Like finding a unique domain name, securing reliable web hosting is an essential part of launching your own website. Your web hosting provider stores your site’s contents and delivers it to your site visitors. This is a vital behind-the-scenes technical process that makes your site visible to internet users.
Luckily, a number of free website hosting providers can help you get your site up and running in no time—without you needing any of that technical expertise yourself. Many web hosting services are even included in website builder subscriptions.
Ahead, learn more about web hosting and get a list of the top free website hosting providers.
What is website hosting?
Website hosting is a service that makes your website accessible to internet users. Web hosting providers store your website files on a server, then when someone navigates to your website, the web hosting provider retrieves your website files and displays your site to the user.
When you sign up for web hosting, you’re renting space on a server so that your website can appear to people on the internet.
Website hosting providers vs. website builders
There are a number of companies dedicated to website hosting. In some cases, you’ll pay one of these companies to store and display your website files, but you’ll build your site on another platform. For example, you can host your site on Hostinger, but use WordPress to design your homepage, About Us, Contact page, product pages, and other types of web pages—then compile them into a cohesive site.
On the other hand, there are also companies, like Shopify, that function as both web hosting providers and website builders. Using an all-in-one website builder and hosting platform like Shopify lets you limit the number of subscriptions and platforms you have to manage. It can also simplify the process of setting up your website, since you’ll be able to secure hosting and design your website from a single hub.
Plus, platforms like Shopify offer something called managed hosting. That means the platform takes care of securing the web hosting server, providing software updates, and fine-tuning the technical performance of your site. This is a good option for business owners who don’t want to focus on the nitty-gritty technical aspects of running a website.
Platforms like Shopify offer hosting for free with the cost of a subscription. Some platforms, like WordPress, also offer free plans that include website hosting. Note that free plans often carry important limitations like onsite ads and provider-branded subdomains. If you want to upgrade to remove these drawbacks, you’ll need to level up to a paid subscription tier.
Best free website hosting services
Interested in exploring free hosting plans? Here’s what the best free web hosting companies have to offer your business:
Shopify

Shopify, the world’s leading ecommerce platform, is a website builder that provides web hosting with unlimited storage and bandwidth. Hosting is included at no additional charge with the price of a subscription. Shopify’s website hosting taps into a vast content delivery network (CDN) that lets customers quickly load your site, no matter where they are.
Shopify’s affordable subscription plans include access to more than 800 professionally designed templates, powerful selling tools, and security features like PCI compliant checkout, which ensures secure transactions. Shopify’s AI store builder makes getting your business online even faster, and the new theme foundation, Horizon, lets you generate custom content blocks using AI.
Who it’s for
Shopify is built for ecommerce businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs to large enterprises.
Plans and pricing
Shopify plans range from $5 to $299 per month. Start your Shopify free trial—no credit card required. Get three days free, then the first three months for $1 per month.
Features
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth: All website builder plans come with unlimited storage and bandwidth.
- More than 800 templates: Shopify’s professionally designed templates make it easy to set up a site without coding.
- AI tools: Use Shopify Magic to streamline your store design process, create landing pages and product listings, and receive guidance on everything from shipping to analytics.
- Integrated payment processing: Start selling right away with Shopify Payments, an integrated payment gateway that accepts all major payment methods. Plus, more than 100 third-party payment providers are compatible with Shopify.
- Extensive app store: Access the Shopify App Store for over 8,000 add-ons and integrations.
- Advanced analytics: Track sales, customer behavior, and other essential ecommerce metrics with analytics and reporting features.
- Advanced customization and API access: While coding isn’t required, you can tailor your storefront and back-end systems to meet your unique needs with extensive customization options and API support.
- 24/7 customer support: Enjoy round-the-clock support via email, live chat, and phone.
- G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4
GoogieHost

GoogieHost, launched in 2012, is a free website hosting provider that hosts more than 700,000 websites. The platform promises no ads on your site, free SSL certificate, and malware protection, and it offers a simple drag-and-drop site builder. GoogieHost caps bandwidth at 100 gigabytes and storage at 1,000 megabytes.
Be cautious as you navigate the GoogieHost website: It’s filled with third-party pop-up and onscreen ads, some of which even look like part of the regular site content.
Who it’s for
Business owners creating barebones sites, who don’t mind navigating through invasive ads.
Plans and pricing
GoogieHost is a free service.
Features
- 100-gigabyte bandwidth limit and 1,000-megabyte storage limit
- Trustpilot ⭐ rating: 3.7
Hostinger

