Best Free Web Hosting Services to Build Your Site

You don’t always get space for free. But when you need to build a website, some web hosting services charge zero subscription or hosting fees.

You can use these web hosting services to test the waters or see how your website looks live. However, even with the best free web hosting services, their owners have to make money. They might place pop-ups, banners, and ads in strategic places, and visitors will see them when they view your website.

If you want to host a website but don’t have the money for paid hosting, this post will give you some other options. Let’s look at the top four free hosting providers so you can decide which one works for you.

Best Free Web Hosting 2020 – Reviews

1) 000WebHost.com

Free hosting services are notorious for bombarding users with ads. Part of Hostinger.com, 000WebHost.com provides an ad-free service and promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

Their Free Web Hosting plan comes with 300GB of storage space that supports only one website, one MYSQL database, and one FTP account and cron job. While you won’t get an email account or any customer support, you get Cloudflare Protection.

Single shared hosting has 10GB storage and 100GB bandwidth with one website at a time. Your subscription also comes with one email account, a free domain, two subdomains, and DNS management, along with extras like LiteSpeed cache, Cloudflare protection, Github integration, and 24/7 customer support.

Scaling up to their Premium shared hosting plan, you can host several websites under 20GB storage space. Not only do you get unlimited bandwidth, but you can create as many email accounts as you want.

You also have support available 24/7, and you can run weekly backups. If you opt for this plan, you get a free domain plus 100 subdomains and other extras.

Pros

• Ad-free hosting plans
• Affordable premium hosting
• Free cPanel control panel
• Several free features

Cons

• Free plan has limited storage
• SSL with premium plans only

2) Wix

Wix has a powerful drag-and-drop editor that lets you build websites quickly without having to code a single line. You can choose from hundreds of customizable templates and use Wix to create any kind of website, from personal galleries to small business pages.

Their Free plan includes 500MB of storage space and similar bandwidth. However, you can’t use a personal domain. Your website will also have Wix ads.

The Connect Domain plan is their introductory premium plan and includes 1GB bandwidth and 500MB storage space. With this plan, you can disable Wix ads and connect your domain to your website.

The next step is the Combo plan with 3GB storage space and 2GB bandwidth, and it works best for personal use. With it, you get a free domain for one year and the freedom to upload a 30-minute video.

If you need even more storage space for your websites, consider Wix’s Unlimited plan. It comes with 10GB storage and unlimited bandwidth. Not only do you get all the features of Wix’s other tiers, but also a Site Booster app, access to Visitor Analytics, and the chance to upload an hour-long video.

With the VIP plan, you get 20GB storage space, unlimited bandwidth, and all of the above premium features. You can upload lengthy videos, a professional logo, or social media logos.

Extras include VIP support and priority response. If you opt for this plan, you also get a free domain, 100 subdomains, and more VIP-exclusive features.

Pros

• Free and intuitive website builder
• Beginner friendly and scalable
• Free plans include customer support
• Automatic website backups

Cons

• Can’t switch templates on a live website
• 14-day money-back guarantee

3) Weebly

A pioneer website tool, Weebly’s free hosting platform inspired a generation of web builders. Now, over 12 million people use it.

Weebly lets you build a basic website on your PC or mobile device using a flexible editor. You just choose a template from the options available and customize it.

With their free plan, you get basic features, including 500MB storage and a free SSL certificate. You can create a domain, but it will have Weebly branding. Besides giving you access to chat and email support, the introductory plan lets you optimize your website and create lead capture and contact forms.

At the next step up, the Connect plan lets you link your website to a free domain name. It comes with all of the free features, plus unlimited storage space, $100 Google Ads credit, and no Weebly ads.

The Business plan, Weebly’s highest tier, works best for small businesses and store owners. It comes with all the free and Connect features, eCommerce functionalities, and unlimited storage space for your websites.

Pros

• Variety of hosting plans
• Comprehensive e-commerce store
• User-friendly website builder
• Customizable templates

Cons

• Suitable for WordPress-based site only
• Slight learning curve

4.) WordPress.com

WordPress.com is the most popular website builder available today. It has a variety of plans, and though it initially had blog-focused themes, they now have a variety of business-related themes, too. To experience the flexibility of WordPress.com, you will have to pay, but they do offer a free option to start.

