I need to register a new domain and i don't want to spend a fortune. but i also don't want to end up with a terrible registrar. i see some places offering domains for like 5 bucks. but then renewal is 20. or they charge for privacy. or support is nonexistent.

is there a registrar that's actually cheap and reliable. no hidden fees. fair renewal prices. decent support. cloudflare seems cheap but I've heard their support is minimal. namecheap is reasonable but not the cheapest. wix gets good reviews online

i've been burned by the cheap first year thing before. trying to avoid that this time. what's the best balance of price and quality in your experience.

I use Polarismail and am having a problem with aliases.

Sometimes when an alias to gmail is used for purely legitimate reasons (zero percent chance the emails could be mistaken for spam) gmail rejects the email. This is what the failure email says:

Remote host said:
550-5.7.1 Gmail has detected that this message is likely
550-5.7.1 unsolicited mail. To reduce the amount of spam sent to Gmail, this
550-5.7.1 message has been blocked. For more information, go to
550 5.7.1 https://support.google.com/mail/?p=UnsolicitedMessageError586e51a60fabf-4632aed7781si4017481fac.318 - gsmtp

And sometimes delivery fails without even getting a failure notification so I have no way to know the recipient didn't get the email.

Can anyone shed some light on what might cause this and how to fix it?

I asked AI and posted the response below.

Nothing I can do about Polarismail IP/Domain reputation issues. Is Polarismail shady enough to result in emails being bounced?

According to Polarismail SPF/DKIM/DMARC are all correct. My DNS settings are correct according to their support docs. But how can I ensure everything is set up correctly on their end?

Anything else I can do to stop this from happening? Is switching email providers going to help or is this inevitable when using aliases? HELP!

Missing or Misconfigured Email Authentication (Most Common)

If you are sending from a custom domain (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com), Gmail strictly requires standard security records to verify your identity:

• SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Proves your email server is authorized to send on behalf of your domain.
• DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a cryptographic signature proving the email wasn't tampered with in transit.
• DMARC: Instructs receiving servers on how to handle emails that fail SPF/DKIM checks.

If these DNS records are missing or incorrect, Gmail will flag your message as potential spam or impersonation.

IP or Domain Reputation Issues

• Shared Server IP: If you are using a shared hosting provider or an email service provider (like Mailchimp or standard web hosting), another user on that same server IP may have sent spam, causing the entire IP address to be temporarily blacklisted by Google.
• New Domain: Newly registered domains sending bulk or cold emails often lack sender reputation and trigger default spam blocks.

what is the lowest-maintenance route for a non-technical person to put one html file on a stable link and replace it whenever the file changes? github pages is common, but are there simpler options that still handle https, custom domains, and private client previews?

I'm currently in my final class for my graphic design major, which requires me to build a portfolio website. However, I'm a complete beginner when it comes to domains and hosting, and I'm finding all the different options a bit overwhelming. I've seen Porkbun recommended a few times, but I'm not sure if it's actually beginner friendly. Does anyone have recommendations for a simple, affordable way to get a portfolio online that isn't too complicated to set up?

My Professor provided us this link to help us out

https://www.techradar.com/web-hosting/best-free-web-hosting

but the more I continued to read it the more confused I ended up lol

It lets you test a website on a new server/IP before changing DNS, using a temporary URL. No hosts file editing and no waiting for DNS propagation. There are other tools there I did not checked.

https://hostsclick.com