WordPress is, without a single doubt, the most popular website creation tool in the world. While there’s an increasing number of website builders that are trying to steal this title, WP still stands tall above them all, to this day. That said, before you jump into the world of plugins and old-school designs, you should figure out whether free WordPress hosting is worth it or not.
Well, I can tell you this straight from the get-go - it’s not. Actual free WP hosting solutions are either a scam, or way too rare to actually consider as being “viable”. This is why, in this article, we’ll be looking at some… Well, let’s call them alternatives. Worry not, since all will become clear in a minute. Our list will look a little something like this:
Free WordPress Hosting: PROS and CONS
So, let’s start by addressing the obvious - what are the actual pros and cons of free WordPress hosting?
Well, as noted in the introductory part of this article, there are mostly cons. However, before we start going into why that’s the case, let’s first take a look at the positives.
The most obvious benefit of free WordPress hosting is the fact that you get the chance to try out and host a website with WP without having to invest a penny into it. There is no financial commitment involved, and thus, you avoid a lot of stress associated with it.
Say, you’re completely new to WordPress - both in regards to creating a website with the CMS, and also with finding a hosting provider that would suit your needs. Naturally, you’ll want to jump into it as soon as possible, and start building a website from scratch.
Table: The features of WordPress
That’s actually pretty simple - WordPress is completely free to use. Well, at least as far as the site creation process is concerned.
You can download WordPress at any point in time, and start building a site within a few minutes. However, we’re not talking about the best free WordPress hosting services without a reason - your website won’t be reachable (live) up until you actually go ahead and host it.
That being the case, once you’ve mastered the intricacies of WP, and are ready to publish your new creation, this is where the decision-making process starts. At this point in time, you need WordPress hosting. Here, you have two options - pick a hosting provider and start paying for shared hosting plans (or others!), or search for free WordPress hosting.
That being said, though, apart from having the chance to try out a hosting provider before committing to a purchase, there really is no reason for you to go out of the way and search for free WordPress hosting.
The Dark Side of Free WordPress Hosting
Admittedly, WordPress hosting free services sound quite appealing. However, as much as they might appeal to anyone in regards to you being able to host your WP site for free, there are major cons to consider, too.
The main downside of free hosting is obvious - limitations. No matter what type of free WordPress hosting you might come across, you can expect there to be major limitations in place. Whether it be site storage, bandwidth, daily visitor count, or anything in between, you shouldn’t expect a lot of freedom with free hosting.
This, in turn, poses another issue. Many people search for free hosting for WordPress in order to try out a service provider before committing to a subscription - that’s obvious. However, with so many limitations in place, you won’t actually have a proper chance to comprehend what you’d receive as a paying customer.
Lastly, a major point to consider is one that can be expressed in a philosophical saying - if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The same can be said about free WordPress hosting, as well.
Admittedly, while there are different free WP hosting options on the market, the vast majority of them aren’t worth the trouble. They are either some scammy services that are looking to farm your personal information, or poorly-made hosting platforms that will give you a chronic headache.
These (and a few other) reasons are the main points of why, in this article, we will be looking at some ‘alternatives’. Namely, hosting providers that aren’t necessarily “free” by the core definition of the term, but are either super-affordable, or offer some amazing free services with their plans. Without further ado, let’s get to our list!