We often get asked, “are there any free WordPress hosting services”? It’s very tempting to launch yourself into WordPress because lets be honest, it’s an awesome platform. As of April 2021, WordPress was used by 41.1% of all websites! However, whether you’re just trialing it out or can’t afford to pay for WordPress hosting, you’re probably looking for free hosting alternatives.
With free WordPress hosting, you’re not going to get the kind of performance and quality from paid WordPress hosts like Hostinger. However, it’s a good starting point if you want to dip your toes in the water to discover how WordPress could help you or your business.
We’re going to break down the best free WordPress hosting options so you’ll have a good idea of what is best for your requirements.
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Best Free WordPress Hosting Options
We’ve rounded up the best free WordPress hosting services available at the moment. Some of these options will have paid upgrades that allow you to change to a paid plan later down the line, if you choose to do so. Here’s a quick overview of the best WordPress hosting services that we recommend:
1. WordPress.com
Wordpress.com vs WordPress.org is a confusing concept. WordPress.com allows you to create a WordPress website for free, without being able to access the full suite of WordPress software and features. One of the most appealing aspects of WordPress.com is that it's free and easy to use. WordPress.com is great for beginners and non-technical users who don't want to install their own themes and plugins. Many freelancers use WordPress.com to showcare their portfolios.
WordPress.com’s free WordPress hosting plan allows you to access 3GB storage, free themes, free SSL certificate, and Jetpack Essentials features. As you can see, the plan is quite limited, but it does allow you to get your WordPress website setup and running for free.
Pros:
- Free WordPress hosting
- Easy to use and setup
- Custom WordPress dashboard
Cons:
- Can’t install themes or plugins on the free plan
- WordPress.com subdomain
- Cannot manage your database
Who is WordPress.com Suitable For?
WordPress.com is suitable for non-technical users who want an easy-to-use system to create a website or blog. Freelancers who need a quick portfolio, or personal websites that want a simple way to access their data will find WordPress.com a breeze to use.
Technical users may be put of WordPress.com due to its limitations, especially when it comes to themes and plugins. A better alternative to WordPress.com is WordPress.org which is a self-hosted solution where you only have to pay for your web hosting.
2. 000WebHost
Powered by Hostinger, 000WebHost is a free web hosting plan ideal for WordPress hosting. The idea of 000WebHost is to offer a free WordPress hosting platform with the intention that you'll hopefully move over to Hostinger's hosting plans when you want to upgrade. They allow you to host up to two websites for free and have performed well in terms of speed and uptime, considering they offer free WordPress hosting.
With 000WebHost’s free WordPress hosting plan you’ll get 300MB storage, 3GB bandwidth, 99% uptime guarantee, Cloudflare CDN, and 1 FTP account. Considering this is a completely free plan, the features are very reasonable but won’t outperform Hostinger’s paid hosting plans.
Pros:
- Can use your own custom domain
- Easy to use custom hosting dashboard
- Full access to server and database
Cons:
- If you exceed the free plan limits your website will be suspended
- Lots of prompts to upgrade to paid service
- No support
Who is 000WebHost Suitable For?
If you’re looking for a full web hosting service but are on a tight budget, 000WebHost is a suitable free hosting option. You can install your own apps like WordPress as well as access your server and database.
With 000WebHost you can use your own custom domain name, so you can host a professional-looking website without being limited to a subdomain. However, due to its lack of support, 000WebHost may not be suitable for beginners.
3. AccuWeb Hosting
US based web host, AccuWeb Hosting, offers free WordPress hosting plans as well as premium plans. When it comes to the amount of storage and bandwidth on its free plan, AccuWeb Hosting is one of the most generous free WordPress hosting services around. While many free web hosts plaster their websites in adverts, AccuWeb Hosting is completely advery free and ever offers email accounts and backups.
AccuWeb Hosting’s free plan is free for life, offering hosting for one WordPress website, 2GB SSD storage, 30GB bandwidth, 5 FTP accounts, 25 email accounts, and 10 MySQL databases. It also offers limited support, which is fair considering it’s 100% free WordPress hosting. There’s also the option to upgrade your WordPress hosting plan to a premium plan later down the line if you outgrow your free hosting service.
