FreeDomains — Free Custom Domains for Developer Projects

Introduction

FreeDomains is an open-source service by Stackryze that gives developers free custom domain names for their projects. Instead of purchasing a domain, developers submit a pull request to the repository with their desired subdomain configuration, and the platform automatically provisions DNS records on merge. It lowers the barrier for hosting personal projects, portfolios, and open-source documentation.

What FreeDomains Does

• Provides free subdomains under Stackryze-owned TLDs for developer projects
• Manages DNS provisioning through a GitHub-based pull request workflow
• Supports A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, and MX record types
• Automates domain validation and conflict detection during PR review
• Maintains a public registry of all provisioned domains in the repository

Architecture Overview

FreeDomains operates as a GitOps-driven DNS management system. Domain configurations are stored as JSON files in the repository. When a pull request is merged, a GitHub Actions pipeline reads the configuration, validates the records, and pushes them to the DNS provider via API. The pipeline also runs pre-merge checks to prevent conflicts, invalid records, and policy violations. The entire provisioning process is transparent and auditable through git history.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Fork the repository to claim a subdomain — no account registration needed
• Add a JSON configuration file specifying your subdomain and DNS records
• Point your subdomain to any hosting provider (Vercel, Netlify, GitHub Pages, custom servers)
• Changes and updates follow the same PR workflow
• The DNS provider integration is managed by the Stackryze maintainers

Key Features

• Zero-cost domain provisioning for developer projects
• Fully transparent GitOps workflow with public audit trail
• Supports common DNS record types for flexible hosting configuration
• Automated validation prevents misconfigured or conflicting domains
• No vendor lock-in — point your subdomain anywhere

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Freenom — provided free TLDs but was unreliable and shut down; FreeDomains uses a sustainable maintainer-backed model
• GitHub Pages — offers *.github.io subdomains; FreeDomains provides custom TLD subdomains with more DNS flexibility
• Vercel/Netlify — provide *.vercel.app subdomains; FreeDomains works with any hosting provider
• is-a.dev — community free subdomains; FreeDomains offers a similar model with Stackryze-operated TLDs

FAQ

Q: Are there usage limits? A: Typically one to a few subdomains per user. The maintainers review PRs to prevent abuse.

Q: Can I use this for commercial projects? A: Check the repository's terms of service. FreeDomains is primarily designed for personal and open-source projects.

Q: What happens if the service shuts down? A: Since configurations are in a public repo, the git history preserves your setup. You would need to migrate to a paid domain provider.

Q: How long does provisioning take? A: DNS records are provisioned shortly after PR merge, with propagation typically completing within minutes.

Sources

• https://github.com/stackryze/FreeDomains
• https://github.com/stackryze/FreeDomains/blob/main/README.md