Ask around, and you’ll tend to find that free web hosting has a mythological status in the world of website building. Many offer it, but few can provide it without strings attached. In this blog post, we list some of the top free web hosting platforms around according to what they’re good for, and why.
The All-Rounder, Yours Truly: IM Creator
Chosen by Creative Bloq and TNW as one of the best free hosting and web-building platforms on the market, IM Creator has quickly risen to notoriety as a one-stop website shop for its huge array of elegant, well-designed website templates and an easy to use drag & drop editor. While IM Creator’s free hosting is lean on disk space at 50 mb (which is enough for all , they do offer unlimited space and upload capabilities at their premium level, starting at $5.95/month. Remarkable among one-stop shops, IM Creator allows users to export the sites they build with their free web builder to other hosts if they choose. IM Creator also receives top marks for its excellent user support and reliability, with a forum and live chat to work out any problems – a rarity in the world of free web hosting.
Language Diversity: HelioHost
HelioHost’s strength lies in the variety of scripting languages it supports, from PHP, ASP.NET and Java to Ruby on Rails, Python, and Django. HelioHost also offers 500mb of disk space, unmetered bandwidth, and access to MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQlite database engines. Unlimited email with POP and IMAP support is also a perk. The downside to this hosting platform is its reputation for crashing; users of HelioHost often complain about intermittent sign-up queues and their sites frequently going offline.
Average Joe: 000WebHost
000WebHost is a good middle-of-the-road option for free web-hosting, and remains one of the largest on the internet. Offering 1500 mb of disk space and 100 gb of data transfer/month, large images and videos won’t hold up your site. While it doesn’t offer some of the more exotic scripting languages like Ruby on Rails and Python, 000WebHost does have the basics, like PHP, as well as MySQL database access. Like many free hosting sites, 000WebHost has also experienced trouble with overloaded servers, meaning that users need to wait long hours to get their site up and running, but the majority of complaints against them come from overbearing surveillance; users frequently complain about being banned for no good reason.
Best Disk Space: 5gbFree
5gbFree gained popularity for its whopping 5 gb of disk space and 20 gb of bandwidth, as well as PHP, a FTP account, and MySQL databases. With lots of space, though, comes big trade-offs: At the free level, 5gbFree places embedded ads on all sites, and does not offer email.
Runner-up: Zymic
Zymic, on the other hand, does offer email as well as an impressive 6000 mb of free disk space and 50 gb of data transfer every month. It also offers the standard PHP and MySQL database access, SQL buddy and FTP to easily upload and edit your files. Other than their generous disk space, Zymic stands out for its excellent customer service, with features like live chat. Like many other free hosting sites, Zymic carries a bad reputation for frequent downtimes and site suspensions without warning.
