What a free email domain means
A free email domain is the part after the @ on an address you control, such as hello@yourbrand.in. It is not a free Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook.com account, and it is not a shared name from a public list that you do not own.
Two setups use that name. A mailbox stores mail and lets you send and receive through webmail, IMAP and SMTP. A forwarder only passes incoming mail to an inbox you already have.
- Mailbox: stored on a mail host, with its own login
- Forwarder: incoming mail redirected, no mailbox of its own
- Shared public domain: an address on a name you do not own
What you still pay for on a free email domain
The domain name is a yearly registration at a registrar. A registrar pays a registry fee, so the name is not free in the ordinary sense. A free domain bundled with email is usually the first year folded into a paid plan, and the renewal is a separate bill.
Register the name through domain registration, or use a name you already own. WebJi® bills that name separately from the mailbox. The price is confirmed before you pay.
How cPanel hosting includes a free email domain
On WebJi® shared hosting, email on your domain is included with the plan. Linux plans use cPanel. You are paying for hosting, not a second mailbox product.
Open cPanel, go to Email Accounts, and create the address. Set a password and a quota. The panel shows webmail plus the IMAP and SMTP host names for a phone or Outlook.
You know it worked when you send from that address to an outside inbox and a reply comes back to the same address. If the reply lands only in a personal Gmail, the MX record is still pointing somewhere else.
How Zoho Mail's free plan serves a free email domain
Zoho's custom-domain page, read on 30 October 2026, describes a free plan for up to five users, 5 GB each, on one domain, and only in select data centers. You add the domain, prove you own it with the TXT record Zoho shows, then publish the MX records from Zoho's wizard.
WebJi® is not Zoho. Copy the MX values from the wizard on screen. Delete any previous MX records so delivery goes to one host, and do not type host names from memory.
The free cap on that page is five addresses. A paid Zoho plan is a different product. Confirm the free plan is offered for your account before you change DNS.
How forwarding and Gmail send-as handle a free email domain
A forwarder at your DNS host or in cPanel sends incoming mail to an inbox you already use. It does not give you a mailbox, a sent folder, or an SMTP login.
To reply as hello@yourbrand.in from Gmail, add the address under Send mail as and authenticate with a real SMTP login. A forwarder alone cannot do that. The SPF record must name the service that actually sends, or the message looks forged.
Which DNS records a free email domain needs
MX records choose the server that receives mail. SPF lists the servers allowed to send for the domain. DKIM adds a signature the receiver can check. The DKIM record is the one people skip, and unsigned mail is more likely to land in spam.
Publish one MX set, one SPF record, and the DKIM key your mail host provides. Two MX providers at once split delivery. After DNS updates, send a test to an outside inbox and read the headers if it lands in spam.
What a free email domain costs when you outgrow it
A free mailbox stops fitting when you need more than a handful of addresses, more storage, or mail you administer yourself. WebJi® business email hosting is the paid mailbox on your domain. Prices below were read on 30 October 2026 and are before 18% GST.
| Plan | Storage | Price (₹/year before 18% GST) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 GB per email ID | 5 mailboxes × 5 GB | 2,520 |
| 10 GB per email ID | 5 mailboxes × 10 GB | 4,200 |
| 25 GB per email ID | 5 mailboxes × 25 GB | 8,100 |
| Unlimited IDs — 10 GB/ID | On cloud | 9,900 |
| Unlimited IDs — 4 TB/domain | On cloud | 14,400 |
The first three rows are packs of five mailboxes. The two cloud rows are unlimited addresses, not a pack of five.
The first row is five mailboxes at ₹2,520 a year, which is ₹504 per mailbox. You can add mailboxes at checkout. The invoice adds 18% GST. Moving an existing mailbox is free only after approval and is subject to terms. It is not instant.
Questions about a mailbox go to support@webji.services. That inbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English, and the average first reply is under 60 minutes.
How to set up the cheapest free email domain
The cheapest working setup is a domain you already pay for, plus a mailbox the hosting plan already includes. If there is no hosting mailbox, use a free mail host and the DNS records it shows you.
- Register the domain, or confirm the name is already in your registrar account.
- If the site is on WebJi® shared hosting, create the address in cPanel under Email Accounts.
- If you have no hosting mailbox, add the domain at a free mail host, then publish the TXT and MX records that host displays.
- Add SPF and DKIM for the service that sends, then send a test to an outside inbox and reply to it.
It worked when the test arrives outside spam and the reply returns to the new address. If nothing arrives, wait for DNS, then check that only one MX set is published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get an email domain for free?
A free mailbox on your domain is possible. The domain name is a yearly registration unless a paid plan bundles the first year. An address on a shared public domain is not your domain.
Do I get free email when I buy a domain?
No. Buying a domain only reserves the name. Mail starts after you create a mailbox or a forwarder and publish MX records. A domain invoice by itself does not create the address.
Is Zoho Mail's free plan still available?
On 30 October 2026, Zoho's custom-domain page still described a free plan for five users, 5 GB each, on one domain, and only in select data centers. Confirm it in Zoho's signup before you change DNS. WebJi® does not run that plan.
Can I create free business email with cPanel hosting?
Yes, when the hosting plan includes email. On WebJi® shared hosting, open cPanel, choose Email Accounts, and create the address. The cost is the hosting plan, not a separate mailbox fee.
What is email forwarding vs a real mailbox?
A mailbox stores mail and has IMAP and SMTP. A forwarder only redirects incoming mail to another inbox. You can send as the domain from Gmail only after Send mail as is tied to a real SMTP login.
How do I set MX records for a free mailbox?
At the registrar or DNS host, replace the MX records with the values your mail host shows after you add the domain. Keep one MX set, not two. Send a test once DNS has updated.