6 Best Free Web Hosting: Top Providers for 2025

Free web hosting offers a cost-effective entry point for launching small projects, blogs, or experimental websites without upfront costs. While these platforms offer beginners or low-traffic sites an ideal starting point, they often come with trade-offs like limited storage, bandwidth limitations, or advertisements. Choosing the right free web hosting platform allows you to experiment with a website without the financial commitment and have the option to upgrade to paid plans as your business grows.

Below, you’ll find my top picks for the best free web hosting platforms, based on my hands-on testing and research.

Top free web hosting services comparison

Here are some of the most important features of a free web hosting solution. The table below illustrates which of the top six free web hosting services include which key features.

	Our rating (out of 5)	Best for	Starting price for paid plans (per user per month)	Drag-and-Drop Builder	Ad-Free Hosting
	4.5	Best overall	$17 per month	Yes	No
	4	Personal websites	$0.25 per month	No	Yes
	3.7	Hosting custom web apps	Charges are based on actual usage	No	Yes
	3.6	Small businesses	$10 per month	Yes	Yes
	3.6	Enterprise-scale projects	$3.50 per month	No	Yes
	4	WordPress hosting	$2.99 per month	No	No

Standout features

• Customize your website’s appearance easily with its intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
• Choose from over 900+ designer-made templates and create your website from these layouts.
• Use the AI-powered Editor to generate a professional-looking website quickly.
• Enhance images directly within the Editor by adding filters and adjusting them in the Photo Studio.
• Create attractive and engaging landing pages to capture leads and drive traffic to your website.

Top integrations

Wix boasts a comprehensive App Market with tools designed to help you grow your online presence and attract more visitors. It connects with tools like Google Analytics for measuring campaign performance, Google Ads for promoting products or services, and Meta Pixels for tracking website visitor behavior.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Clean and intuitive drag-and-drop user interface for building websites without needing any coding knowledge.  Extensive library with hundreds of professionally designed templates for different purposes.  An all-in-one platform for website building, hosting, and domain registration.  Ability to add features and functionality as your website grows.	The free plan has limited customization options for personalizing your website’s design and features. Free plan and lower tiers lack robust e-commerce features.  It does not provide a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or shared hosting options. Lower-tier plans come with limited storage space.

Standout features

• Enjoy a completely ad-free experience even on the free plan to ensure your website looks professional and uncluttered.
• Customize your website using AwardSpace with its intuitive tools, free website builder, and one-click CMS installation to support popular content management system platforms.
• Set up popular CMSs like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal using the drag-and-drop Zacky website builder.
• Support different PHP versions and MySQL databases for handling data seamlessly and running dynamic websites.

Top integrations

AwardSpace offers a stable platform for installing your preferred CMS or website-building tools. It integrates seamlessly with popular platforms WordPress and Joomla, which are ideal content management systems for bloggers, creatives, and freelancers. It also connects to phpMyAdmin, which provides user-friendly interfacing for managing MySQL databases, and WooCommerce if you wish to add a small online store to sell your products or services.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Reliable 99.9% uptime guarantee to ensure that your website remains online and accessible. Offers a free hosting solution without hidden costs, ads, or financial commitment. Includes a simple CMS installation process ideal for beginners.  Features built-in spam protection to safeguard your website from unwanted emails and malicious activities.	No SSL certificates on its free hosting plan, which can affect website security.  Limited data center locations, impacting performance for users in certain regions.  Not suitable for high-traffic websites due to limited storage and bandwidth on the free plan.

Standout features

• Create and run virtual machines on Google infrastructure that lets you easily launch large compute clusters with no up-front investment.
• Deploy, scale, and manage containerized applications using the Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).
• Simplify web application deployment with pre-configured templates available on Google Cloud Marketplace.
• Implement advanced security measures such as data encryption, customizable firewalls, and granular identity management to protect your website and user data.