Hostinger functions as both a standalone website hosting service and a website builder. Bandwidth is 100 gigabytes on the least expensive plan and unlimited for the two higher priced plans. Storage is 20, 50, and 100 gigabytes, respectively, at each tier.
If you’re looking for a standalone hosting service, Hostinger offers managed hosting for WordPress, so you can rely on the platform to maintain the more technical aspects of a WordPress site.
You can also use Hostinger to build a website. The company offers 150 templates to get you started, and you can access AI tools and accept payments at Hostinger’s higher priced plans.
Who it’s for
Entrepreneurs building a WordPress site.
Pricing
Web hosting plans cost $2.99 to $7.99 per month.
Features
- AI tools
- 150 templates
- Integrated payment processing
- Advanced analytics
- Advanced customization and API access
- 24/7 customer support
- G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4
InfinityFree

InfinityFree is a free web hosting platform that promises 99% uptime and unlimited bandwidth. It also promises not to place ads on your site and offers a simple website builder.
Although InfinityFree doesn’t act as a domain registrar, you can import your own registered domain name or create a branded free subdomain using their free hosting service.
Note that InfinityFree offers only five gigabytes of storage, and the company’s website displays a number of pop-up ads.
Who it’s for
Beginners developing a limited custom site.
Pricing
InfinityFree is free, although it offers the option to upgrade your account to iFastNet, which offers plans from $5.99 to $9.99 per month. Note that you’ll need to pay for your own domain separately if you want a custom one.
Features
- AI tools
- More than 200 templates
- Trustpilot ⭐ rating: 4.0
Square Online

Square is a point-of-sale (POS) system company that now offers a website building and hosting platform called Square Online (which is absorbing site builder Weebly). The company’s extensive POS options make Square Online a viable option for in-person businesses looking to start an online presence for their store. Hosting is included in Square Online plans, and there’s no bandwidth limit.
Square offers a free plan, but there are a few drawbacks to this subscription level. For example, you won’t have access to website themes and advanced analytics, and you can’t use a custom domain name.
Who it’s for
In-person businesses
Pricing
Square has a free version of its ecommerce platform. Paid plans cost $49 and $149 per month.
Features
- AI tools
- More than 30 templates (paid plans only)
- Integrated payment processing
- Advanced analytics (paid plans only)
- Advanced customization and API access
- G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2
Wix

Wix is a website builder that includes free web hosting services in all of its plans. The company promises security monitoring and 99.9% uptime. However, unlimited storage capacity is only available at its highest $159 per month plan, and the starter plan only offers two gigabytes of storage.
Like Shopify, Wix can also help you register a custom domain name. Wix offers a large template library that can help you quickly start setting up your site. If you’re building a website to sell products or services, note that Wix isn’t purpose-built for ecommerce, although it does offer basic selling tools.
Who it’s for
Individuals creating non-ecommerce sites.
Pricing
Wix plans cost $17 to $159 per month. Web hosting included. Ecommerce functionality starts at the $29 per month plan.
Features
- AI tools
- More than 2,000 templates
- Integrated payment processing
- Large app store
- Advanced analytics
- Advanced customization and API access
- 24/7 customer support
- G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.2
WordPress

