Let’s go on a little field trip to the ’90s, back when the Spice Girls ruled the world, signing onto the internet was a very noisy affair, and texting on your phone wasn’t yet a thing. Ah, the precious memories.

Back then, the technology we know and love now was just beginning to force its way into our daily lives, and internet real estate was like pure gold. There were only a handful of free options for building websites — like GeoCities, Angelfire, and AOL — and man, they definitely looked like they were free. We’re talking bright and annoying colors, obnoxious fonts, and a bombardment of glittery GIFs if you were feeling really fancy. And, if you can imagine, you actually had to know a little bit of HTML coding to make that kind of website look remotely presentable (if we could even call it that). 

Fortunately, free web hosting services have come a long, long way from the infancy of the internet. In fact, crafting your very own sleek and professional website has never been easier (or cheaper!) than it is today thanks to an assortment of free web hosting services that take care of everything you need from start to finish. Best of all, you don’t even need to have any HTML or CSS coding to get started. Most web hosting services provide easy-to-use drag-and-drop interfaces that’ll inspire the confidence you need to create a site you’ll really want to show off to the world.

Whether you’re looking to launch your business, promote your personal brand or portfolio, or just have somewhere you can vent your thoughts for the whole world to see, a free web host can get you up and running in no time. Nowadays, just about anyone with a laptop or smartphone can build a website that’s fast and secure with their simple and easy tools. But, with all the options out there, it can be tough to find the best free web host that’s perfect for you. That’s why we’ve not only rounded up the best free web hosting services out there, but we’ve nailed down precisely what makes them better than others. 

What does a free web host do?

When it comes down to the bare bones of the matter, a hosting provider allows its customers to use their servers for storing files and content, and they usually offer some easy-to-use website building tools so you can put it all together in a visually pleasing package. All that stuff is then delivered to the world wide web in the form of your spiffy little website. 

Here, we’re talking about free web hosts, in particular, so you can get your internet presence established for a whopping zero dollars. Because of that frankly nonexistent price threshold, many of our favorite web hosting services did not make the cut for this roundup. However, that doesn’t mean that the free web hosts below are worthless. In fact, they’re pretty priceless. (See what we did there? Okay, we’ll stop.)

But seriously, the free web hosts that we’ve picked out offer precisely what you need to make a legit, good-looking home for yourself on the web, especially considering the fact that you won’t pay a dime for them.

Should I use free website hosting?

Nothing’s better than free, right? Well, yes and no. If you’re hoping to make your very first website and kind of just want to test out the internet waters a bit, a free web host can be an incredible option for you. It’ll help you learn the basics and figure out what you really want and need from your website, and many allow you to upgrade to bigger, more robust plans in the future if you find that you need more resources. Free web hosting is also a fantastic option if you don’t need to display a large amount of content, media, or information. For example, if you just need an online presence to act like a digital business card — with you or your business’s name and contact info — then there’s really no reason why you should sink any money into a web host as a free hosting plan will certainly do the trick.

However, if you’ve got a business that has a bit more growth potential, or you need to host a lot of high-quality media for a portfolio or the like, then a free website hosting service may not cut it for you. In these cases, it may be best to utilize a cheap web hosting site. These options are still incredibly economical at just a buck or two per month, and they should be able to offer you a lot more space to do what you’ve got to do. They’ll often provide far more ecommerce tools, as well, though a web host specifically made for small business websites may serve you even better.

That said, as long as you’re totally aware of what you’re getting for the price you’re not paying, then free site hosting is a fantastic choice. Fortunately, we’ve put in the research for you to find out which free web hosting sites are actually worth your time in our roundup below. 

What do you get with a free web hosting service?

When it comes to storage, some free web hosts might offer as little as 250MB which, honestly, is not much at all. However, if you just need a landing page to advertise your business’s services, hours, and contact info, then this amount of storage will work just fine for your needs. 

On the other hand, if you’ve got a lot of high-quality photos and videos to show off — maybe for an online portfolio if you work in the creative realm — then you’re going to need a lot more space. Some free web hosts will provide multiple gigabytes of storage, or even the holy grail of unlimited storage, so you should have no problem finding one to fit those needs as well.

Similarly, when it comes to bandwidth — or the amount of visitor traffic your site can handle — free web hosts run the gamut from 500MB to unlimited. You probably won’t run into many problems here, especially since many free web hosts fall on the “unlimited bandwidth” end of the spectrum. However, it is important to consider if you expect your site may see a ton of traffic at some point.

What about website builders?

