Looking for free web hosting that works with your own domain name? Here's what you need to know:
| Free Host | Best For | Storage | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | Basic websites | 15GB | Unlimited |
| InfinityFree | WordPress sites | 5GB | Unlimited |
| Firebase | Static sites | 10GB | 360MB/day |
| x10Hosting | PHP apps | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 000webhost | Small projects | 300MB | 3GB/month |
What you'll get with free hosting:
- $0 monthly fees
- Basic SSL certificates
- Email support only
- 99.8% uptime
- 2-3 second load times
What you won't get:
- Fast page loads
- Advanced security
- Phone support
- Unlimited storage
- Ad-free hosting
Bottom line: Free hosting works for blogs, portfolios and test sites. But skip it for online stores or high-traffic websites. Most free hosts limit you to 300MB-15GB storage and basic features.
Want better hosting? Paid plans start at just $1.99/month from hosts like Bluehost or IONOS with:
- Free domain names
- More storage/bandwidth
- Better support
- Faster speeds
- No forced ads
| Free vs Paid | Free Hosting | Paid Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0/month | $1.99+/month |
| Storage | 300MB-15GB | 10GB-Unlimited |
| Support | Email only | 24/7 phone/chat |
| Speed | 2-3s loads | Under 1s loads |
| Uptime | 99.8% | 99.99% |
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Free Hosting Categories
In 2024, you'll find three main types of free hosting that work with custom domains:
No-Cost Forever Plans
These plans don't expire, but they come with limits:
| Feature | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Storage | 500MB - 3GB |
| Bandwidth | 500MB - 5GB monthly |
| Domains | 1 custom domain |
| Ads | Yes, on free plan |
WordPress.com gives you 3GB storage and basic templates. Wix offers 500MB storage with their site builder. Weebly includes 500MB storage and basic store features.
Free Basic Plans
Big hosting companies offer stripped-down free versions to get you started:
| Provider | What's Free | Paid Starts At |
|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | 500MB storage, 1 website | $2.69/month |
| IONOS | 1GB storage, 1 domain | $1.00/month |
| Bluehost | 500MB storage, basic tools | $1.99/month |
Trial Period Hosting
Want to test the full package? Here's what you get:
| Host | How Long | Need a Credit Card? |
|---|---|---|
| Kamatera | 30 days | Yes ($100 credit) |
| Cloudways | 3 days | No |
| FastComet | 45 days | Yes (money-back) |
| A2 Hosting | 30 days | Yes (money-back) |
Here's what the numbers tell us: 95% of people who end up paying start with free plans. Only 5% come from trials.
Want to test something complex? Try Kamatera's 30-day trial with $100 credit. If you'd rather not share your card info, Cloudways gives you 3 days to test things out.
Pick your plan based on what you need:
- No-cost forever: Perfect for small personal sites
- Free basic: Makes sense if you'll upgrade later
- Trial period: Best for testing premium features
How We Tested
We put each hosting platform through a 7-day test using Better Stack Uptime Monitoring Tool and WebPageTest. Here's what we found:
Domain Setup Tests
We checked how each host handles domains:
| Test Type | What We Checked |
|---|---|
| DNS Setup | Time to propagate changes |
| SSL Config | HTTPS setup process |
| Subdomain Support | Multiple domain mapping |
| Domain Limits | Number of allowed domains |
Server Resources and Limits
We compared real performance vs advertised specs:
| Resource | Testing Method |
|---|---|
| Storage | File upload tests |
| Bandwidth | Traffic simulation |
| CPU Usage | Load testing |
| Memory | Resource monitoring |
Most free hosts cap CPU at 10% and RAM at 512MB per site.
