Free WordPress Hosting – How to Find the Best Solution for Your Site
If you are a blogger or somebody who regularly writes on your website about your travels, adventures, food, lifestyle, etc. then you will know how important it is to have a reliable web host for your site. No matter how good your intentions are, sometimes things happen that were not expected and you have to find a way to continue operating your blog. After all, you can always start over again but it is harder for a blog to grow if it is not accessible to a wide audience.
Many people are intimidated by the thought of paying for web hosting, thinking that it is only for big businesses. But this notion is completely false – there are plenty of free, reputable hosting platforms out there that fit every budget.
The Top Free WordPress Hosting Choices
In the following list, we will discuss the top free WordPress hosting choices available today. Keep in mind that none of these platforms are endorsed by or affiliated with WordPress.com. They are all independently owned and operated.
Each of these platforms offer reliable, hassle-free services and give you a free domain name with every hosting plan. You will also find a variety of premium add-ons, including features that allow you to fully customize your site’s appearance. Let’s take a look.
1. JustHost
If you click on the link above, you will be taken to the JustHost website. On this page, you will see the various hosting plans that they offer. But it is important to keep in mind that JustHost is a shared hosting provider, which means that all of the sites on their servers are treated equally. This could mean that your site might be temporarily affected when a heavy traffic period is visited by another person or website on their server.
But, if you are looking for a simple, low-cost option that you can run on your own servers, then JustHost is a reliable choice that also provides you with a free domain name. If you are interested, you can grab their 1-click installer or click the button below to visit their shared hosting services.
2. Hightail
Another popular choice for people who just want a simple, basic hosting solution is Hightail. This option provides you with a free domain name as well as 1 free daily email. The email accounts are pre-configured and you can’t change them. This is also a very inexpensive solution that you can purchase on a budget. For those who want to host a site that gets a decent amount of traffic, Hightail is a great choice as well because you can upgrade your plan to include more storage, bandwidth, and the number of sites allowed on the server.
3. Bluehost
An interesting choice for people who are looking for a more complex hosting solution is Bluehost. This is a popular web host that provides you with a free domain name, plus 2 free email accounts that you can use to register for an account. You will find that Bluehost automatically configures your site with a WordPress dashboard and offers a variety of premium features that you can purchase, depending on your plan. For example, you can purchase a dedicated IP that will give your site the ability to run on a separate IP address and hide it from search engines. Or you can get an SSL certificate for your site for free with every plan. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol built into most browsers that encrypts information that you input before it is sent to a server and then back again when it is received.
By creating an SSL connection, you can ensure that all of the transactions that take place on your site (such as purchases, online banking, etc.) are secure. Just remember that Bluehost also provides you with a free domain privacy service that you can use to mask the URL of your site (e.g., www.yoursite.com instead of the real one, yoursite.com). This can be a handy option for individuals who want to keep their site’s content private until they are ready to disclose it to the world (e.g., bloggers, journalists, etc.).
4. Hostinger
If you prefer a solution that is a little more complex than the previous options but don’t want to pay too much, you can check out Hostinger. This is one of the more popular free WordPress hosting platforms due to its attractive pricing plans that provide you with a free domain name, plus 2 free email accounts that you can use to register for an account. The best part about Hostinger is that they also provide you with detailed documentation that will guide you through the setup process. For example, you will see a tutorial that will walk you through installing WordPress to create your site.
One important point to keep in mind is that just like the other hosts on this list, Hostinger is a shared hosting provider. This means that all of the sites on their servers are treated equally and that you might experience some downtime when a heavy traffic period is visited by another person or website on their server. But, it is also available to purchase a dedicated hosting plan that will give you a separate IP address and more storage space.
5. Dreamhost
Another popular choice among individuals and small businesses is Dreamhost. This option provides you with a free domain name, plus 1 free email account that you can use to register for an account. From there, you will need to either purchase the cheapest plan available or upgrade to a more expensive one to get the rest of the features that Dreamhost provides, including load balanced servers (which distribute traffic across a team of servers that are all working to handle the load) and a free daily backup through their CloudFlare-managed backups.
Another nice feature that Dreamhost provides is a one-click install for WordPress. This makes it incredibly easy for individuals who are just getting started to set up their site with the CMS (Content Management System). Just remember that like the other hosts on this list, Dreamhost is a shared hosting provider, so all of the sites on their servers are treated equally and you might experience some downtime when a heavy traffic period is visited by another person or website on their server.
6. Hover
If you are looking for a free WordPress hosting solution that has a ton of features and is extremely reliable, you can give Hover a try. This hosting provider offers you a free domain name with every plan as well as 1 free email account that you can use to register for an account. As the name would suggest, the main feature that makes Hover unique is that their free version lets you try out all of their features for 14 days. So, if you want to see how their web host works before you make a decision, this is the option for you.
7. Hostgator
Hostgator is a popular choice among individuals who want to keep their site’s content private until they are ready to disclose it to the world. This is a robust web host that provides you with a free domain name, plus 2 free email accounts that you can use to register for an account. You will need to choose one of their Business or Royal plans to get these features. But, even the basic plan comes with a free domain privacy service that you can use to mask the URL of your site (e.g., www.yoursite.com instead of the real one, yoursite.com).
This is also one of the few hosts on this list that offers you the ability to install WordPress on their servers through a one-click wizard. All you have to do is provide them with your site’s URL, and they will do the rest.
8. InMotion Hosting
Another reliable, feature-rich web host that provides you with a free domain name, plus 2 free email accounts that you can use to register for an account is InMotion Hosting. With InMotion, you get a 1-click install for WordPress that is complete with a free domain privacy option. InMotion also offers you the ability to install WordPress on their servers through a one-click wizard. Like other hosts on this list, InMotion is a shared hosting provider, which means that all of the sites on their servers are treated equally and you might experience some downtime when a heavy traffic period is visited by another person or website on their server.
9. Blue Wizard Hosting
Last but not least, we have Blue Wizard Hosting. This option gives you a free domain name, plus 2 free email accounts that you can use to register for an account. What makes BlueWizard unique is that they also provide you with a free web design tool that allows you to design and build your site in a matter of minutes. With BlueWizard, you don’t necessarily need to have any technical experience to get started (as long as you can follow simple instructions, you will be good to go).