Starting with their free plan, you can upgrade to the Personal plan and build an individual blog. You get a free domain for the first year, free email, 6GB storage, live chat help, and all the free plan features. You also get access to beginner marketing and website monetization features like paid newsletters, plus the option to remove WordPress.com ads.

Next up, their Premium Plan gives you all the Personal plan features and 13GB storage. Your plan also includes design customization, premium themes, and advanced marketing and analytics tools.

Their Business plan comes with 200GB storage, all the Premium features, and personal support, including 24/7 live chat support. You will also get SEO tools and enterprise-class features like the option to install custom themes and plugins or use a personal domain. Extras include automated backups, full database access, and branding.

Scaling up to the eCommerce plan, you get the same storage and features as Business plan customers and a few e-commerce extras like marketing tools, unlimited products, and top shipping carriers.

Pros

• Variety of hosting plans
• Ideal for publishing blogs and other content
• Handy tutorial videos
• User-friendly website builder

Cons

• Suitable for WordPress-based site only
• Takes time to learn

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Google have free web hosting?

Google doesn’t provide free web hosting services. However, they do provide a Platform as a Service (PaaS) called Google App Engine with 1 GB storage space.

You can use the Google App Engine to stage your web apps and websites. Once you create your HTML/CSS website, download and install GAE SDK and Python and join Google App Engine. Create an app and upload it to GAE servers.

Is GoDaddy free?

GoDaddy web hosting plans are free. They have a website builder that lets you create basic websites with GoDaddy branding.

This tool lets you choose a category and gives you some templates with a few customization options. To unlock more features and tools, you will have to upgrade to one of their premium plans from the My Products section.

Is WordPress hosting free?

WordPress.com is a free blogging service and web builder. Matt Mullenweg, one of the WordPress co-founders, launched his online company to offer free but restricted hosting services at WordPress.com.

You can build a basic website with any of the free WordPress templates. However, to experience the full power of WordPress or remove ads, you have to upgrade from free to premium.

Can I host my own website with my computer?

Yes, you can build and host your website on your personal computer for testing or demonstration purposes. To do so, you will need to install a cross-platform software like XAMPP that contains Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl.

This software turns your computer into a local webserver. You can then move your website files to a local directory and view it in your web browser.

Is GoDaddy or Wix better?

Both website builders have their strengths and shortcomings. Wix offers more than the GoDaddy web builder. Plus, it’s scalable and has superior quality features. Wix also boasts of hundreds of customizable templates.

Though easier to use than Wix, GoDaddy is limited in terms of features and has fewer customization options. However, what it lacks in customization, it makes up for in speed.

Is WordPress free with GoDaddy?

Yes, WordPress CMS is free with every premium Godaddy account. It’s one of the 100+ free scripts under Softaculous.

You can deploy WordPress right from your cPanel hosting control panel. Go to the one-click app installer, select WordPress, and run your installation after filling in your database, username, and other details.

Installation takes a few minutes. You can choose a template before deploying WordPress or deploy WordPress and then install a custom template.

What are the disadvantages of free web hosting?

Free web hosting services come with limited storage space, metered bandwidth, and basic features. You may get one MYSQL database, one FTP account, one or no email.

These limitations mean you can’t host multiple websites, and you may not get premium support whenever you have a problem. That means troubleshooting issues on your own. Most free plans also include pop-ups and banner ads with no option to remove them.

Can I get a free domain?

You can get a free domain when you sign up for a premium hosting plan with any web hosting service. Most hosting firms provide free annual domains to customers who sign up for one year or more. After one year, they will charge you a domain renewal fee.

Is Squarespace better than GoDaddy?

GoDaddy and Squarespace work well for business owners looking to create an online presence. Squarespace is more of a DIY website builder for non-technical users, whereas GoDaddy is better for people looking for flexibility. However, Squarespace offers better built-in security features than the standard SSL in GoDaddy accounts.

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