Top integrations

Google Cloud features a wealth of integrated services to help developers create powerful and scalable web applications. Key integrations include Compute Engine for virtual machines, Cloud Storage for scalable object storage, and Cloud Functions for serverless computing. You can also integrate Google Cloud with Firebase for real-time database and hosting, GitHub for source code management, and Google Analytics for performance tracking.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Offers a generous free tier for developers to deploy custom applications.  Provides access to a wide range of robust cloud services beyond basic hosting.  Delivers high-speed computing capabilities via optimized virtualization technologies.	Steeper learning curve compared to simpler website platforms.  Hosting services present challenges with intricate pricing structures. Virtual machines require more technical expertise than using a managed hosting solution.

Standout features

• Create your website with ease, add elements, and rearrange content using an intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
• Start selling online quickly, even on the free plan,using the platform’s built-in e-commerce features.
• Automatically install SSL certificates to safeguard your website and protect user data.
• Choose from a wide range of customizable templates to suit your business needs.

Top integrations

Weebly seamlessly integrates with third-party apps via its App Center, offering hundreds of tools to enhance your website’s functionality. It connects to payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Square, and email marketing apps such as MailChimp and ActiveCampaign. You can also link your CRM platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce to manage customer interactions and sales processes.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Easy-to-use drag-and-drop tool for creating professional websites without needing technical skills.  Built-in e-commerce features for product listing, shopping carts, and secure checkout processes.  Clear and transparent pricing structure without hidden fees or complicated billing.	No uptime guarantee, unlike other free web hosting platforms.  The platform is best suited for small businesses and might not be ideal for large-scale operations. The free plan includes Weebly branding and ads.

Standout features

• Handle large traffic volumes with the platform’s highly scalable computing resources through Amazon EC2 and AWS Lambda.
• Protect web applications through the platform’s advanced security measures, including network isolation, DDoS protection, and comprehensive encryption services.
• Facilitate integration with AI and machine learning services or advanced analytics and automation.
• Monitor web application performance via AWS CloudWatch and AWS CloudFormation to optimize your infrastructure management.

Top integrations

AWS integrates with a vast ecosystem of its services, including Amazon AppFlow for secure data transfer between AWS services and SaaS applications, and Amazon EventBridge to simplify connecting applications. You can also connect to AWS Chatbot to monitor and interact with your AWS resources on Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Amazon Chime.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Feature-rich platform for businesses and organizations to explore cloud capabilities without financial commitment.  Supports a wide range of programming languages, databases, and frameworks.  Provides automatic backups that continuously protect sensitive data and website content.	The platform can be overwhelming for beginners due to its advanced services and features.  AWS requires service quotes on storage volumes, which can limit users’ data storage capabilities.  Limited customization on the free plan compared with other free web hosting platforms.

Standout features

• Manage your WordPress website on Hostinger for optimized server performance and fast loading speeds.
• Automate WordPress installation using Hostinger’s auto-installer feature and use plugins like LiteSpeed Cache, All in One SEO, and Monster Insights to make your site more robust.
• Easily migrate your WordPress sites to Hostinger’s Website Builder using its seamless migration services.
• Safeguard your website in all areas with Hostinger’s automatic malware scanner, advanced web application firewall, and DDoS mitigation.

Top integrations

Hostinger doesn’t have a traditional app marketplace but offers the auto-installer feature that allows you to easily install apps for CMS, e-commerce, data management, and more. The platform seamlessly integrates with tools like Cloudflare CDN for speed, Jetpack for security and analytics, and WooCommerce for e-commerce. You can also install plugins like Yoast SEO to enhance website performance, security, and your online store’s capabilities.

Pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Offers affordable pricing with feature-rich packages.  The hosting environment is optimized for WordPress, improving performance and security.  User-friendly and intuitive interface, making it easy for beginners to manage their WordPress sites.	Lowest tier plans have limited storage and bandwidth.  Advanced features are only accessible through higher tiers.  Lack of a traditional custom control panel can be limiting to users familiar with cPanel for web hosting.

