Free Website and Web Service Hosting Options in 2025
Hosting a website or web service for free is an attractive option for developers, hobbyists, and small businesses. This blog post explores a range of free hosting services, including GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Cloudflare Workers, Vercel, Netlify, Glitch, Render, Koyeb, Sevalla, PythonAnywhere, Oracle Cloud Free Tier, InfinityFree, GoogieHost, ProFreeHost, ByetHost, AWS Free Tier, Firebase Hosting, and HelioHost. Each service is evaluated for its features, pros and cons, runtime support, upgrading costs, scalability, commercial usability, server downtime, and support for static or dynamic content. A summary table provides a quick overview, followed by detailed sections for each service.
⚠️ Update June 2025: Glitch announced they will be shutting down their web hosting service on July 8, 2025. While historically a popular option for prototyping and collaborative development, it is no longer recommended for new projects. See the Glitch section below for migration alternatives.
Overview Table
| Service | Category | Free Tier Limits | Upgrading Price | Commercially Usable | Static/Dynamic | Serverless |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel | Custom Code | 100 GB bandwidth, 100 GB-Hrs functions | $20/month/user | Yes (with Pro plan) | Both | Yes |
| Cloudflare Workers | Custom Code | 100k requests/day | $5/month | Yes | Dynamic | Yes |
| Deno Deploy | Custom Code | 1M requests/month, 100GB bandwidth | From $10/month | Yes | Dynamic | Yes |
| Cloudflare Pages | Custom Code | Unlimited static, 100k requests/day Functions | $5/month | Yes | Both | Yes |
| Render | Custom Code | Web services: 512 MB RAM, 750 hours/month; Static sites: free; Databases: limited | From $7/month | Yes | Both | No |
| Koyeb | Custom Code | Web service: 512MB RAM; Database: 50 hours/month | Pay as you go | Yes | Both | Yes |
| Sevalla | Custom Code | Up to 100 static sites, 100 GB bandwidth/month, 600 build minutes/month | Usage-based | Yes | Static | Yes |
| GitHub Pages | Custom Code | 1 GB site, 100 GB/month bandwidth | N/A | Yes (with restrictions) | Static | No |
| Netlify | Custom Code | 100 GB bandwidth, 125k functions/month | $19/month/member | Yes | Both | Yes |
| Surge | Custom Code | Unlimited projects, custom domains, basic SSL | $30/month | Yes | Static | Yes |
| Val Town | Custom Code | Unlimited public vals, 100k runs/day | $100/year | Yes (with Pro plan) | Dynamic | Yes |
| Firebase Hosting | Custom Code | 10 GB storage, 360 MB/day data transfer | Pay as you go | Yes | Static | No |
| Webflow | Website Builder | 2 pages, 50 CMS items, 1 GB bandwidth | From $14/month | Yes (with paid plans) | Both | No |
| Google Sites | Website Builder | Unlimited, simple websites | N/A | Yes | Static | No |
| PythonAnywhere | Other | One web app, restricted internet, low CPU/bandwidth | From $5/month | Yes (with limitations) | Dynamic | No |
| Oracle Cloud | Other | 2 VMs, limited resources | Pay as you go | Yes | Dynamic | Partial |
| AWS Free Tier | Other | 750 hours/month EC2 for 12 months, 5 GB S3 storage | Pay as you go | Yes | Both | Yes |
| AwardSpace | Other | Up to 4 websites, 5GB monthly traffic | From $0.25/month | Yes (with limitations) | Dynamic | No |
| LeadHoster | Other | 250MB disk, 6GB/month bandwidth, MySQL, PHP | From $4.19/month | Yes | Dynamic | No |
| GoogieHost | Other | 1 GB SSD, 100 GB bandwidth | $1.99/month | Yes | Dynamic | No |
| ByetHost | Other | 5 GB disk space, unlimited bandwidth | $4.99/month | Yes | Dynamic | No |
| HelioHost | Other | 1 GB storage, 1 GB bandwidth/day | N/A (donations) | Yes (with limitations) | Dynamic | No |
| InfinityFree | Other | Unlimited disk space, bandwidth (fair use) | Varies | Yes (with restrictions) | Dynamic | No |
| ProFreeHost | Other | Unlimited disk space, bandwidth (fair use) | N/A | Yes | Dynamic | No |
| Forever Free Host | Other | Details not specified, assumed standard free hosting | Varies | Yes (with limitations) | Dynamic | No |
| Free Hosting | Other | 10 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, 1 website | Addons available | Yes (with limitations) | Dynamic | No |
| FreeHostia | Other | 250MB disk, 6GB/month bandwidth, MySQL, PHP | From $3.25/month | Yes | Dynamic | No |
| Glitch | Other | ⚠️ SHUTTING DOWN JULY 8, 2025 - No longer accepting new projects | N/A (Discontinued) | No (Service ending) | N/A | No |
Custom Code Platforms
Modern platforms designed for developers who want to deploy custom applications, APIs, and static sites with full control over their code.