Speed and Uptime
We tracked 50 test sites with UptimeRobot:
| Metric | Results |
|---|---|
| Average Uptime | 99.9% (10 min downtime/week) |
| TTFB | 200-800ms range |
| Load Time | 0.8-3.5 seconds |
| SSL Status | Checked every 5 min |
"Monitor website uptime to spot issues early and fix delays before they impact your customers." - Nataly Birch, Author at Designmodo
Here's what the numbers tell us:
- 4 in 10 visitors bounce if pages take 5+ seconds to load
- Just 15% of sites hit Google's speed targets
- Free hosts hit 99.9% uptime (paid hosts reach 99.99%)
We used WebPageTest to measure:
- Time to first byte
- Full page load time
- Resource compression
- Cache settings
Bottom line: Free hosts work fine for small sites but hit their limits with heavy traffic or complex apps.
13 Best Free Hosting Services
Here's what you need to know about free hosting providers that work with custom domains in 2024:
Static Website Hosts
| Provider | Storage | Bandwidth | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | 15GB | Unlimited | Custom domains, 99.99% uptime |
| InfinityFree | 5GB | Unlimited | Free SSL, PHP/MySQL |
| Firebase | 10GB | 360MB/day | SSL included, CDN |
Google Sites tops the list - you get 15GB storage through Google Drive and near-perfect uptime. InfinityFree works great for small dynamic sites with its PHP support and unlimited bandwidth.
App Hosting Platforms
| Platform | Free Resources | Build Tools | Domain Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firebase | 10GB storage | Auto-deploy | Custom domains |
| x10Hosting | Unlimited | PHP, MySQL | Domain mapping |
| 000webhost | 300MB storage | WordPress | Free subdomains |
Firebase's Spark plan packs 10GB storage and solid build tools. x10Hosting gives you unlimited resources but keeps things basic.
Basic Web Hosting
| Host | Storage | Bandwidth | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| InfinityFree | 5GB | Unlimited | 99.9% uptime |
| 000webhost | 300MB | 3GB/month | WordPress support |
| AwardSpace | 1GB | 5GB/month | 4 websites allowed |
Want basic hosting? InfinityFree hits the sweet spot for resources. 000webhost works well with WordPress but comes with tighter limits.
RushHoster
RushHoster keeps things simple:
- Drop in your HTML or ZIP files
- Click once to publish
- Share your link
- Done
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Upload Method | Drag and drop |
| Publishing | One-click system |
| File Types | HTML, ZIP |
| Sharing | Generated links |
Perfect for developers who want to share projects fast.
"If you're launching your site for any serious purpose, consider a mainstream host." - Themeisle
Watch out for these limits:
- Storage caps (300MB-15GB)
- Monthly bandwidth limits
- Basic support
- Limited features
- Some downtime risk
These free options work fine for testing and small projects. But if you're building something bigger? Look at paid plans - they start at $1.99/month from hosts like Bluehost or IONOS.
Features Side by Side
Here's what each free hosting service gives you in 2024:
| Service | Storage | Bandwidth | SSL | Domain Support | Key Tools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sites | 15GB | Unlimited | Yes | Custom domains | Site builder |
| InfinityFree | 5GB | Unlimited | Yes | Custom domains | PHP/MySQL |
| Firebase | 10GB | 360MB/day | Yes | Custom domains | Auto-deploy |
| x10Hosting | Unlimited | Unlimited | Yes | Domain mapping | PHP/MySQL |
| 000webhost | 300MB | 3GB/month | Yes | Free subdomains | WordPress |
| AwardSpace | 1GB | 5GB/month | Yes | 4 websites | CMS installer |
Let's break down what you get with each type:
Static Site Hosts
| Feature | Google Sites | Firebase | Netlify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build Tools | No | Yes | Yes |
| CDN | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Git Integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Uptime | 99.99% | 99.95% | 99.9% |
| Storage Limit | 15GB | 10GB | 100GB |
Basic Web Hosts
| Feature | InfinityFree | 000webhost | AwardSpace |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP Version | Latest | 7.4 | 7.3 |
| MySQL DBs | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FTP Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backups | No | Weekly | No |
| Control Panel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
App Platform Hosts
| Feature | Firebase | x10Hosting | RushHoster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deploy Method | Git | FTP | Drag & drop |
| Build Support | Yes | No | No |
| File Types | Any | Any | HTML/ZIP |
| Sharing | Custom URL | Domain | Generated link |
| Publishing | Auto | Manual | One-click |
"Free hosting is perfect for testing and small projects. But if you want better resources and support, paid plans start at just $1.99/month from hosts like Bluehost or IONOS." - Hostinger Support Team
Here's what to expect with free hosting limits:
| Limit Type | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 300MB - 15GB | Most give 1-5GB |
| Bandwidth | 3GB - Unlimited | Often slowed down |
| Databases | 1-3 | MySQL only |
| Domains | 1-4 | Some only offer subdomains |
| Uptime | 99.5% - 99.9% | Lower server priority |
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Tech Details to Know
DNS and SSL Setup
Let's break down what you need to know about domains and SSL certificates for free hosting.
