Is Free WordPress Hosting Really Free?

People seem to love to get excited about the newest and the best things in life. Especially when it comes to online marketing, entrepreneurs, designers and bloggers want to find the absolute best deals and the cheapest hosting plans to help grow their businesses. After all, nobody wants to run their business online without adequate resources.

Unfortunately, a lot of websites offering “free WordPress hosting” aren’t what they seem like. In some cases, the free hosting is actually quite expensive, considering what you’re getting – and in others, you’re getting pirated WordPress. So, is free WordPress hosting really as good as it seems? Let’s take a closer look.

The Good News

First of all, let’s talk about the good news: The majority of free WordPress hosting providers offer great services, amazing features and huge discounts. If you’re looking for a free option, you’ll most likely find a suitable hosting plan somewhere on the web. More and more often, shared hosting is available for zero cost. That means you’ll only pay for the domain name and you’ll have access to a free WordPress installation with all the basic features (which is quite a lot).

Also, a lot of companies purchase dedicated hosting plans from reputable companies, such as HostGator, Bluehost and WordPress Premium to offer their clients the best experience possible. A dedicated hosting plan offers your website more security, better performance and the ability to install plugins, themes and products.

This is great news because it means you can have your website up and running in no time with just a few clicks of the mouse and without having to worry about the cost of hiring a web developer or purchasing WordPress software.

The Bad News

On the other hand, there’s bad news to discuss as well. Even though shared hosting is becoming more affordable, it’s still relatively expensive when compared to other hosting types. Also, don’t be fooled by the “free” label. Many free WordPress hosting providers offer incredibly limited features – basically, just enough to get you by. If you want a professional-looking website, you’ll have to pay for the service. In most cases, you’ll end up paying for the privilege of using their service – this is especially problematic if you’re on a budget.

But it’s not just about looking professional. If your goal is to grow your business and become successful online, you’ll need to focus on building a brand. Luckily for you, we’ve selected the best WordPress hosting deals that leverage on that. So, let’s get to it.

The Best Deals On WordPress Hosting

As mentioned, there are a lot of great options for free WordPress hosting. But which ones are worth your time and money? Let’s take a look.

As a business owner, you’ll want to focus on the following factors when choosing a hosting provider:

• Features – Does the service offer enough features to your liking?
• Reliability – Is the service reliable? Can you count on it being available when you need it?
• Security – Does the service offer enough security protections for your website? Can you rest assured that your site is safe and protected from unauthorized access and hacking?
• Customer service – Are you comfortable with the technical support that is provided by the company?
• Uptime – How reliable is the service when it comes to keeping your website active?
• Bandwidth – How much disk space do you need to have? More bandwidth = more storage space.
• Price – How much are you willing to spend on this?

Now, let’s examine each of these factors in turn and see how the best WordPress hosting providers stack up.

Features

To begin with, consider the features offered by the service: Is there enough storage space, enough bandwidth and fast enough internet to meet your needs? These are the factors that will determine whether or not you can actually use the service. Of course, you don’t want to pay for a service that you can’t use – it’s like buying a car with no gas tank, right?

If you need a lot of storage space, you can opt for the basic or the standard version of the hosting service. These two options offer you 2GB of disk space and can be found for free. If you have a smaller business and don’t need a lot of storage space, the smaller the better. This will allow you to host multiple sites on one account, take advantage of the shared hosting features and save you money.

As for the bandwidth, it’s best to go with the basic version of the hosting plan. This way, you won’t be overcharged for what you actually use. If you need more than what’s provided by the basic plan, you can opt for the standard version, which offers you a free dedicated IP. A dedicated IP is a unique identifier that allows you to connect your server to the internet without being charged by your ISP. It’s ideal for handling high traffic volumes or for selling and measuring marketing campaigns.

Reliability

This factor measures how successfully the hosting service is able to withstand traffic spikes and other types of network stress. When it comes to online businesses, nothing is more frustrating than having your website down. So, if you’re looking for a reliable service, check out these five-star WordPress hosting providers.

1. WP Engine – This is one of the most popular and well-known WordPress hosting providers. It is also completely free, so you’ll have nothing to lose by trying it out. As a business owner, you can take advantage of the free five-nights trial, get a free dedicated IP, install WordPress in just a few minutes and launch your product or service within an hour. In case you decide this is the best option for you, you’ll have to pay just $2.95 per month plus tax.

2. Bluehost – This is another wonderful option that allows you to build and grow your business online while enjoying the benefits of a premium WordPress hosting experience. What’s more, you’ll get a free domain and you can install WordPress in just three clicks of the mouse.

3. HostGator – This is a web host experienced in taking care of businesses, bloggers and content creators in need of reliable and affordable website hosting. What’s more, you’ll get free domain privacy, free backups, free weekly updates, free domain name parking and free website traffic. Now, pricing is based on your purchased plan, so consider what you need and opt for the right one.

4. Rocket Hosting – This is a Canadian company that provides affordable and reliable web hosting for individuals and businesses.

Security

Security is a crucial factor, especially if you’re dealing with an internet-based business. More and more often, hackers attempt to break into websites and steal sensitive data. So, if you want to keep your website safe and free from unauthorized access and hacking, you should opt for a hosting provider that offers the best security package. Here are a few of the best WordPress hosting providers that offer security as standard:

1. WP Engine – As mentioned, this is one of the most popular WordPress hosting providers and it comes with built-in security features. In addition, you’ll get a free dedicated IP, free backups, free weekly updates, free domain privacy and free site security. If you decide this is the best option for you, you’ll have to pay just $2.95 per month plus tax.

2. 1&1 Internet – This reputable company provides web hosting for individuals, teams and businesses. One of its standout features is a free safety shield, which authenticates your site’s SSL certificate and provides additional security for your content. In case you decide this is the best option for you, you’ll have to pay just $2.00 per month plus tax for the 1&1 safety shield and $2.95 per month plus tax for the standard shared hosting plan.

Customer Service

Last but not least, let’s talk about the customer service offered by the service. Are you able to get hold of someone if you have a question or need help? Do they respond to your emails in a timely manner? These are all important questions, especially if you’re dealing with a company that you’ve never worked with before. If you decide this is the best option for you, take your time in choosing a provider that offers the best experience – you’ll get nothing but value for value.