GitHub Pages
Overview: GitHub Pages hosts static websites directly from a GitHub repository, ideal for personal projects, portfolios, or open-source documentation. It integrates with GitHub and supports Jekyll for static site generation.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free for public repositories • Seamless GitHub integration • Supports custom domains and HTTPS • Uses GitHub Actions for Jekyll builds | • Limited to static content • 1 GB site size and 100 GB/month bandwidth limits • Restricted commercial use (e.g., no e-commerce transactions or SaaS) • One site per user/organization on free plan |
Runtime Support: Static HTML, CSS, JavaScript; Jekyll for build-time dynamic content.
Upgrading and Scaling: No direct upgrade for GitHub Pages. Private repositories require a GitHub Pro plan ($4/month). Exceeding limits may necessitate a CDN or alternative hosting.
Commercial Usability: Allowed with restrictions, such as ads or donation buttons, but not for e-commerce or SaaS, per GitHub’s terms.
Server Downtime: Static sites are always available on GitHub’s infrastructure.
Static/Dynamic: Static only.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
Best For: Personal sites or open-source project documentation.
Cloudflare Pages
Overview: Cloudflare Pages is a JAMstack platform for static websites with optional serverless functions via Pages Functions, leveraging Cloudflare’s global CDN.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Unlimited static content requests • Supports serverless functions for dynamic content • Easy Git integration (GitHub/GitLab) • Fast global CDN with DDoS protection | • Free tier limits Functions to 100,000 requests/day • 500 build limit/month on free plan • Learning curve for Functions setup |
Runtime Support: Static HTML, CSS, JS; Functions support JavaScript, TypeScript, WebAssembly (e.g., Rust).
Upgrading and Scaling: Workers Paid plan at $5/month increases Function requests to 10 million/month. Additional requests cost $0.50/million.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for small commercial projects within limits.
Server Downtime: Serverless Functions run on demand; static content always available.
Static/Dynamic: Both static and dynamic via Functions.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, via Pages Functions.
Best For: Developers needing fast static hosting with dynamic capabilities.
Cloudflare Workers
Overview: Cloudflare Workers is a serverless platform for running code at the edge, ideal for APIs or microservices.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free tier includes 100,000 requests/day • Fast execution on Cloudflare’s global network • Supports multiple languages via WebAssembly • No egress fees | • Free tier has request and CPU time limits • Paid plans required for high-traffic applications |
Runtime Support: JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, C++ via WebAssembly.
Upgrading and Scaling: Workers Paid plan at $5/month includes 10 million requests. Additional requests at $0.50/million; CPU time at $0.30/million ms.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial applications.
Server Downtime: Serverless, runs on demand.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic only.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, fully serverless.
Best For: Serverless APIs or dynamic applications.
Vercel
Overview: Vercel is a platform for deploying static sites and serverless functions, known for its simplicity and support for frameworks like Next.js.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free Hobby plan with 100 GB bandwidth, 100 GB-Hrs functions • Automatic CI/CD and global CDN • Supports multiple frameworks and serverless functions • User-friendly interface | • Hobby plan is for personal, non-commercial use only • Pro plan at $20/month per user can be costly for teams • No additional usage purchases on Hobby plan |
Runtime Support: Static sites with Next.js, Nuxt.js, Gatsby; serverless functions in Node.js, Go, Python.
Upgrading and Scaling: Pro plan at $20/month per user includes 1 TB bandwidth, 1,000 GB-Hrs functions. Additional usage: $0.15/GB data transfer, $2/million edge requests.
Commercial Usability: No on Hobby plan; Yes on Pro plan.
