Domains
What happened to Freenom's free .tk domains, and the free routes left in 2026
For years Freenom was the default answer to "where do I get a free domain". It no longer gives any out. Here is a short history, a simple test for judging any free domain, and the options still running as of November 2026.
By AltFTool editors · 01 Nov 2026 · 6 min read
What happened to Freenom
Freenom handed out free names on .tk, .ml, .ga, .cf and .gq. In March 2023, after Meta sued it over phishing on those domains, it stopped new registrations.
ICANN ended its registrar accreditation in November 2023, and Freenom left the domain business in February 2024. Reports at the time said millions of .tk names went offline.
If a site offers "free .tk domains" today, it is not Freenom. Avoid it.
A simple test for any free domain
Ask who benefits from you keeping the name. If nobody does, the offer can end at any time.
Community projects such as eu.org and is-a.dev exist to hand names out and cost little to run. Platform subdomains like a builder's default address exist because the platform needs them. Both have a reason to last. A free domain with no clear funding model does not.
Free routes that still work
These are the options we list, based on each project's own pages. All of them are subdomains or short-term offers, not a .com you own outright.
- eu.org: a free yourname.eu.org with no renewal fee. Requests are checked by hand, and small commercial sites are discouraged.
- is-a.dev: a free yourname.is-a.dev, requested by GitHub pull request. Names must relate to software development.
- JS.org: a free subdomain for a GitHub Pages site that clearly relates to JavaScript.
- .pp.ua: free to register and renew for a year at a time, but owner details are always public in WHOIS.
- GitHub Student Developer Pack: a free .me, a free domain on select Name.com extensions and a free .TECH, each for one year, then normal prices.
When to pay for a domain
If the site matters, a paid domain is cheap insurance. Cloudflare Registrar sells domains at cost with no markup, though your domain must use Cloudflare DNS. Porkbun listed .com at $11.81 for both registration and renewal on 1 Nov 2026.
Watch the renewal price, not the first-year banner. Some registrars sell year one cheaply and renew at two or three times the price.
If you are on a free name now
Register a paid domain, point it at the same site, and keep the free name as a redirect for as long as it works.
Keep your site in Git too. Then moving host or domain is a short job, not a rebuild.