A free web host is also likely to offer some easy website building tools, like a drag-and-drop interface that helps you create a good-looking site with a bit of customizability. If you have some coding knowledge, however, and you want to use it to really make your site your own, you will need to seek out a free web host with those capabilities.

Furthermore, if you intend for your site to function mainly as a blog, it would be best to consider a free web host with seamless WordPress integration, or opt for a WordPress hosting site with more robust options. WordPress, on its own, is already free, providing an open-source content management system (CMS) that’s perfect for creating attractive sites and blogs. WordPress allows you to do all of your website building and designing via their CMS, and you can host your site right there with them. But, if you so choose, you can take that content to a separate web host to gain a little more control over your site. A good web host for WordPress integration will ensure an easy transfer of content, and they’ll typically handle backend updates and all that other tech-minded stuff so you can focus solely on making great content.

What won’t you get with a free web hosting provider?

With a free web host, you shouldn’t expect to get your own domain, i.e. a website URL that looks like www.[domain].com. That sleekness and simplicity is a luxury you’ll have to pay for separately. However, you’ll probably be treated to free domain hosting so long as you’ve purchased your domain name somewhere else. If an individual domain is not necessary for your website, however, free web hosts almost always give customers at least one free subdomain. That is, your website URL will look more like www.YourWebHost.com/YourWebsiteName.

When it comes to site security, it’s actually somewhat rare — but not impossible — to find a free web host that will offer a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate at no cost. SSL is a protocol for authenticating and encrypting data, and ultimately instills visitors with the confidence that your site is safe to browse and conduct ecommerce. However, because ecommerce features are also not typically found at the free plan level for most (if not all) web hosting providers, then a free SSL certificate is usually not offered either.

The good news is that nearly all free web hosts do have paid plan options with these advanced features if your site demands them down the line. Just keep in mind that switching from one web host to another can make it difficult to migrate your content. So to avoid that potential headache, you may want to start off with a web host that has a free plan, but also offers plans with the features you think you may want in the future. Staying with the same host in the long-term will just make it so much easier to upgrade if or when it’s needed.

What’s the difference between shared hosting, cloud hosting, and other web hosting options?

When it comes to free web hosts, you’re likely going to be building your site on a shared server or, more specifically, a cloud server. Traditional shared servers host data on a physical machine, while cloud hosting utilizes multiple, interconnected servers that exist solely in a virtual environment (a.k.a “the cloud”) for better stability and dependability regardless of geographic location. In either case, your site will be hosted on a server alongside other people’s sites, meaning that you all share the same resources, such as storage and bandwidth. No one will be able to see your files or data — or vice versa — but you’ll essentially live on the same plot of internet land (or cloud, for that matter). This means that if someone else’s site gets a ton of traffic, it could affect your own site’s performance. 

Shared hosting and cloud hosting are essentially your only options for free web hosts. But, if you want to put a little money behind your site, a dedicated host can give you a server all to yourself so you would never have to worry about another person’s site slowing yours down to a crawl. You could also opt for a virtual private server (VPS) to share your site’s resources with a smaller number of other sites. The only downside to these more private options? They will cost you a pretty penny, as they’re really not even offered with cheap web hosting plans, let alone free ones.

So now that you know what a good web host does (and does not) provide for free, you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not it’s the right option for you. If you’re committed to building your own little — and we mean little — corner of the web with a free host, you’ll find that you actually have a seemingly endless number of options to choose from. Since most free web hosting plans exist simply to rope customers into paying for premium plans, however, not all free web hosts deliver on their promises. But don’t worry — we’ve got your back with these 10 picks.


Easy to use • No coding needed • Impressive results
Limited storage and bandwidth • Ecommerce features are not free
Wix provides simple and easy tools to build a small, but impressive website for free.

Wix

A quick and simple web builder with drag-and-drop features and high-quality results.

  • Free Storage:
    500MB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    500MB
  • Free Email?:
    No
  • Basic :
    Free (with ads)
  • Combo:
    $14/month
  • Unlimited:
    $18/month
  • Pro:
    $23/month
  • VIP:
    $39/month

Though it’s more of a comprehensive website builder than simply a web host, Wix still manages to offer some of the best free services for those looking to stake their claim on the web. They offer clean interfaces that are appealing and design-friendly, and brilliant templates that look professional and welcoming without the user needing any knowledge of coding. Wix’s free package is an ideal choice for small sites and online portfolios that won’t need more than 500MB of storage and bandwidth per month. However, if you’re in need of something more robust in the future, you can upgrade to one of their premium plans for ecommerce features, domains, and advanced email functions and features.