Server Downtime: Serverless functions run on demand; static content always available.
Static/Dynamic: Both static and dynamic via serverless functions.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, supports Fluid compute.
Best For: Frontend developers for non-commercial projects on Hobby plan; commercial use requires Pro plan.
Netlify
Overview: Netlify is a JAMstack platform for static sites and serverless functions, offering features like forms and edge functions.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free plan with 100 GB bandwidth, 125k functions/month • Built-in CI/CD, forms, edge functions • Global CDN with DDoS protection • Easy Git integration | • Free tier limits (e.g., 300 build minutes/month) • Pro plan at $19/month per member • Sites suspend at usage limits on free plan |
Runtime Support: Static sites with various generators; serverless functions in Node.js, Go.
Upgrading and Scaling: Pro plan at $19/month per member includes 1 TB bandwidth, 25k build minutes. Additional concurrent builds at $40 each; metered features billed as used.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial projects.
Server Downtime: Serverless functions run on demand; static content always available.
Static/Dynamic: Both static and dynamic via serverless functions.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, supports serverless and edge functions.
Best For: Developers and teams building scalable web applications.
Render
Overview: Render is a cloud application platform that simplifies building, deploying, and scaling web applications and services. It supports a variety of runtimes, including Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, and Docker containers, as well as static sites. Render offers a free tier for web services, static sites, PostgreSQL databases, and key-value stores, making it ideal for personal projects, prototyping, and small applications.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free tier available for web services, static sites, databases, and key-value stores • Supports multiple runtimes and Docker containers • Automatic scaling and easy deployment from Git repositories • Built-in SSL and custom domains | • Free web services spin down after 15 minutes of inactivity • Limited resources on free tier (e.g., 512 MB RAM for web services) • Free databases expire after 30 days • No support for serverless functions |
Runtime Support: Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, Docker; static sites.
Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at $7/month for web services with more resources and no spin-down. Additional costs for increased resources and features.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial projects, especially with paid plans.
Server Downtime: Free web services spin down after 15 minutes of inactivity and may take up to 1 minute to spin up on the next request. Paid plans do not have this limitation.
Static/Dynamic: Both static and dynamic.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No, Render does not support serverless functions like AWS Lambda.
Best For: Developers seeking an easy-to-use platform to deploy web applications and services, particularly those requiring support for multiple runtimes and Docker.
Koyeb
Overview: Koyeb is a serverless platform that enables developers to deploy web applications, APIs, and databases without managing infrastructure. It offers a free tier that includes a web service with 512MB memory and a PostgreSQL database with 50 hours per month, supporting scale-to-zero for cost efficiency.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free tier includes web service and database • Supports scale-to-zero for cost efficiency • Global deployment in multiple regions • No credit card required for free tier | • Limited resources on free tier • Database limited to 50 hours/month on free tier • May require understanding of serverless concepts |
Runtime Support: Supports various runtimes via Docker containers.
Upgrading and Scaling: Pay-per-use after free tier limits, with billing by the second.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial projects.
Server Downtime: Services can scale to zero when not in use, with automatic scaling on demand.
Static/Dynamic: Both, via web services and APIs.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, supports serverless deployment.
Best For: Developers looking for a serverless platform to deploy applications with minimal management overhead.
Sevalla
Overview: Sevalla offers free static site hosting deployed to Cloudflare’s edge network, with support for automatic deployments from Git repositories like GitHub, GitLab, or BitBucket. It’s ideal for personal blogs, portfolios, or small business websites, leveraging Cloudflare’s global CDN for fast and secure delivery.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free hosting for up to 100 static sites • 100 GB free bandwidth per month • 600 free build minutes per month • Global CDN with 260+ locations • Supports popular static site generators | • Build size limit of 1 GB per site • Only 1 concurrent build per site • Fair use policy applies • Charges apply if exceeding free limits |
Runtime Support: Static sites, supports various static site generators like Jekyll, Hugo, Gatsby, and others.
Upgrading and Scaling: Usage-based pricing after free limits: $0.1 per GB bandwidth, $0.05 per build minute.
Commercial Usability: Yes, allows hosting business websites within free tier limits.
Server Downtime: Static sites on CDN, always available.
Static/Dynamic: Static only.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, via Cloudflare’s CDN.
