Freenom Review: Is It Really Free or Is It Just a Scam? [2024]

Freenom is a domain name service through and through. The whole point is to get users up and running with a domain as quickly and as cheaply as possible. And the craziest thing is this: you can get a free domain.

And you know what? It works. Some of the domains really are free. It’s… a real thing that’s happening.

I set up a quick and easy test site on my own server, and got myself a free domain to try this service out. The result: It was all right. But is it right for you and your business? Read on to find out.

A Bare-Bones Set of Features at an Unbeatable Price

Well, Freenom is no InMotion Hosting in terms of features and addons. The service is incredibly minimalist in terms of both its UI and its offerings. That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s not bad at all.

It’s just… well, I had some trouble coming up with three distinct features to talk about for this review. Yeah, we’ll put it that way.

But first up, the general information: you can configure your domains in all the usual ways. You can direct them to nameservers, or configure everything yourself through DNS records. URL forwarding is available for those who want to forward domain names to another existing web address.

And, funny thing, on top of the domain registration services, Freenom has public DNS servers, like Google does. For the uninitiated, public DNS servers are the ones that tell your computer that a domain name, like “websiteplanet.com,” goes to a particular website IP address.

Normally, your computer will access your internet service provider’s DNS servers, and that usually works just fine. However, some people prefer to use other DNS servers for security reasons, speed reasons, or maybe their ISP is just acting up for a day.

So yeah, Freenom has that. Now, on to the big features.

Free Domains(!)

I’ve actually used free .tk domains in the distant past, when I was first getting my start as a web designer. (Those free domains came in handy, and I sort of wondered what happened to them.) Well, Freenom offers .tk domains, .ml domains, .ga domains, .cf domains, and the very fashionable-sounding .gq domains.

You know… like the magazine? Never mind.

And here’s the catch: you can’t get standard domain extensions like .com or .org for free, which is to be expected. You need to be okay with having a more obscure domain extension. You also can’t get “special domains” for free: this category includes domains of 1-3 characters, and common keywords.

Lastly, the registrant (that’d be you) acts as the “user” of the domain name, and not as the “licensee.” This means you have no legal right to the domain, and only get to use it so long as the company or organization that owns the domain extension (e.g., .tk) says you can. And there are rules about the sorts of sites you’re allowed to use the free domains for.

But hey, that’s not so bad, right? Want to run a simple personal blog on a free domain? No problem.

I should also note that the paid domains are pretty cheap, but if you’re looking for more domain extensions than what Freenom offers (some at even lower prices), you could also give 1&1 IONOS a try.

Free WHOIS ID Protection(!)

Want to keep people who look up your domain from getting your address, phone number, and email? No problem. Every domain (including the free ones) comes with WHOIS protection by default, at no extra charge.

Register Glue Records(…?)

Uh, so this is an obscure sort of feature, but kind of essential if you want to run your own web hosting operation. Basically, it allows you to create your own nameservers, which people can then use to point domain names to their sites on your server.

For example, if your service is at supereasywebhosting.com, you can create nameservers at ns1.supereasywebhosting.com, and ns2.supereasywebhosting.com. You can then provide DNS records for your clients so they don’t have to edit this info themselves.

I did say it was an obscure feature.

Freenom Features at a Glance

The User Interface Could Be Way More Intuitive

Actually finding and buying a domain is simple stuff. Search for a domain from the home page like you would on any other domain registrar, go through your options, and buy it (or get a free one) if you want to.

During checkout, you have the option to make payment through PayPal, credit card, or bank transfer. Please note that the credit card and PayPal choices will involve a payment processing fee of 4% each. For this review, I opted for the complimentary domains.

But after you buy the domain, well… that’s when the experience gets a bit more difficult. For example, configuring your domain is not a user-friendly process. If your web host has nameservers, you can simply enter these in the domain settings. But if it doesn’t, you’ll need to configure DNS records yourself.

The following screenshot shows the minimum working DNS record configuration, with the blurred out numbers being my server’s IP:

Yes, I had to consult Freenom’s knowledge base to figure this out, and unfortunately, they didn’t provide details about how to enter other DNS records or even definitions of what they are for.

Most of the domain registrars I’ve used have at least some instructions in the form of a tooltip or a sidebar to help you figure out what to do. Freenom does not. The domain management UI is fine if you know exactly what you’re doing, but it is not for beginners.

If you’re looking for something less… non-intuitive, I’d recommend using a host with an extremely user-friendly interface like Hostinger – you won’t get a free domain name, but some extensions, like .online and .store, are pretty cheap.

On the upside, I can say that I didn’t actually run into any technical issues. The DNS information was updated in about 10 minutes, and I was able to access my test site with no problems.

You can cancel your domain at any time, but there are no refunds for paid domains, ever, unless you submit a special cancellation request within five days of making your purchase.

Three Ways to Contact Support, and I Struck Out

So what happens if you have problems with your domain, or questions about the nearly non-existent UI? Well, technically, there is some support!

Firstly, there’s a knowledge base. It’s hardly what you’d call “extensive,” but it did help me solve one problem I was having.

If you want help from a real person, you have three options: phone, email, and (apparently) a ticket system.

I tried to set up a wildcard DNS record (for the uninitiated… that’s a long story), and it didn’t work. Turns out those aren’t allowed, at least not on the free domains. I wanted to see if they were allowed on the paid ones, so I asked.

Technically, you’re supposed to get a reply within 24 hours. Well, I never did get a reply, which is not a great showing for any support department. Next, I did the one thing that annoys millennials all over the world: I made a phone call.

To my surprise, the customer service agent spoke English (Freenom’s phone number connects to the Netherlands). However, this department was based in a call center that only takes corporate calls during the night shift, and couldn’t answer my question. No tech support is provided outside of Netherlands business hours.

So I called again some hours later, and was put on hold for five minutes (which felt much longer thanks to some very annoying-at-3-AM “epic” music). Once I was connected to customer service, I was told two things:

1. The support agent flat-out told me that my technical knowledge outstripped his. While flattering, this is less than good.
2. Actual tech support is only for people with paid domains, at which point a ticket system becomes available.

Overall, I found the support experience to be somewhat lacking. Support for paying customers probably would have been better, but I wasn’t about to pay to find out. I was raised in a culture of faith, and if you don’t mind me getting personal, I don’t have that much left. Not enough to make me pay up.

And, well, if you’re running a business, you need to provide good support, and you need to provide it quickly. Waiting 24 hours (or even just for Netherlands business hours to begin) certainly won’t work for everyone.

If you value responsive customer support (and your sleep), you’re better off with a host like GreenGeeks – you’ll get a free domain name with hosting, and far superior customer service too.