Website hosting is simply a cost of doing business online. You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing the right host for your website.
Depending on what your business goals are, a free web host may actually be a good idea for you have minimal requirements.
To be clear, we’re talking about actual web hosts here so no a free Wix website, Google Sites or Blogger.com does not count.
Those are not web hosts.
Free hosting requirements
Here are my personal non-negotiable requirements for a free host.
When it comes to free hosting, you’re typically going to be limited in some annoying way. Ads on your site, slow speeds, minimal amount of resources.
Here is what I look out for when choosing a free host.
1. No forced ads on your site
A lot of free hosts leverage display banners ads on your site. All providers listed here don’t do this.
2. Custom domain support
The whole point of using a web host is to use our own domains and install our own software. Any provider that forces you to us a subdomain did not make my list.
3. Free SSL inlcuded
SSL certificates are free now, but it’s techy to set one up. Most hosts do it on your behalf so I expect that even from a free host.
4. Easy to deploy your site (Softlicous or something similar)
One-click installation of software is a must. I’m fine if a free host has their own proprietary dashboard, but you have to at least let me install something like WordPress or other platforms easily.
The best free web hosts
| # | Host | Best for | Key advantage | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | InfinityFreeinfinityfree.com | Students, personal projects, WordPress beginners | Most generous free plan: PHP, MySQL, SSL, custom domain, 14+ years of reliability | Strict CPU limits can temporarily suspend busy WordPress sites |
| 2 | Netlifynetlify.com | Beginners to developers; anyone who wants AI-assisted site building | Drag-and-drop deploy or AI agent builds your site in minutes; global CDN included | Credit-based bandwidth — 300 credits/month can run out on busier sites |
| 3 | GitHub Pagespages.github.com | Developers wanting a free portfolio, blog, or documentation site | Rock-solid free hosting with Jekyll built in; custom domain and SSL at no cost | Static sites only — no PHP, no databases, no dynamic functionality |
| 4 | Vercelvercel.com | Front-end developers using React, Next.js, or Node.js | Automatic framework detection, CI/CD from Git, and dynamic functionality beyond static sites | Not beginner-friendly; free Hobby plan restricted to personal/non-commercial use |
| 5 | Cloudflare Pagespages.cloudflare.com | Front-end developers who need unlimited bandwidth | Truly unlimited bandwidth with no credit system; host unlimited sites with custom domains | One build at a time; requires Git and framework knowledge to get started |
| 6 | Firebase Hostingfirebase.google.com | Developers building web apps with Google’s ecosystem | 10 GB storage and deep integration with Firestore, Auth, and Google AI tools | Only 360 MB of bandwidth per day — limits you to roughly 50–80 visitors before hitting the cap |
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1. Infinity Free – The free plan leader
InfinityFree is my top recommendation for anyone looking for completely free web hosting with PHP, MySQL support, and zero ads on your actual site. Over half a million websites are registered on the platform, which tells you something about their reliability.
One thing that stands out is that they’ve been doing this for over 14 years. That kind of track record matters because it means they’re not going to be offering free hosting today and gone tomorrow. They back that up with a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Getting started is simple, sign up, create your account, and you can immediately start building. You can install WordPress or use their built-in SitePro website builder.
Every account needs a primary domain, so you’ll pick a free subdomain to get started under the free.nf extension as a placeholder until you’re ready to point your own domain. Account setup can take up to 72 hours, and you can have up to three active accounts at once.
What you get on the free plan: 5 GB disk space, PHP 8.3, 4 MySQL databases, free SSL, free DNS, custom domain support, and a built-in website builder.
This is perfect for students, personal projects, testing environments, staging sites, and small organizations.
Unique selling point
The only one here that gives you a full traditional web server with PHP + databases. No serverless learning curve.
PROS
- Completely free with no hidden fees
- 14+ years of proven reliability
- No ads on your website
- Custom domain support included
- Free SSL certificate PHP 8.3 and MySQL support
- Built-in SitePro website builder
CONS
- Strict inode and CPU limits
- Busy WordPress sites can trigger temporary suspensions
- Backend dashboard is ad-heavy
- Account activation can take up to 72 hours
- Not suited for high-traffic or resource-intensive sites
Bottom line: The most generous and reliable free hosting option for most people. If you just need to get a site up without spending a dime, start here.
2. Netlifly – JAMstack for everyone
Netlify is the most approachable modern web development platform with a genuinely useful free plan.