Best For: Personal blogs, portfolios, small business websites.
Surge
Overview: Surge is a cloud platform optimized for hosting static websites, offering a generous free tier with unlimited projects, unlimited publishing, custom domains, and basic SSL. It’s designed for front-end developers, providing a simple command-line interface for deploying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript applications, leveraging a global CDN for fast and reliable delivery. Surge is ideal for single-page applications and static sites.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Unlimited projects and publishing • Custom domains and basic SSL included • Easy command-line deployment • Fast global CDN | • Limited to static content only • Advanced features (e.g., password protection) require paid plan • No server-side processing |
Runtime Support: Static HTML, CSS, JavaScript; supports static site generators like Gridsome.
Upgrading and Scaling: Surge Professional plan at $30/month adds server-side features like password protection, custom redirects, and CORS support.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for production-ready static websites, including commercial projects, due to unlimited publishing and custom domain support.
Server Downtime: Static sites hosted on a CDN are always available, ensuring high reliability.
Static/Dynamic: Static only, with no support for server-side processing.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, via CDN-based hosting, which eliminates server management for users.
Best For: Static websites, single-page applications, and front-end projects requiring fast and simple deployment, particularly for developers familiar with command-line tools.
Deno Deploy
Overview: Deno Deploy is a serverless platform for hosting JavaScript and TypeScript applications built with Deno. It offers a free tier suitable for prototyping, personal use, and low-traffic projects, with 1 million requests per month and 100GB bandwidth.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free tier with 1M requests/month and 100GB bandwidth • Supports JavaScript and TypeScript • Serverless architecture with global deployment • Easy integration with Deno runtime | • Limited to 50 custom domains per organization • No wildcard subdomains on free tier • Limited log retention (1 day) • No email support or SLAs on free tier |
Runtime Support: JavaScript, TypeScript via Deno runtime.
Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at $10/month for higher limits and additional features, such as increased requests and wildcard subdomains.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial projects within the limits.
Server Downtime: Serverless, runs on demand.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes.
Best For: Developers building serverless applications with Deno, particularly for low-traffic or prototype projects.
Val Town
Overview: Val Town is a social website to write and deploy JavaScript, allowing creation of APIs, scheduled functions, and data persistence, all from the browser with instant deployment. The free tier includes unlimited public vals and 100,000 runs per day.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free tier with unlimited public vals and 100,000 runs/day • Easy to use, browser-based development • Supports JavaScript and TypeScript • Social features for sharing and collaboration | • No custom domains on free tier • Limited to 10 private or unlisted vals on free tier • 15 minute interval for cron vals on free tier • 1 min wall clock time per run on free tier |
Runtime Support: JavaScript, TypeScript.
Upgrading and Scaling: Pro plan at $100/year for more features, including 10 custom domains and 1 minute interval cron vals.
Commercial Usability: Yes, especially with the Pro plan for custom domains and more private vals.
Server Downtime: Serverless, runs on demand.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes.
Best For: Developers looking for a quick way to deploy and share JavaScript functions and APIs, particularly for collaborative or social coding.
Firebase Hosting
Overview: Firebase Hosting is a static web hosting service provided by Google, ideal for hosting single-page applications, marketing sites, and other static content. It offers fast content delivery through a global CDN and integrates seamlessly with other Firebase services like Authentication and Firestore.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free tier with generous limits • Easy deployment from the command line • Automatic SSL certificates • Integration with Firebase services | • Limited to static content • Free tier has usage limits |
Runtime Support: Static HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
Upgrading and Scaling: Pay-as-you-go pricing for additional usage beyond free tier limits.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial projects within free tier limits.
Server Downtime: Static sites on Google’s CDN are always available.
Static/Dynamic: Static only.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
Best For: Static websites and single-page applications, particularly those integrating with other Google/Firebase services.
Website Builder Platforms
No-code and low-code platforms designed for users who want to create websites without writing code.
Webflow
Overview: Webflow is a visual web design tool that allows users to create responsive websites without writing code. It offers a free Starter plan for getting started, with 2 pages, 50 CMS items, and 1 GB bandwidth.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free Starter plan available • No coding required for design • Responsive design capabilities • CMS and e-commerce features (on paid plans) | • Free plan has limited pages and CMS items • Publishing on webflow.io domain only in free plan • Limited bandwidth and form submits in free plan • Advanced features require paid plans |
Runtime Support: Static HTML, CSS, JavaScript; CMS for dynamic content.
Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at $14/month for basic sites, with higher tiers for more pages, bandwidth, and e-commerce features.
Commercial Usability: Yes, especially with paid plans for custom domains and more resources.
Server Downtime: Hosted on Webflow’s infrastructure, generally reliable.
Static/Dynamic: Both static and dynamic via CMS.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
Best For: Designers and small businesses looking for a no-code solution to build professional websites, particularly for portfolios or marketing sites.
Google Sites
Overview: Google Sites is a free website builder provided by Google, part of Google Workspace, designed for creating simple websites without coding. It’s ideal for personal projects, small businesses, or internal company sites, with unlimited free usage.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Completely free with no hosting charges • Easy to use with drag-and-drop interface • Integrates with other Google services like Drive, Docs, etc. • Automatic SSL certificates | • Limited customization options compared to other builders • No support for dynamic content or server-side scripting • Basic design templates • Not suitable for complex websites or e-commerce |
Runtime Support: Static HTML, CSS, JavaScript (client-side only).
Upgrading and Scaling: No paid plans; it’s always free. For more advanced features, users might need to switch to other platforms like Webflow or Wix.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for small businesses or personal use.
Server Downtime: Hosted on Google’s infrastructure, generally reliable.
Static/Dynamic: Static only.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
Best For: Simple websites, portfolios, internal company sites, or educational projects, particularly for Google ecosystem users.
Other - Traditional Hosting Services
Traditional web hosting services offering cPanel, PHP, MySQL, and other conventional hosting features.
PythonAnywhere
Overview: PythonAnywhere provides free hosting for Python web applications, supporting frameworks like Django, Flask, and more, with a web-based console for development. It’s designed for ease of use, making it suitable for beginners and small projects.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free plan available • Easy to use with web-based console • Supports multiple Python versions • Includes scheduled tasks | • Limited to one web app on free plan • Restricted outbound internet access • Low CPU and bandwidth on free plan • No custom domains on free plan |
Runtime Support: Python, with support for web frameworks like Django, Flask, Bottle, and others.
Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at $5/month for more resources and features, including custom domains and multiple web apps.
Commercial Usability: Yes, but with limitations on the free plan due to resource constraints.
Server Downtime: Shared hosting, performance may vary due to resource limits.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic (Python web apps).
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No, it’s a PaaS for Python apps.
Best For: Small Python web applications, learning, or non-critical projects.
Oracle Cloud Free Tier
Overview: Oracle Cloud Free Tier offers compute instances and databases, with a $300 trial credit for 30 days, suitable for complex applications.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| • Generous free tier with 2 AMD based compute VMs • 3,000 OCPU hours and 18,000 GB hours per month | • Supports any software on VMs • Includes 2 Autonomous Databases • Suitable for complex applications | • Limited resource availability (e.g., Arm instances) • Requires infrastructure management • Trial credits expire after 360 days |
Runtime Support: Any language or framework on VMs (e.g., Node.js, Python, Java).
Upgrading and Scaling: Pay-as-you-go pricing after trial credits or free tier limits. Costs vary (e.g., $0.01/GB-hour for additional compute).
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial use.
Server Downtime: VMs stay up if managed properly; user responsibility.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic; static possible with configuration.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Limited serverless support in free tier (trial only).
Best For: Developers managing VMs for complex applications.
AWS Free Tier
Overview: Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers a free tier that includes a variety of services such as compute (EC2), storage (S3), and serverless functions (Lambda), allowing users to host both static and dynamic websites. It’s suitable for developers and businesses experimenting with cloud infrastructure.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Access to powerful cloud infrastructure • Scalable and flexible • Wide range of services and tools • Comprehensive documentation and community support | • Complex for beginners • Free tier has usage limits and time restrictions (e.g., 12 months for EC2) • Potential for unexpected costs if usage exceeds free tier |
Runtime Support: Supports various programming languages and frameworks through EC2 instances (e.g., Node.js, Python, Java) or Lambda functions (JavaScript, Python, etc.). S3 supports static HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
Upgrading and Scaling: After the free tier expires or if usage exceeds limits, standard pay-as-you-go pricing applies. AWS offers extensive scaling options with various instance types and services.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for commercial use within the free tier limits.
