1) Domain-first logic

Your domain is the long-term asset. Hosting is replaceable. By separating the two decisions, you avoid being locked into low-quality bundles and you preserve freedom to migrate.

2) Recommended registrars for domain-only purchase

  • Porkbun: often competitive first-year and renewal pricing.
  • Infomaniak: good value and strong reputation in Europe.
  • Cloudflare Registrar: renewals at near-wholesale cost (no markup model).

3) Free hosting platforms worth considering

  • Cloudflare Pages: great for Astro, edge network, simple CI from Git.
  • GitHub Pages: robust for static sites already in GitHub workflow.
  • Netlify/Vercel free tiers: easy setup, useful previews, limits apply.

4) Choosing by project type

  • Personal brand + blog: Cloudflare Pages or Netlify.
  • Developer docs or portfolio: GitHub Pages can be enough.
  • Heavier app-like behavior: Vercel or Cloudflare with careful limit checks.

5) Hidden costs to watch

  • high domain renewal rates after first year promotions
  • email costs if you assumed mailbox was included
  • bandwidth or build-minute overages as traffic grows

6) Practical low-cost stack

  1. Buy domain only from Porkbun, Infomaniak, or Cloudflare Registrar.
  2. Host Astro for free on Cloudflare Pages.
  3. Use Cloudflare DNS and optional Email Routing aliases.
  4. Add paid tools only when traffic or revenue justifies them.

7) Migration mindset

Keep your project git-based and platform-neutral. If your hosting constraints change, migration should be a deployment change, not a full rebuild.

Final takeaway

Domain-first, hosting-second is the most flexible strategy for creators and early-stage projects. Buy the name you want at a sane renewal price, then launch quickly on a free platform you can leave at any time.