Fast and reliable • Lots of freebies
Limited file upload types
InfinityFree has its limitations, but for the price, it has some of the top features that users want from web hosting.

InfinityFree

A no-limits web host with full features and no ads.

  • Free Storage:
    Unlimited
  • Free Bandwidth:
    Unlimited
  • Free Email?:
    No
  • Basic:
    Free (no ads)
  • Super Premium:
    $3.99/month
  • Ultimate Premium:
    $6.90/month

While InfinityFree might not be the biggest web hosting service out there, they’ll get you set up with a fast and reliable website with unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, free SSL, up to 400 MySQL databases, unlimited subdomain names, and no forced ads. Best of all, it’s completely free forever — you don’t even have to provide a credit card. There are limitations, however, when it comes to the types of files you can upload, but most sites shouldn’t have an issue. InfinityFree is also sponsored by iFastNet so they can quickly and easily migrate your website for free and get you hooked up with more premium features down the road, if needed.


Well-known brand • Unlimited bandwidth • Great customer support
Less user-friendly • Some coding required
WordPress is a tried-and-true web hosting service with lots of great features, though a bit of coding knowledge is required to take your site to the next level.

WordPress

One of the best places on the internet to host a website for free, especially if you know a bit of coding.

  • Free Storage:
    3GB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    Unlimited
  • Free Email?:
    No
  • Basic:
    Free (with ads)
  • Personal:
    $7/month
  • Premium:
    $14/month
  • Business:
    $33/month
  • eCommerce:
    $59/month

With a long and trusted track record of world-class service and web features, WordPress is one of the best places on the internet to host a website for free. (In fact, they estimate that about 40% of the web is hosted on their servers.) They offer advanced publishing tools, a clean interface, SEO plug-ins, and more, though they’re not as user-friendly as some of their drag-and-drop competitors in the free web hosting field. For those that have a bit of HTML or CSS knowledge, however, there’s plenty of opportunity for freedom and vast customization. And, if you ever run into any issues, their customer service is known to be top-tier.


Fast • No ads • Clean design
Spotty customer service
000WebHost is a solid choice of free web host with a bit of coding freedom, and without the clutter of forced ads.

000WebHost

A straightforward choice touting PHP, MySQL, cPanel, and no ads.

  • Free Storage:
    300MB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    3G
  • Free Email? :
    No
  • Basic:
    Free (no ads)
  • Single Shared:
    $.99/month
  • Premium Shared:
    $1.99/month
  • Business Shared:
    $3.99/month

While their free features are limited, 000WebHost offers the latest coding and features — PHP, MySQL, and cPanel control — with fast speeds and reliable uptime. They also don’t force ads onto your site, though you do have the option to run your own ads, if you like. They also provide a free website builder with hundreds of free templates to kickstart your site, plus a WordPress auto-installer for easy integration. The one downside, however, is that their customer support isn’t the greatest.


No ads • Great customer service • Easy integration
Very limited storage • Must purchase domain
Freehostia’s limited, but fast hosting solution can get users up and running quickly with easy tools and awesome customer service.

FreeHostia.com

This cloud hosting choice is a self-proclaimed ad-free paradise.

  • Free Storage:
    250MB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    6GB
  • Free Email?:
    Yes, three accounts
  • Chocolate:
    Free (no ads)
  • Watercircle:
    $2.95/month
  • Lovebeat:
    $4.95/month
  • Wildhoney:
    $7.95/month
  • Supernatural:
    $9.95/month

Freehostia’s plans have fun and quirky names with increasing access to features you may need down the line, but their free “Chocolate” cloud hosting plan is particularly sweet. Their speeds are up to 15 times faster than other free web hosting services, and their web builder is top-notch with loads of free designs and templates. They also provide one-click installs of Joomla, WordPress, and more for super-easy integration. Best of all, FreeHostia provides outstanding 24/7 customer support that’s noted to be very friendly and reliable. The only downside is that you’ll have to purchase your domain name, or transfer one over as they don’t provide a free subdomain.


Unlimited storage • Unlimited bandwidth • Great customer service
Some login issues
X10Hosting offers stable websites with a bunch of templates for free, along with email and unlimited bandwidth.

X10Hosting

A solid choice with a loyal customer base and unlimited bandwidth and storage.