WordPress is a website building platform that was initially created for bloggers. The platform has expanded into ecommerce, and businesses can now sell on a WordPress site by installing the WooCommerce plug-in. Web hosting is included on all WordPress plans, and the platform offers a free plan.
You’ll have unlimited bandwidth with WordPress’s free plan, but you’ll have only one gigabyte of storage. You’ll face other restrictions, too: You won’t be able to customize fonts and colors across your website, you’ll have ads on your public facing site, and you’ll be stuck with a WordPress-branded subdomain.
Who it’s for
Writers.
Pricing
WordPress offers a free plan. Paid plans cost $9 to $70 per month.
Features
- AI tools
- More than 13,000 templates
- Integrated payment processing
- Large app store
- Advanced analytics on paid plans
- Advanced customization and API access
- 24/7 customer support on paid plans
- G2 ⭐️ rating: 4.4
Features to look for in free website hosting services
- Uptime and reliability
- Storage and bandwidth
- User-friendliness
- Domain options
- Security features
- Technical support
- Ads
Here’s what to look for in a free website hosting service:
Uptime and reliability
Does the web hosting provider have a good reputation when it comes to uptime and outages? Parse through online reviews and uptime metrics to learn whether other users have had positive experiences.
Storage and bandwidth
A free hosting plan might offer limited storage space, so be sure to check this figure before signing up. Also keep an eye on network bandwidth: The wider the bandwidth, the better your website will be able to handle rising web traffic.
User-friendliness
If you’re new to building websites, you’ll appreciate a website hosting and website building platform with user-friendly control panels and a large catalog of templates to help you set up a professional looking site without coding.
Some platforms, like Shopify, offer AI features to further simplify the process of building a website. Shopify’s AI website builder lets you set up a site in minutes, and the platform’s new theme foundation, Horizon, offers an AI tool that lets you create unique content blocks (like timelines or countdowns).
Horizon also has a drag-and-drop website builder that lets you simply move site elements into place on your web pages. These types of features make it possible to design a unique, professional looking site without coding.
Domain options
Custom domains (i.e., yourdomain.com) make your website look more professional. That said, many free website hosts and website builders don’t let you use a custom domain name with a free plan. For example, if you use the free Square plan to host and build your site, your domain name will look like mybusiness.square.site. Even if you’ve already registered and paid for a custom domain with a domain registrar, you won’t be able to import your own domain unless you pay for a subscription.
To cut down on the number of third-party services you need to manage, you might also look for a platform that can register a custom domain name for you, like Shopify.
Security features
Make sure your web hosting provider offers security features to keep your site—and your customers’ data—secure. To ensure ecommerce security, look for free SSL certificates, malware scanning, regular network monitoring, and protection against DDoS attacks.
Technical support
Technical malfunctions like system outages and slower than normal load times can affect your customers’ experience with your site. Look for a platform with 24/7 customer support to make sure you can respond to problems as soon as they arise. You might also look for a web hosting platform with comprehensive self-serve resources like video tutorials, community support forums, FAQ hubs, and extensive instructional databases.
Ads
The free versions of many website hosting providers and website builders come with ads on your public-facing site, which can make your website look less professional and credible. As you compare prices between platforms, consider the cost of upgrading to remove these ads. This might mean that a non-free option, like Shopify, could end up being less expensive than a paid plan on another platform.
Finding the best free website hosting for you
The best free web hosting for you will depend on whether or not you’re looking for an all-in-one platform that offers hosting and website building functionality, or if you’re looking for a standalone website host.
If you want a comprehensive solution, the best free website hosting platform is Shopify, which offers an easy-to-use, design-forward website builder alongside powerful ecommerce tools, and your subscription includes free web hosting services. Shopify has more than 800 themes that let you set up a professional looking site without coding. Shopify’s newly released theme foundation, Horizon, offers 10 new themes with advanced AI features to help you get your site up and running quickly.
Best free website hosting FAQ
Can I host my website for free?
Yes, you can host your website for free by using a free website hosting provider. You could also use a comprehensive website building platform that includes website hosting for free in its subscription plans. Using an all-in-one platform like Shopify can help streamline the process of setting up your site and limit subscriptions to multiple platforms.
How do I create a completely free website?
You can create a completely free website by using the free version of a website building platform like Square or WordPress. However, note that free versions of popular website builders carry restrictions like branded domain names and onsite ads. The best option for creating a cost-effective website is to choose an affordable plan from a platform like Shopify, which offers plans starting at $5 per month.
How do you choose the right free website hosting service?
To choose the right free website hosting service, compare features like bandwidth and storage limits, website building capabilities, and security features. Keep an eye on common limitations of free web hosting services, like branded domains and onsite ads. After comparing these features and limitations, you might find that a paid subscription to a website builder and website hosting combination platform is the best option for your business.