Pros:
- Generous resource limits
- Full cPanel access
- Use your own custom domain
Cons:
- Only one website allowed per account
- Only server location is in Canada
- No free subdomain
Who is AccuWeb Hosting Suitable For?
AccuWeb Hosting offers a large amount of bandwidth with their free hosting plan, so if you have a high traffic website, AccuWeb Hosting is suitable for you. There’s a lot of flexibility too, allowing you cPanel access and the use of a custom domain name.
While I wouldn’t recommend AccuWeb Hosting for very high-traffic websites, it’s a great starting point for those who are looking for a generous free hosting service. There’s a strict one website rule and you’ll need to submit your government ID when signing up.
4. AwardSpace
Based in Germany, AwardSpace was founded in 2003 and provides free WordPress hosting. With their free hosting plan, you can receive up to 5,000 visitors per month, making it a great choice for small websites or blogs. There's also an easy option to upgrade to a paid plan if you outgrow your resources, along with a helpful 1-click installer for WordPress.
With AwardSpace’s free WordPress hosting you can host up to 4 websites and add up to 3 free subdomains. They offer a 1-click installer for WordPress, along with a 99.9% uptime. Like AccuWeb Hosting, AwardSpace is 100% advert free. You’ll get 5GB bandwidth, 1GB storage, and a free website builder if you want to use it.
Pros:
- Host multiple websites
- Allows your own email account
- Full access to server and database
Cons:
- Low bandwidth
- Only one website can be a TLD
- Limited storage
Who is AwardSpace Suitable For?
With AwardSpace you can host multiple websites, so if you have several websites you want to host for free and don’t get a lot of traffic, AwardSpace is a suitable free option. The limited bandwidth and storage is restrictive, but if you have a couple of blogs you want to get live without paying a dime, this is a great choice.
You can host multiple websites, as we know, but only one can be used as a top-level domain (TLD). You’ll need to bear this in mind as the others will be on subdomains.
5. Byet.Host
Byet is a subsidiary of iFastNet, another free WordPress hosting provider. They've been around for over a decade and offer generous free hosting plans if you need a lot of storage and bandwidth. If you know what you're doing with web hosting, you'll find their control panel easy to work with, however, if you're a beginner, you may find their outdated VistaPanel a little offputting.
Byet’s free WordPress hosting plan offers 1GB storage and 50GB bandwidth. You can have 5 addon, parked, and subdomains, as well as free tech support. Byet has a large free forum that you can access for advice, and is 100% ad free. Byet’s free hosting includes Softaculous which means you can easily install software like WordPress with the click of a button.
Pros:
- Generous bandwidth
- Free subdomain
- Can create your own email address
Cons:
- Individual files cannot exceed 10MB
- VistaPanel dashboard is outdated
- Limited storage
Who is Byet Suitable For?
With Byet’s generous bandwidth, it’s a suitable option for high-traffic websites. However, due to its limited storage, you may not be able to host websites with lots of images or media.
There are no limits to the number of websites you can host with Byet, and you can use their free subdomains meaning you can host a WordPress website for free, including your domain.
Free WordPress Hosting FAQs
As you’ve seen, there are a number of great WordPress hosts that offer free hosting. While you will be limited on certain resources, if you’re on a budget, free WordPress hosting is a great place to start.
If your website gets a lot of traffic or you start to outgrow your free hosting, it’s definitely worth investing in a paid option. There are plenty of great WordPress hosting companies out there including Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost, and more!
WordPress.com is a free WordPress platform that’s ideal for small and basic websites or blogs. WordPress.org is a self-hosted solution, meaning it’s completely free but you’ll need to source your own web hosting.
While many hosting companies and free web hosting companies offer free subdomains, it can be hard to find a free domain name. We have a guide on how you can get a free domain name, making hosting your own WordPress website even more affordable!