It’s a JAMstack platform (JavaScript, APIs, and Markup) rather than traditional server-side hosting like Infinity Free.. Think of it as the evolution of static web hosting, with powerful modern tooling layered on top.
What makes Netlify accessible to people at all skill levels is how you can get a project live. You can deploy from Git, use the terminal CLI, or simply drag and drop your project folder directly into the browser.
If you’re starting completely from scratch and don’t know what you’re doing you can even prompt an AI agent to build your website for you. In my testing, I had an AI assistant build a complete travel blog in about 11 minutes.
The free plan includes custom domains and SSL, a global CDN, serverless functions, AI tools, and a web application firewall.
The main thing to keep in mind is the credit system
You get 300 credits per month, and various actions draw from that pool. Bandwidth costs 20 credits per gigabyte for example, compute costs 10 credits per gigabyte-hour, and using the AI agent also draws credits.
Unique selling point
You want quick dynamic elements (forms, auth, redirects) without writing backend code and you like a polished UI. It’s very close to Vercel (down the list) but edges it out on no-code features ideal for non-techy people.
PROS
- Multiple deployment methods for all skill levels
- AI agent can build your site from a prompt
- Custom domains and SSL on the free plan
- Global CDN included Serverless functions
- AI tools available Excellent developer experience
CONS
- Credit-based bandwidth can run out on busier sites
- Jamstack approach has a learning curve for beginners
- Not a traditional PHP/MySQL host, so no WordPress via Softaculous
- AI agent builds consume credits quickly
Bottom line: The best free option for modern web development. Drag-and-drop deployment makes it friendlier than it sounds, and the AI builder lowers the barrier even further.
3. Github Pages – Static website king
With GitHub Pages, you can host a website completely free using your GitHub repository. Think of GitHub as Google Docs for developers.
“Git” is an open-source version control software that lets multiple people collaborate on code without overwriting each other’s work. GitHub Pages takes that repository and turns it into a live website, for free.
This is ideal for simple static websites like personal portfolios, project pages, documentation, and casual blogs.
You’re not running PHP or server-side code
What you get is fast, reliable hosting for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, with the added benefit of a custom domain so you’re not stuck at a github.io subdomain.
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Jekyll included
Built into GitHub Pages is Jekyll, a static site generator that takes markdown and HTML files and builds a complete website from them.
You can pick a theme, add content, and configure your publishing source. Getting set up involves creating a repository, adding your files, enabling Pages in the repository settings, and selecting your publishing branch.
Unique selling point
You want the absolute minimum friction for a simple static site/ and you already use GitHub. Skip it if you need functions, high traffic, or modern frameworks.
PROS
- Completely free with no bandwidth caps for public repos
- Custom domain support with free SSL Jekyll static site generator built in
- Backed by Microsoft’s infrastructure
- Seamless workflow for developers already using Git
CONS
- Static sites only, no PHP or server-side scripting
- Requires understanding Git basics
- No database support
- Not suitable for dynamic applications
- Soft limits on bandwidth and build times for heavy use
Bottom line: Perfect for developers who want to host a portfolio, documentation site, or personal blog. Not the right fit if you need a dynamic, database-driven site.
4. Vercel – Front end developers only
Vercel provides a strong free plan aimed squarely at front-end developers. If you’re working with frameworks like React, Next.js, Vue, or Node.js, Vercel is built precisely for that workflow.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about and are not familiar with any of those technologies, this one probably isn’t for you.
Where Vercel differentiates itself from something like GitHub Pages is in dynamic capability. GitHub Pages serves static HTML and CSS.
Vercel handles that too, but it also supports server-side rendering, API routes, and backend functionality, meaning your site can accept payments through Stripe, handle form submissions, or pull in data from external APIs. In short, if you want your website to do something, Vercel is your platform.
Deployment of your website/app is straightforward
Connect your GitHub repository and Vercel handles the rest, automatically detecting your framework and configuring the build.
Every domain gets automatic HTTPS, and the free Hobby plan includes a global CDN, CI/CD pipelines, and DDoS mitigation.
Unique selling point
You’re building with React/Next.js and want instant previews and serverless backend without extra setup. Vercel beats Netlify on framework-specific optimizations and beats Cloudflare on ease for complex frontends. Avoid if you expect high traffic (Cloudflare wins there).
