A Guide to Free WordPress Hosting and Domains That Actually Work

Everyone loves getting things for free, and that's no different when it comes to hosting. But is it possible to get both a free domain name and free WordPress hosting? From all the mess and scams that you could find on the internet, I've picked the best free options that work. Well, at least to some extent.

A Notable Departure: 000WebHost

If this article had been released a couple of months earlier, I would have started with 000WebHost, a provider that was almost perfect for WordPress test projects or small sites. I've used it countless times before, mainly because it was so easy to use and didn't have any hidden fees or shady practices.

Unfortunately, 000WebHost just closed down. To be honest, I was caught off guard when I found out it was happening. If a free provider, backed by a reputable hosting company, couldn't sustain itself, it makes you wonder about the viability of other free hosting options. But despite this setback, the journey to get free hosting continues.

Option 1: AwardSpace

That brings us to my first free WordPress hosting recommendation, which is thankfully still available: AwardSpace. It offers hosting on a free subdomain.

To begin, head over to AwardSpace.com and create a free account. The process is super simple, requiring only your name, email, and password. No credit card or anything like that. The only extra step after this is activating your account through the email you provided.

Once you log in, that's where the easy part ends. The control panel can be a bit confusing, especially if you're a beginner. Navigating for more advanced settings was tricky, so it'll probably take some extra time to find where's what.

Installing WordPress is not too difficult, though. All you have to do is select the Zacky App Installer from the control panel, then choose WordPress and type in the few requested details such as username and password.

Besides the free plan, AwardSpace also has a premium option. When comparing the two, it's clear that the free version is quite limited. While it still works surprisingly well for a no-cost option, it offers just 1 gigabyte of space. I also noticed that my website would randomly become unreachable at times. But more on the free hosting performance issues later in this article.

Option 2: FreeHosting.com

Alright, if AwardSpace didn't answer your question, let's see how FreeHosting.com holds up as a free domain and hosting WordPress option. This provider is simpler and a bit easier to set up and manage, but it doesn't offer free domain names.

My solution? Just grab a super cheap domain name from GoDaddy, Hostinger, or IONOS. These can cost as little as $1 a year, and since every domain name requires a fee from the main registrar, finding affordable hosting is often easier than getting a free WordPress domain name.

Once you've purchased your domain, the rest of the setup is pretty straightforward. To install WordPress and start building your website, go to cPanel and choose WordPress from the Softaculous Apps Installer section. There are numerous theme options to choose from. The setup should take just a few minutes. Once it's done, you can start editing your website by clicking on the link provided.

To publish and test your site, simply navigate to your domain in your web browser to see it live. I'm not going to cover website building in detail right now, but we've got plenty of WordPress and other website-building tutorials in our publication.

Just like any free provider, FreeHosting also has quite a few issues. I found that support is virtually nonexistent. And again, performance can be quite poor. Navigating the cPanel can take a lot of time, simply because it can be really laggy. Overall, though, it does the job and offers up to 10 gigabytes of space. And remember, it's free, so you can take this criticism with a grain of salt.

Option 3: WordPress.com

This leaves us with the last option on how to host a website for free: going straight to the source, WordPress itself. You can create a free website that is WordPress-based with a subdomain without spending a cent.

That said, it's important to compare the plans and understand the limitations. One major drawback of the free plan is that it doesn't allow the use of plugins, which can be a significant limitation if you want to customize your site extensively. This restriction is why WordPress.com is mostly used by blogs or super small sites on the free plan.

While it's great for getting started or for simple websites, the lack of plugins means you can't tap into the full potential of WordPress's vast ecosystem. That makes it less versatile than some of the other providers, despite offering more management controls. It can work for blogs, business landing pages, or a basic event website, but you can't expand or customize your site further without upgrading.

So is it worth it? It's an okay option, in my opinion. For me, one of the biggest problems is that it's limited to just one site. In comparison, some shared hosting providers offer plans that support multiple, dozens, or even unlimited websites for a lower cost, giving you more flexibility and scalability for future growth. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what's best for your needs.

The Hidden Costs of "Free"

But after working with and testing numerous providers, projects, and business models, I found that everything that's free often ends up being either useless or more of a headache than it's worth. With 000WebHost closing, I can't find a long-term solution that wouldn't be too restrictive.

Besides that, the performance difference between free website hosting and premium is just enormous. Don't be surprised if your free hosting website loads super slow or is down at random times.

Here's how it differs: * A website hosted on a premium service like Hostinger loads in under two seconds. That easily fits the Google SEO recommendations of 2.5 seconds. * A similar website hosted on FreeHosting loads in more than 5+ seconds. That's over three times slower.

But in addition to being a pain to visit, a slow site will also get pushed down in Google searches, so growing your site using free web hosting is nearly an impossible task. That said, you're not paying anything, so that's to be expected.

Premium Alternatives for Serious Projects

But if you want to start with one foot forward without breaking the bank, check out recommendations straight from the WordPress page: Hostinger, Bluehost, and DreamHost. Among these, Hostinger offers the best value. It's a cheap hosting option that brings market-leading quality.

Hostinger solves all the problems you might encounter with free providers. It also has a good reputation, reliable performance, and your website stays online consistently. They also use the latest technology, including AI-powered features, and offer great customer support.

Conclusion

So, I've managed to host a WordPress website using various options, from the more dubious AwardSpace and FreeHosting.com, to the safer and more reputable WordPress.com. That said, it's clear that there's no way to get a free WordPress domain with a top-level name without either facing a potential free hosting scam or paying for additional services.

I'm satisfied that the WordPress free plan allowed me to publish a site on a subdomain. But for those looking to get the full benefits of WordPress, upgrading to a WordPress.com premium plan is a great option. If that doesn't suit your needs, consider the alternatives: premium plans or going with my recommended providers.

That'll be all in this free domain and hosting WordPress article. Thanks for reading.