How can a small business get own-domain email cheaply?
Register the domain at cost with Cloudflare Registrar, use free Cloudflare Email Routing to forward inbound mail to an inbox you already have, and send outbound mail through a free tier such as Resend, Brevo or SMTP2GO. Add SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, then test that all three pass.
Prices and limits below were checked on 9 October 2026 and converted at 1 GBP = 1.3239 USD. Check current figures before buying.
Typical first-year costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| .co.uk or .uk domain (Cloudflare Registrar) | $5.30 a year (about £4.00 ex-VAT) |
| .com domain | $10.46 a year (about £7.90 ex-VAT) |
| Inbound: Cloudflare Email Routing | £0 |
| Outbound: Resend free | £0, 3,000 a month, max 100 a day |
| Outbound: Brevo free | £0, 300 a day |
| Outbound: SMTP2GO free | £0, 1,000 a month, 200 a day |
| DMARC reports: Cloudflare DMARC Management | £0 |
Watch out for cheap first-year domains with big renewals: some extensions cost $4.99 to register but over $27 to renew. Cloudflare’s own outbound Email Sending needs the Workers Paid plan at $5 a month, which is a subscription.
Step by step
- Register the domainRegister it with Cloudflare Registrar, which sells at registry cost. DNS moves to Cloudflare automatically.
- Turn on Email Routing for inboundOnboard the domain in Email Routing. Cloudflare adds and locks the MX, SPF and DKIM records it needs, and forwards mail to a verified address.
- Pick an outbound senderUse a free tier such as Resend, Brevo or SMTP2GO, and add the SPF and DKIM records each one gives you.
- Add a DMARC recordStart with p=none while you warm up, then tighten to quarantine or reject later.
- Test itCheck the records with dig, send test mail in both directions and confirm SPF, DKIM and DMARC all show PASS in the message headers.
Email Routing forwards mail; it is not a mailbox. You still read and reply from an inbox you already have. Sources: Cloudflare Email Routing DNS records and Email Service pricing.