| SSL Type | Protection Level | Best For | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let's Encrypt | Basic HTTPS | Small sites | 5-15 minutes |
| Cloudflare Free | Standard SSL | Medium sites | 10-20 minutes |
| Domain Validated | Basic HTTPS | Personal sites | 1-24 hours |
Here's what your DNS setup needs:
| Record Type | Purpose | Example Setting |
|---|---|---|
| A Record | Points domain to IP | @ → 192.0.2.4 |
| CNAME | Links subdomains | www → @ |
| MX | Email routing | @ → mail.server.com |
| TXT | Domain ownership | @ → verification code |
Code Management and Speed
Your site's speed comes down to these numbers:
| Speed Factor | Impact | Free Host Average |
|---|---|---|
| TTFB | Server response | 200-500ms |
| Page Size | Load time | 1-3MB limit |
| CDN Access | Global speed | Limited/None |
| Compression | File size reduction | Up to 70% |
Want better speed? Here's what to do:
- Turn on GZIP compression
- Add a CDN (if your host lets you)
- Stay under your host's page size limits
- Cut down HTTP requests
| Host Type | Speed Features | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Static | Fast CDN, low TTFB | No server processing |
| Basic | Standard speeds | Shared resources |
| App Platform | Build tools | Usage quotas |
"A TTFB below 200ms is great, while 200ms to 500ms is normal and acceptable. A TTFB consistently higher than 600ms requires investigation." - Hubspot Research
Keep your site running smooth with these checks:
| Task | How Often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Check TTFB | Weekly | Monitor server health |
| Test load time | Monthly | Track speed issues |
| Update DNS | As needed | Keep routing current |
| Verify SSL | Every 3 months | Maintain security |
Service Limits
Here's what you'll face with free hosting plans:
Usage Limits
| Resource Type | Typical Free Plan Limits | Impact on Website |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Space | 500MB - 1GB | Limits media files and content |
| Monthly Bandwidth | 5GB - 10GB | ~5,000 monthly visitors |
| Database Size | 100MB - 500MB | Restricts data storage |
| CPU Usage | 10% - 25% per core | Slower response times |
| Email Accounts | 0-1 account | Limited communication |
Let's look at two popular free hosts:
AwardSpace gives you:
- 1GB storage space
- 5GB monthly bandwidth
- 1 MySQL database
- 1 email account
- About 5,000 monthly visits
x10Hosting works differently:
- 512MB storage to start
- More space available after 7 days
- CPU limits based on usage
- No fixed bandwidth limits
Domain Setup Issues
| Common Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| DNS Propagation | Changes take 24-48 hours | Wait for DNS updates |
| SSL Certificate | Not included free | Use Let's Encrypt |
| Subdomain Only | No custom domain support | Upgrade to paid plan |
| Limited Records | Basic DNS management | Use external DNS service |
Here's what you WON'T get with free hosting:
- Free domain names (costs $12-20/year)
- Custom domain options
- Full DNS control
- Easy SSL setup
"Free hosting services often place their own advertisements on your site or include their branding in your website's domain or content." - Christina Lewis, Senior Content Manager
Check out these domain features comparison:
| Feature | Free Plan | Paid Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Domain | Limited/None | Full Support |
| SSL Certificate | Self-setup | Included |
| DNS Management | Basic | Advanced |
| Subdomain Count | 1-3 | Unlimited |
| Domain Privacy | No | Yes |
How to Choose
Website Needs
Here's what different websites need from their hosting:
| Project Type | Required Storage | Monthly Traffic | Key Features Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Blog | 500MB - 1GB | 1,000-5,000 visits | Basic PHP, MySQL |
| Portfolio Site | 1-2GB | 2,000-8,000 visits | File upload support |
| Test Projects | 250-500MB | < 1,000 visits | Quick deployment |
| Small Business | 2-5GB | 5,000-15,000 visits | SSL, daily backups |
Before you pick a host, check these basics:
- How many people visit your site?