PROS
- Excellent support for React, Next.js, and modern frameworks
- Automatic HTTPS on every deployment Global CDN with fast edge network
- Automatic CI/CD from Git Supports dynamic functionality beyond static sites
- Custom domain on the free plan
CONS
- Not beginner-friendly without framework knowledge
- Free plan limited to hobby/personal projects, not commercial use
- Bandwidth and build limits apply at scale
- Overkill if you just need a basic static site
Bottom line: The go-to free platform for front-end developers building with modern JavaScript frameworks. If you know React or Next.js, this is hard to beat.
5. Cloudflare Pages – Unlimited Bandwidth
Cloudflare Pages is a JAMstack platform for front-end developers, and the free plan is genuinely impressive compared to the competition.
Like Vercel and Netlify, this is a developer-focused tool, so if you don’t have a GitHub repository and aren’t working with frameworks, it’s not the right fit. But if you are a front-end developer, Cloudflare Pages stands out in one significant way: unlimited bandwidth with no credit system.
That’s the key advantage over Netlify
Instead of tracking how many gigabytes your monthly traffic consumes, you simply don’t have to think about it. The trade-off on the free plan is one build at a time and 500 builds per month.
A “build” is what happens when Cloudflare grabs your repository, applies your framework, and compiles everything into a deployable site. 500 builds a month is more than enough for most people.
You can host unlimited websites, each with their own custom domain and SSL certificate. The “one build at a time” limitation means changes to multiple sites go into a queue rather than building simultaneously, but it’s a minor inconvenience in practice.
Unique selling point
You want maximum performance and traffic capacity without ever worrying about overage fees. It beats Vercel/Netlify/GitHub on bandwidth and raw speed, and it’s more generous than Firebase from Google. Ideal if your site might go viral or you already use Cloudflare DNS.
PROS
- Unlimited bandwidth with no credit restrictions
- Unlimited websites on the free plan
- Up to 100 custom domains per project
- Free SSL on every site Backed by Cloudflare’s global network
- No credit card required to sign up
CONS
- Only one build at a time
- Developer-focused, not beginner-friendly
- Requires framework and Git knowledge
- 500 builds per month cap, though rarely an issue
Bottom line: The best free option for front-end developers who want unlimited bandwidth without worrying about overages.
6. Firebase from Google
A lot of people don’t realize that Google offers free web hosting through Firebase, and that’s worth knowing about. Firebase is a more full-featured, all-in-one platform for building web applications.
Beyond hosting, it integrates with Google’s broader ecosystem including databases (Firestore), authentication, and multimodal AI tools, which makes it powerful if you want to grow a simple site into something more complex over time.
The reason it lands at number six is twofold honestly
First, setup requires using the command line to install the Firebase CLI and deploy your files. It’s not overly complicated once you’ve done it a couple of times, but it’s a higher barrier to entry than dragging a folder into Netlify.
Second, the free Spark plan has a notable bandwidth limitation. You get 10 GB of storage, which is solid, but daily bandwidth is capped at 360 MB. In practical terms, your site on the free plan can handle roughly 50 to 80 visitors per day before hitting that limit.
Unique selling point
Firebase is excellent and useful, it’s just very specialized. It’s the one you recommend when someone says “I want my site to have logins or a database someday” rather than “I just need to host my HTML files and update a blog.”
PROS
- 10 GB of storage on the free plan
- Deep integration with Google’s tools and services
- Free SSL and custom domain support
- Scales well as your app grows
- Excellent for apps needing authentication, databases, or AI features
- No payment method required to start
CONS
- Only 360 MB of bandwidth per day on the free plan
- Requires command line setup
- Steeper learning curve than most options here
- Bandwidth cap limits usefulness for sites with real traffic
Bottom line: Worth knowing about, especially if you plan to build a more feature-rich application. The bandwidth cap is the main reason it sits at the bottom of my list.
Conclusion
So that’s it for my breakdown on the best free web hosting plans currently available. For most people I suggest looking at Infinity Free if you want a traditional PHP environment for WordPress and Netlifly if you’re looking to learn JAMstack.
AwardSpace / Freehostia / x10hosting
These are also, classic free traditional hosting options that give you cPanel, PHP, and MySQL for very basic dynamic sites. But they don’t stack up to Infinity Free.
➪Hostinger – Recommended by the team behind WordPress. You can get 4 years of a quality web hosting for under $100, just use coupon code WEBPRO at checkout.
Hostinger
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