There is no free .es domain. What is behind the offers that promise one, what to check before paying for a .es and which free options you have for a site with your name.
Reviewed
If you have searched for a free .es domain, you will have seen offers that promise one. None of them is free all the way, because the domain always ends up being paid for, through the hosting or the renewal.
Why it does not exist
.es domains are run by Red.es, a Spanish public body, and you buy them through an accredited registrar. Every registration and every renewal has a cost someone pays, and that is why nobody gives them away for good.
What you buy is not yours forever either. Red.es grants you a right of use for the time you pay for, and if you do not renew, the name will be free again.
The free .es offers
Almost all of them are the same thing, a free .es for the first year if you sign up for paid hosting. The domain is free because you pay for the hosting, and from the second year on the domain will be charged at the normal price.
Before you take one, check three things, the renewal price, how long the hosting ties you in and whether they charge you to move the domain to another registrar.
In 2008 Red.es gave away the first year of a .es to under-30s with its Jóvenes en Red programme. It was a one-off campaign, and the renewal was already paid.
What to check before paying for a .es
Each registrar sets its own price, and it varies a lot. As of October 2026, registration goes from $5.28 to €33.88 and the yearly renewal from $6.50 to €33.38. Always compare the renewal price, which is what you will pay every year, not the first-year price, which is often discounted.
There are also third-level .es names, like .nom.es for individuals or .com.es. They are registered the same way, through a registrar, and they are not free either.
What is free
If what you want is an address with your name for your CV or a portfolio, a subdomain covers it without paying. With the does.software free plan you get yourname.does.software right away, no card, with a redirect to your site, paths like /cv, an email forward and HTTPS.
In exchange, you will have to renew it for free every 45 days with one click, and the name on top is not yours. The subdomain versus domain comparison explains when each one pays off.
When to buy the .es
When the name is your brand or your business, especially if you work with clients in Spain, or when you need your own DNS records.
You can start with a subdomain and buy the .es later. The day you have it, redirect the subdomain to the new domain and the links you already handed out will keep working.
A free .es forever does not exist, and the free-first-year offers are paid for by the hosting. If you do not need the domain yet, start with a free subdomain and redirect it to the .es the day you buy it.