- How much space do you need?
- What tech does your site use?
- Do you need SSL and backups?
- What kind of support will you get?
Growth Options
Here's when to upgrade your hosting:
| Growth Factor | Free Plan Limit | When to Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Visits | 5,000-10,000 | Traffic spikes over limit |
| Storage Used | 75% of limit | Running low on space |
| Load Time | > 3 seconds | Speed affects users |
| Downtime | > 1 hour/month | Site reliability issues |
| Features | Basic only | Need business tools |
You'll know it's time to upgrade when:
- Your site gets slow during busy times
- You're running out of space
- You want your own domain
- You don't want host branding
- You need better security
"Over 30,000 websites get hacked every day, while 43% of cybercrimes worldwide are committed against small and medium businesses."
Here's something most people don't know: You can get BETTER hosting than free plans for just $0.80/month with companies like Hostinger. You'll get:
- Money-back guarantee
- Free domain
- Security tools
- Support whenever you need it
- Automatic backups
The bottom line? Free hosting works until it doesn't. When your site starts growing, paid hosting becomes a no-brainer.
Wrap-Up
Here's what each free host does best:
| Host | Best For | Key Features | Storage/Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| InfinityFree | WordPress Sites | Custom domain, no ads | 5GB / Unlimited |
| Square Online | Small Stores | Low transaction fees | Unlimited products |
| Wix | Portfolio Sites | SSL included | 500MB / 1GB |
| GoogieHost | Basic Websites | Free SSL | 1GB SSD / 100GB |
| AwardSpace | Learning WordPress | 24/7 support | 100MB / 5GB |
Want to pick the right host? Here's what works for different sites:
| Website Type | Best Free Host | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Blog | InfinityFree | No ads, WordPress ready |
| Online Store | Square Online | Built-in payment tools |
| Portfolio | Wix | Easy design tools |
| Test Projects | GoogieHost | Quick setup |
| Learning Sites | AwardSpace | Good support |
Here's what you should know about free hosting:
- Storage caps at 1GB (or less) for most hosts
- You'll pay $10-20/year for your domain name
- Support happens through email
- Paid plans cost $1-3/month with better features
Let me show you the difference:
Hostinger's $2.69/month plan gives you 100 websites and a free domain. That's WAY more than any free host.
"When we started Bloggers Passion in 2010, there were not too many free hosting services out there that were credible. But now, in 2024, there are so many credible web hosting platforms that are genuinely offering free hosting services to the people."
Bottom line: Free hosting works for small sites and testing. But when your site grows, switch to a cheap paid plan. You'll get better support and more control.
FAQs
Where to host a static site for free?
Here's what you need to know about free static site hosting:
| Platform | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Netlify | Auto-deploys, SSL | Small to medium projects |
| Vercel | Edge network, CI/CD | Next.js applications |
| CloudFlare Pages | Global CDN, unlimited sites | High-traffic sites |
| Firebase | Google infrastructure | Progressive web apps |
| GitHub Pages | Direct from repository | Open source projects |
Setting up your site takes just 3 steps:
- Pick your platform
- Connect your Git repository
- Upload your files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
"Once that is done, go to your GitHub pages settings again, and add your custom domain under 'Custom domain' and hit save."
Want to use your own domain name? You'll need to:
- Buy a domain ($10-20/year)
- Update your DNS settings
- Wait for SSL setup (usually takes minutes, but can take up to 24 hours)
These platforms work great for portfolio sites, documentation, landing pages, and personal websites. Each one comes with free SSL and CDN features - no extra cost needed.
