Are free web hosting plans reliable?

Best answer: Most of the time, no. Of the free hosting options available today, the one most worth your time is WIX. But even then, you're going to find the limitations are probable to cause problems eventually.

Popular choice: Wix (Free at Wix)
Worth a look: 50Webs.com (Free at 50webs.com)

Common limitations with a complimentary hosting plan

If you need a simple website to nowadays to a few people, and y'all don't expect it to be visited much, putting it on a hosting company's free plan can work. It tin can also be a good way to do setting upwards a website or to examination your website blueprint without having to spend money. And, of course, you could always upgrade to a paid programme later.

Even so, in that location are limitations; some you may be able to piece of work around, just others are significant. These are the general things you lot should expect when using a free hosting programme:

Advertising: Expect the hosting company to put ads on your site. Either a imprint advertizement at the pinnacle of your web folio or a large advertisement that covers your entire web page for a few seconds.
No custom domain: Since information technology is a large moneymaker, nigh gratis plans won't allow y'all utilise your ain domain. Typically, these plans only permit you lot to come up with a subdomain on the hosting company's domain.
Limited bandwidth: The hosting company may limit the amount of bandwidth that your website can evangelize, ordinarily inside a month. If you go over your allotment, your website volition become down.
Limited spider web space: Fifty-fifty if y'all pay, the everyman-tier plan sold by a hosting visitor will have a limit on how many gigabytes you can store on their servers. Expect this storage space to be even smaller, perhaps just a few gigabytes.
File size limit: The maximum sizes of files yous upload for your website may exist restricted, perchance less than ane MB per file. This can put a severe limit if the website you want to put upward features, images, or graphics-heavy elements.
Shared hosting: With nearly free plans, your website shares bandwidth, webspace, and other server resources with other websites that are owned past other user accounts. If online traffic amongst them becomes heavy, this could slow the performance of your website.
No SSL certificate: An SSL certificate assures visitors of your website that the connexion between their browser and the hosting company's servers is secured with encryption. This is denoted with the padlock icon in their browser's URL box. Instead, visitors will come across "Not secure" by your website's URL.
Minimal or no client back up: Nigh free hosting plans won't give you customer back up through email, online conversation, or over the phone. You lot'll have to consult your host visitor'south online help section or a user forum.

What should I use instead?

If y'all are just starting out, Wix can exist useful for this since it comes with a website maker. It costs you aught to endeavour information technology out. Also, some hosting companies offer exceptions to the limitations above. For example, 50Webs.com lets you utilize your own domain and won't put ads on your website. Just it's best to primarily use a company's gratis hosting program to teach yourself how to ready up a website or to test out your webpage designs. Otherwise, your website on a free hosting plan give off an unprofessional vibe, may not exist secure for visitors, or may not be fast enough.

Of course, in many instances, you lot can upgrade from a free hosting programme to a paid one if you lot demand to after. Wix and 50Webs.com are likewise low-toll web hosting companies. Afterwards all, companies such equally them hope to sell you a paid programme; their free plan is there to rope you in. Wix's paid plans start at $13 per month, and 50Webs.com'south start at just $2 per month.

Our pick

Wix

A popular option westward/ website builder

Wix's gratuitous plan is an excellent way to speedily set up up a website or teach yourself how to pattern one. This hosting company offers a wide selection of website templates to get you started building.

Also recommended

50Webs.com

Less pop but worth a look

50Webs.com offers a free web hosting plan that lets you utilize your own domain. This hosting company is also one of the few that won't put ads on your website.