When building your website or blog, there is no doubt that premium hosting plans are the way to go for flexibility, customization, and support.
If you don’t want to spend money on hosting at the moment because your site is a side project or short-term basis, it pays to know the best free web hosting you can count on in times of need.
We’ve compared and analyzed the best free hosts based on stability, performance, speed, and lack of advertising to help you pick the right option for your website project.
Best Free Web Hosting 2023 – Reviews
1. 000WebHost.com
000WebHost is one of the best free web hosting solutions for beginners who want to learn web development basics. It is the perfect platform for exploring options, trying different things, and playing with numerous features.
The platform is powered by Hostinger and supports the most popular programming languages, including MySQL, PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Users can build a website for free and learn how to code at the same time.
If you have more experience, you can jump in and build your website with the free website builder. The platform offers automatic WordPress installation for those who want to set up and run a WordPress site.
000WebHost hosting will always be free. However, if your website needs more than 300MB of disk space and 3GB of bandwidth, it will be better if you upgrade to one of their premium plans. The 3GB of bandwidth is enough to support the traffic of a small website or blog, but if your site starts getting more visitors, you should consider upgrading.
000WebHost.com doesn’t place advertisements on free websites.
Pros
- 3GB bandwidth
- 300MB disk space
- No ads
- A free subdomain
Cons
- No email account
- No domain name
2. Wix
Wix is a well-known name in the web hosting industry, which means you can count on reliable and quality hosting services.
The platform allows you to build and host websites for free. It is an excellent option for those who want to use a website builder but want to maintain control over the design.
Wix comes with a unique set of features, including 500 website templates, drag-and-drop editor, scroll effects, font library, animation, and photo galleries. All Wix websites are optimized for mobile screens.
You can also find many tools available that help you track, analyze, and grow your website performance. Users benefit from ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), SEO analytics, social media tools, subscriber sign-up forms, and more.
While the free hosting plan is enough to run a small website or blog with limited traffic, over time, you may upgrade to one of Wix’s paid plans that offer more bandwidth, storage, and features.
Pros
- An excellent set of features
- Automatic data backup
- Access to 500+ website templates
- Stable and reliable hosting
Cons
- No free domain
- Cannot migrate your website to another host
3. Weebly
Weebly is another popular name in the web hosting industry. It is a website builder that includes fast, safe, and reliable hosting with all their packages.
Weebly is an ideal option for those who don’t have any previous coding or web designing knowledge and want to create a simple website using WordPress or CMS.
You can choose between four plans, including the Basic (free) plan that gives you access to a drag-and-drop website builder tool, SSL certificate, and a cPanel to control your website’s performance.
For those who are planning to set up and run an e-commerce website for free, Weebly is worth considering. The free plan offers everything you need in terms of safety and functionality. Users also have access to expedited checkout, a shopping cart, inventory management, item badges and options, and more.
The platform offers various SEO tools, e-commerce add-ons, and technical customer support, which is almost impossible to find with free hosting plans.
Pros
- A free website builder (WordPress and CMS)
- SSL certificate for added safety
- Excellent for e-commerce websites
- Customer support available via email and live chat
Cons
- No free domain
- Cannot migrate your website to another host
4. WordPress.com
Many people confuse WordPress.com with WordPress.org, two different platforms that serve two different groups of people. WordPress.org is a CMS platform that allows users to set up and host websites for free.
While WordPress.com has more limitations than WordPress.org, it is more capable of meeting the needs of those who want to create, design, and run a simple website or blog for free. The free WordPress.com plan comes with 3GB of storage space, which is enough to handle small website traffic.
The plan also includes a vast library of website templates that you can customize. Users can apply the easy-to-install plug-in to optimize the website for SEO, manage back-ups, and more.
All WordPress.com plans include Jetpack Essential Features. These features will ensure fast speeds, excellent uptime, and protect your website from cyberattacks and spammers.
If you experience any problems with your hosting or technical website issues, don’t hesitate to contact the maintenance team. They are professionals and will take care of your website optimization, back-ups, and upgrades.
Pros
- 3GB storage space
- SSL certificate
- Easy-to-install plug-ins
- Jetpack Essential Features
- Maintenance included
Cons
- Domain name not included
- WordPress.com has ads
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google have free web hosting?
Technically speaking, Google doesn’t have free web hosting, but they provide PAAS (Platform-As-A-Service) solutions, known as Google App Engine (GAE). The platform uses the app’s static files feature to host static HTML websites on GAE servers.
In other words, you can set up a personal website using a free HTML website template, but your site will be limited in features. It is a good option to consider if you want to practice your web development or coding skills and learn more about the process of setting up and hosting a website.
Is GoDaddy free?
GoDaddy does offer a free website plan, which is worth considering if you want to build a simple website with minimal traffic. If your website starts growing, it is best to upgrade to a paid hosting plan with additional features to improve your site’s speed and performance. The cheapest paid plan is the Economy plan and costs $2.99/month for the first year and $7.99 after that.
Is WordPress hosting free?
The WordPress software is free to download and use. However, there are two WordPress options—WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.org is a CMS platform that allows users to set up and launch a website for free. The hosting is not managed, meaning you are on your own in terms of technical issues. If you are a novice who is starting a website or blog, you won’t need managed services initially, but as your website grows, you may have to upgrade to managed hosting solutions.
Can I host my own website with my own computer?
Yes, you can host your own website with your PC. However, before you do so, there are a few limitations to consider. You need to have at least basic experience setting up a WWW server software on your computer. The server will allow you to launch your website online and internet users to find and access your files on your computer.
Is GoDaddy or Wix better?
Both GoDaddy and Wix are excellent options to consider for building and launching a website online. However, they have a few differences that make them unique. Wix is a more powerful website builder than GoDaddy, providing a better set of features, add-ons, and options. GoDaddy is limited in web building features, but it is better in speed and performance than Wix.
Is WordPress free with GoDaddy?
GoDaddy is an official WordPress web hosting partner, which means you can host all of your WordPress websites with GoDaddy plans. WordPress itself is free. What makes the combination even better is that GoDaddy handles the entire process for you, from WordPress website installation to launch, the platform has you covered. For WordPress beginners, GoDaddy offers 50% off on premium hosting plans and a free domain name.
What are the disadvantages of free web hosting?
The free web hosting plans have a few disadvantages for those who want to host their website for business purposes. Some disadvantages include a lack of customer support, ads on websites, limited speed, and limited bandwidth. If you are a personal blogger and planning to launch a site, you can opt for free web hosting, but if you want to launch an e-commerce website to build a brand, you need to choose paid web hosting solutions.
How can I get a free domain?
You can get a free domain by signing up for web hosting services with a reliable hosting company. There are a few reputable hosting providers that offer free domains as part of their plans. BlueHost is one of the best web hosting providers on the market that provides free domains to all users, but you can double-check any hosting company for this service.
Is Squarespace better than GoDaddy?
GoDaddy and Squarespace are both excellent options for those looking to set up and launch a website online. However, the platforms target different audiences and serve different needs. GoDaddy is better for those looking for performance and flexibility. Squarespace is a better option for non-technical website owners looking for a free website builder to launch their websites. GoDaddy is a cheaper option, while Squarespace has more expensive plans.