Comparison of Free vs. Paid Hosting

Choosing between free and paid hosting is an important decision for anyone looking to launch a website, and the decision depends on your specific needs and goals. Free web hosting can be a great starting point for small or personal projects or testing website ideas. It often includes basic features like limited storage and bandwidth, which are sufficient for low-traffic websites. However, free plans often come with restrictions such as limited storage and bandwidth, forced branding or ads, and a lack of security measures and responsive support.

Paid web hosting, on the other hand, offers more comprehensive features and better performance. It provides faster page loads, higher storage capacity, and a wider range of customization options ideal for businesses expecting higher traffic or those looking to scale their operations. Paid web hosting also offers better security measures and dedicated customer support. While it requires a financial commitment, paid hosting provides the reliability and flexibility needed to run successful websites. Ultimately, choosing between free or paid hosting depends on your goals and available resources, so it’s essential to determine these factors before deciding which one to subscribe to.

Alternative Recommendations

While the platforms in this list might be a solid fit for certain needs, some alternatives might better suit your individual requirements and technical expertise.

Azure Hosting, powered by Microsoft, is ideal for projects needing scalability and tight integration with Microsoft technologies. Azure can be a solid option for developers and businesses that are already heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem and are looking for a highly flexible hosting environment for their WordPress sites. Azure Hosting offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model and allows you to use the platform free for up to 30 days.

I also recommend SiteGround as an alternative because it is known for its speed, advanced WordPress optimization, and responsive customer support. Its affordable pricing tiers starting at $3.99 per month provide essential web hosting features suited for small sites with moderate traffic. SiteGround’s higher-tier plans offer increased limits, unlimited websites, and advanced features like on-demand backups, enhanced caching, and priority support.

Methodology

When choosing the best free web hosting solution, I considered several key criteria to ensure that the provider meets both basic needs and advanced requirements.

• Pricing: I looked into pricing with a focus on forever-free plans, transparent pricing, and available discounts.
• Performance: I assessed factors like uptime guarantees, speed, server locations, and resource limits.
• Core Features: General features such as storage, bandwidth, scalability, and domain management, were also evaluated to ensure that the web hosting platform offers flexibility for businesses looking to scale their operations.
• Integrations and Compatibility: I looked into API support, pre-built integrations, and compatibility with tools like Google Analytics and e-commerce platforms.
• Ease of Use and Support: I considered each platform’s learning curve, installation process, and availability of customer support.
• Security Features: Web hosting platforms should protect your business data, so I looked into features like free SSL certificates, automatic backups, and threat protection.

FAQs

Is free web hosting reliable?

Free web hosting can be reliable for small, personal, or beginner websites, but it comes with limitations. Free plans typically offer reduced bandwidth and storage, a less secure platform, and fewer features compared with paid plans. However, some free web hosting providers offer comprehensive tools and security features like SSL certificates and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection.

Is free web hosting suitable for a business website?

For most businesses wanting to establish an online presence, free web hosting is not generally recommended. But platforms like Wix and Weebly are suitable options if you want to create an online store for your business because they have built-in e-commerce features.

Can I upgrade my website if I start with free web hosting?

Yes, you can upgrade your website from a free web hosting service to a paid one. Many free hosting providers also offer paid tiers with more features, resources, and fewer limitations. Upgrading can be a smooth process, but it’s important to research the options of your chosen free hosting provider beforehand to ensure that the paid plans align with your future needs.

Bottomline: The Best Free Web Hosting Solution

Choosing the right free web solution for your business depends on your needs and goals. For beginners, user-friendly platforms with drag-and-drop interfaces offer an easy entry point to launch your project. For developers looking for more customization and cloud-based experimentation, consider free hosting solutions that come with higher limits and more advanced capabilities. Before deciding on the free hosting option to sign up with, understand the pros and cons of the providers you consider and choose which will fit your needs and the resources available to you.

Are you interested in learning more about web development? See our list of the best web development courses worth taking to learn more about the field.