  • Free Storage:
    Unlimited
  • Free Bandwidth:
    Unlimited
  • Free Email?:
    Yes
  • Basic plan:
    Free (with ads)
  • Monthly Plan:
    $6.95/month
  • 1-Year Plan:
    $5.95/month
  • 2-Year Plan:
    $4.95/month
  • 3-Year Plan:
    $3.95/month

With more than a decade in the business, x10Hosting offers free web hosting with high performance and stability in mind, consistently updating for the latest versions of cPanel, PHP, and MySQL for both paid and free members. Free accounts start off with 512MB of storage to prevent abuse, but you can request a free upgrade to unmetered storage after a week. The service also offers over 300 one-click software installation and e-commerce integrations, including WordPress, Joomla, MyBB, and more. In addition, x10Hosting has over 150 free modern-looking templates with a loyal customer base and support. The company also offers premium paid service with more publishing tools, SSL certificates, dedicated IP addresses, and more.


Lots of templates • Unlimited bandwidth
Limited storage • No free email
Weebly provides an easy way to build an attractive website thanks to its drag-and-drop interface and hundreds of great templates.

Weebly

Easy-to-use tools for attractive sites that can be customized to fit your needs.

  • Free Storage:
    500 MB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    Unlimited
  • Free Email? :
    No
  • Basic:
    Free (with ads)
  • Personal:
    $6/month
  • Professional:
    $12/month
  • Performance:
    $26/month
If you’re looking to create a good-looking site with a modern design, Weebly offers some of the best free web hosting features on a dazzling platform. They offer hundreds of free templates that are really easy to use and rearrange with a drag-and-drop interface, but you can also incorporate your HTML and CSS coding skills for a more dynamic style. While Weebly has e-commerce and email features, they are reserved for paid subscriptions. However, free accounts benefit from unlimited bandwidth so you won’t have to worry about high traffic.


Multilingual • 10 GB of free storage
Limited speeds • Must purchase domain
With multilingual coding and an impressive amount of free storage, it’s easy to see why Freehosting.com is one of the most popular web hosting services in the world.

Freehosting.com

With some limitations, it’s a good choice for lots of storage and language support.

  • Free Storage:
    10GB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    Unmetered
  • Free Email?:
    Yes
  • Basic Package:
    Free (no ads)
  • Paid Package:
    $7.99/month

The name says it all: Freehosting.com is a free web hosting company based in the Czech Republic with customers in multiple countries across Europe. While they do have pretty slow speeds for free users, they make up for it with robust features and top-notch customer service, including 10GB of storage and multilingual cPanel hosting controls to accommodate maximum users. Free users have the option to add on features like SSL certification, subdomains, and additional email boxes, but these a la carte add-ons can get pricey. You’ll also need to purchase or transfer over your own domain. At that point, you might be better off upgrading to the premium plan for more usability, features, and faster speeds.


Free SSL certificate • Lots of storage
Sign up needs approval
Googiehost offers stable and reliable websites for free, but you’ll have to prove you’ll use its powers for good to be accepted.

Googiehost

One of the few free web hosting services that offers SSL certificates at no cost.

  • Free Storage:
    1GB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    100GB
  • Free Email:
    Yes
  • Basic Plan:
    Free (no ads)

GoogieHost offers a wide range of features, including amazing customer service, unlimited bandwidth, and top notch SEO tools to grow your website. They’re also one of the few web hosting services that offers a free SSL certificate for all users. However, while GoogieHost’s basic web hosting plan is free, you’ll have to fill out an extensive online questionnaire about your website in order to be granted access. Ultimately, the company wants to make sure people are using their stable and reliable free services for the right reasons.


Easy CMS integration • Transparent bandwidth tools
If your preferred CMS is WordPress or Joomla, AwardSpace makes it easy to integrate your most familiar content management system to easily make your site your own.

AwardSpace

A great option for its easy content management system integration, especially for fans of WordPress and Joomla.

  • Free Storage:
    1GB
  • Free Bandwidth:
    5GB
  • Free Email?:
    Yes
  • Free Plan:
    Free (no ads)
  • Basic:
    $2.99/month
  • Web Pro Plus:
    $4.57/month
  • Max Pack Plus:
    $5.83/month

AwardSpace boasts a super-easy setup with just one-click CMS installation that’ll get you going in no time with your preferred website creation tool, whether that’s WordPress, Joomla, or GRAV. However, they also provide their own drag-and-drop website builder with premade designs and no coding knowledge needed. They allow free users to create one website with three subdomains, and it’s all 100% ad-free (though you are allowed to place your own ads to monetize your site if you so choose). They provide 99.9% uptime, up-to-date versions of PHP and MySQL, and the transparency of their bandwidth usage monitor can help you budget your resources and track your traffic. Plus, they also provide free users with firewall, spam, and virus protection to keep your site and its visitors safe.