name later means redirects you may not be allowed to set. A business that plans to stay should start on a domain it owns.
Do I need a GST number to buy a domain and hosting from WebJi®?
No. Individuals can order without a GSTIN. A registered business can add its GSTIN at checkout so the invoice shows the details needed when assessing input tax credit on the 18% GST charged.
Prices checked against WebJi® billing on 14 November 2026 · Reviewed by the WebJi® team, Jaipur.
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