How to Get an Email Domain for Your Business – 100% Free

If you want to create a professional and trustworthy image for your business, having a custom email domain is essential. A custom email domain is an email address that includes your business/website domain name, such as name@yourbusiness.com. It shows you are serious about your brand and helps you stand out.

But, getting a custom email domain can be expensive, especially if you are starting or have a tight budget. The good news is that there are some ways to get a free custom email domain for your business without compromising quality or security.

This guide will show you how to get an email domain for your business for free with Zoho Mail and DreamHost. Also, we will discuss their pros and cons to help you choose the best option for you.

What is a Business Email Domain, and Why Do You Need One?

A business email domain is a part of your email address after the @ symbol, such as name@yourbusiness.com. It is also known as a custom email domain, which is unique to your business and brand.

Having a business email domain can have many benefits for your business, such as:

• You can create a professional and consistent image for your business. Having a personalized business email domain can show that you are serious about your business and care about the quality of your communication. It can also help you stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself from your competitors.
• Build trust and credibility with your customers, partners, and peers. It shows that you are the owner or representative of your business and that you have the authority to speak on its behalf. It can also help you avoid spam filters and phishing attacks, as your email address will be more recognizable and trustworthy.
• You can use it to promote your website and brand. It helps you increase your brand awareness and visibility every time you send or receive an email. It can also help you drive more traffic to your website, as your email address will contain your domain name and make it easier for people to find you online.

As you can see, having a business email domain can be a valuable asset for your business. However, obtaining a personalized email domain can be challenging – particularly if you’re on a budget or need more technical skills. 

But worry not! Later in this guide, we will show you how to get a free email domain name for your business.

Can You Really Get a Free Custom Email Domain?

You might be wondering how some service providers can offer you a free custom email domain when most web hosting and email providers charge a fee for this service. 

However, there is a catch! Some web hosting and email providers include a free custom domain name as part of their plans or promotions, which means you can get a free custom email domain for the first year or longer, with certain limitations (e.g., storage space, user count, etc.). Once you hit those limits, you have to upgrade to the paid plan.

For your convenience, we have found three options that offer you a free custom email domain for your business: Zoho Mail, Mail.Com, and DreamHost.

In the following section, we will go over each service in detail.

Option #1: Get a Free Custom Email Domain with Zoho Mail

If you own a domain name for your website, then Zoho Mail is a great option to get a free custom email domain for your business. This email service provides various plans, including a Forever Free Plan that gives 5GB of data and a 25MB attachment limit for up to five users for a single email domain.

Follow the steps below to get your first free email domain:

1. Visit Zoho Mail’s pricing page and scroll down to locate the “Forever Free Plan.”

2. Next, you’ll have to either add your existing domain or purchase one through Zoho. If you have one, then Choose “Add Now” under “Add an existing domain.”

3. On the subsequent screen, fill out all the necessary information and press the “Add Now” button at the bottom.

4. Now, you’ll see the domain verification area, where you must verify your domain using the TXT, CNAME, or HTML method. If you are not familiar with the verification process, you can check out Zoho’s step-by-step setup guide, which will walk you through the whole process.

5. Once your email domain authentication (verification), you can proceed to create your first email address on the next page, as shown in the image below;

Note: The email address you created will also serve as the primary administrator account.

Pros of Using Zoho Mail

✅ Free Plan: Zoho Mail offers a generous Forever Free Plan that allows you to create up to five custom email addresses with your own domain name.

✅ Easy Access: You get a user-friendly web interface and mobile app to access and manage your emails from anywhere.

✅ Email Protocols: It supports IMAP and POP protocols that allow you to use third-party email clients such as Outlook or Gmail with your custom email address.

✅ 360° Integration: Zoho Mail integrates with other Zoho products and services to help you run and grow your business online.

Cons of Using Zoho Mail

❌  Limited Free Plan: The free plan comes with a few limitations, such as 5 GB of storage per user and 25 MB of attachment size

❌  Complicated Verification Process: To use Zoho Mail, you have to verify your domain name by adding some DNS records to your domain’s settings, which can be a technical and complicated process for some users.

❌  Limited Features: Its free plan does not include some advanced features, such as email forwarding, email backup, email analytics, and custom branding.

Option #2: Get a Free Custom Email Domain with DreamHost

DreamHost provides a personalized business email domain when you sign up for its web hosting plan. It’s important to note that this method is only partially free, but it can be a cost-effective solution if you’re looking for a hosting provider anyway.

Keep in mind that not all hosting plans include a free email domain. For instance, the Shared Starter package requires an additional payment for an email address. Therefore, we suggest you opt for the DreamPress option, which costs $16.95 monthly.

Once you’ve provided all your information and paid for the hosting package, you can choose your custom email domain address. Simply head to your DreamHost dashboard and go to Mail → Manage Email.

Select “Create New Email Address” and fill in your details, including your chosen professional email address, password, and desired inbox storage space.

Afterward, you can easily respond to emails directly from your DreamHost dashboard or integrate your new address with third-party platforms like Outlook.

 It really is just as easy as that!

Pros of Using DreamHost

✅ Free Email Domain: DreamHost offers a free business email domain with its “DreamPress” web hosting plan.

✅ Accessibility: By using DreamHost’s web interface and mobile app, you can manage your emails from anywhere.

✅ Additional Features: Along with web hosting and a free business email domain, you get some useful features, such as spam and virus protection, online storage, a calendar, and contacts.

Cons of Using DreamHost

❌  Not 100% Free: DreamHost’s method is only partially free, as you will need to pay for the web hosting plan that includes the email domain feature.

❌  Extra Charges on Starter Plan: To get a personalized email domain with Starter Plan, you have to pay an additional $1.67 per month.

Wrapping Up

Indeed, having a custom email domain for your business can increase your brand credibility and make it more recognized. But, getting a custom email domain can be expensive and complicated if you don’t know where to look.

Fortunately, there are some platforms that offer free email hosting with your own domain name. In this guide, we have shown you how to get an email domain for your business for free with Zoho Mail and DreamHost.

If you are facing any difficulty configuring your business email with your WordPress site, you can reach out to us to get expert assistance. We would love to help.

Thank you for reading, and happy emailing!

Frequently Asked Questions