Freename.com Review: My Experience Suggests Scam Misleading Claims About “Web3 TLDs”

Freename.com Review: My Experience Suggests Scam Misleading Claims About "Web3 TLDs"

Summary:

I contacted Freename after seeing their ads suggesting you can register your own TLD and run sites that "work on any browser." In practice, Freename confirmed that people must install their DNS app or browser extension to view these domains. That is a major limitation. When I pressed for a straight answer about global availability, support was vague, then stopped responding and I received a survey email which usually means a ticket was closed. Based on this, I would not recommend Freename for anyone expecting global, traditional DNS-style reach.

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What Freename Advertises vs. What You Actually Get

Freename markets "Web3 domains" and even custom "TLDs." Their pages emphasize that to browse Web3 domains you need Freename's Web3 DNS app or their browser extension.

By contrast, truly global domains are the ones listed in the public DNS root overseen by IANA and ICANN. Only TLDs in that root are universally resolvable by default in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and across the wider internet. Freename "TLDs" are not in that root.

Even third-party explainers note that blockchain or Web3 domains typically need special browsers or add-ons. Brave and Opera have some built-in support, while Chrome, Edge, and Firefox often need extensions or custom DNS settings.

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My Email Timeline With Freename Support

Below are key excerpts from our conversation, with dates and what each message said in plain language. I have preserved the meaning and phrasing while removing personal details.

• Oct 20, 2025, 7:14 AM

Freename wrote that a Web3 TLD is "your own digital asset," you can let others register and earn royalties, and that to make a website work you must use a builder that supports it. They added that "to open it, [the viewer] needs to use either our DNS extension or our Web3 DNS."

• Oct 21, 2025, 1:24 AM

I asked a direct question: if I register ".hello" and then "hello.hello," will it be viewable worldwide on all major browsers, or are there limitations?

• Oct 20, 2025, 7:39 PM

Freename replied again that to view a Web3 domain on a standard browser you must download "Freename DNS or Extension," and linked a guide about Web3 domains.

• Oct 20, 2025, 11:13 PM

I said that requiring every visitor to install Freename DNS or an extension is "too crazy."

• Oct 21, 2025, 1:57 AM

After no clear answer to the global availability question, I wrote that I never received a real response and that I would publish my experience.

Separately, I received a survey email which usually indicates the ticket was closed without further reply. That matched my impression that the conversation was ended rather than properly answered.

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Why This Matters

1. Not globally resolvable

If a domain is not in the IANA root, it will not resolve by default on the open internet. Freename's own documentation shows you need their DNS app or extension to resolve their Web3 names. This is not the same as a standard .com or any other ICANN-delegated TLD.

2. Marketing that can mislead newcomers

Ads that make it sound like you are buying a normal TLD create an expectation of universal reach. In reality, this is a walled ecosystem that depends on extra software or specific browsers for visitors to see your site. Freename's own blog says compatible browsers, extensions, or Freename DNS are needed, which confirms the limitation.

3. Commercial risk

If you plan to sell domains under your "TLD" and promise widespread visibility, you could face unhappy buyers when they discover their websites do not open globally without extra steps.

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What Freename Says On Its Own Site

• "Download the Freename Web3 DNS App to browse Web3 domains on any search engine." This implies non-default behavior.

• "You can use compatible browsers or browser extensions to access Web3 domains." Their words, not mine.

• The Download page promotes a Web3 Browser Extension to view Web3 domains. Again, that is an add-on.

• A how-to post instructs users that to browse Web3 domains, you must prepend "http://" and use their DNS app. That is not how normal domains behave on today's web.

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Plain-English Verdict

If you are hoping for a real TLD that anyone, anywhere can type into any browser and just open, this is not it. Freename's product works only if each visitor uses Freename's DNS or extension or a compatible Web3 browser. That is a hard limitation, and I believe the company's marketing and initial replies did not make this limitation clear enough.

My opinion: This feels misleading to non-experts and is not fit for purpose if your goal is universal reach. I would avoid registering a "TLD" here unless you fully accept the ecosystem is gated behind extra software.

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Alternatives That Actually Resolve Globally

• Register a conventional domain or apply for a TLD through ICANN processes. Only names in the IANA root are globally resolvable by default.

• If you want Web3 features, you can still use a normal DNS domain and add decentralized integrations behind the scenes, while keeping global reach.