Server Downtime: Users are responsible for managing EC2 instances; serverless functions (Lambda) run on demand; static sites on S3 are always available via CDN.
Static/Dynamic: Both static (via S3) and dynamic (via EC2 or Lambda).
Serverless/Fluid Compute: Yes, via AWS Lambda with 1 million free requests per month.
Best For: Developers and businesses looking for scalable cloud infrastructure with a wide range of services.
InfinityFree
Overview: InfinityFree provides free web hosting with PHP and MySQL, no ads on your site, and claims to be the fastest free hosting.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Unlimited disk space and bandwidth (subject to fair use) • Supports PHP and MySQL • Free SSL certificates • No ads on your site • Subdomains or custom domains | • Shared hosting with potential performance issues • Limited customer support (community forum) • Accounts may be suspended for resource abuse or inactivity (20-60 days without visitors) • Requires reactivation for inactive accounts |
Runtime Support: PHP, MySQL; supports CMS like WordPress via Softaculous.
Upgrading and Scaling: InfinityFree offers upgrade options to premium hosting plans for better performance and support (pricing varies).
Commercial Usability: Yes, with restrictions (e.g., not for file hosting; must comply with terms).
Server Downtime: Shared hosting; 99.9% uptime claimed but may vary.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic (PHP, MySQL).
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
Best For: Small personal projects, learning, or non-critical websites.
FreeHostia Free Cloud Hosting
Overview: FreeHostia’s “Chocolate” plan provides free cloud hosting with 250MB disk space, 6GB monthly traffic, MySQL, and PHP support, ideal for small personal or business websites. It features a 1-click installer for applications like WordPress and Joomla, and operates on a load-balanced cluster platform for enhanced performance. The plan is free indefinitely, with no forced ads, making it a compelling option for budget-conscious users.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Completely free with no time limits • Supports PHP and MySQL • No ads on websites • 24/7 customer support via tickets | • Limited resources (250MB disk, 6GB bandwidth) • Shared hosting may have performance issues • Limited to 3 email accounts • Not suitable for high-traffic sites |
Runtime Support: PHP (versions 4/5/7/8), MySQL; static HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Supports CMS like WordPress, Joomla, and others via a 1-click installer.
Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at $3.25/month with the Watercircle plan, offering 500GB disk space, 50GB monthly traffic, and additional features like more email accounts and databases. Higher tiers like Wildhoney and Supernatural provide unlimited resources.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for small businesses or personal sites within resource limits, as advertised for small online businesses.
Server Downtime: Shared hosting with a claimed 99.9% uptime, though performance may vary due to shared resources and limited capacity for high traffic.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic, with support for PHP and MySQL-based applications, as well as static content.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No, uses traditional shared hosting infrastructure with load-balanced clusters.
Best For: Small personal or business websites, blogs, or testing environments with low traffic requirements, particularly for users needing PHP and MySQL support.
LeadHoster Free Web Hosting
Overview: LeadHoster offers a free web hosting plan with 250MB disk space, 6GB monthly bandwidth, and support for multiple scripting languages including PHP, Perl, CGI, ASP.NET, and Ruby, along with MySQL databases. It includes a control panel, email accounts (POP3, IMAP, web-based), and a 1-click installer for 19 content management systems like WordPress and PrestaShop. The service is designed for personal websites or small projects and is ad-free.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free hosting with no ads • Supports multiple scripting languages (PHP, Perl, CGI) • Includes email accounts and control panel • Instant account activation | • Limited resources (250MB disk, 6GB bandwidth) • 500KB file size limit • Potential performance issues on shared hosting • Mixed reliability reviews |
Runtime Support: PHP (versions 4/5/6), Perl, CGI, ASP.NET, Ruby; MySQL; static HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Supports CMS via a 1-click installer.
Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at approximately $4.19/month for the Small Business Hosting plan, offering enhanced resources and features like additional domains and storage.
Commercial Usability: Yes, suitable for small commercial projects, though limited by resource constraints and a 500KB file size limit.
Server Downtime: Shared hosting with variable uptime; some user reviews report occasional downtime, suggesting reliability may not be consistent.
Static/Dynamic: Dynamic, with support for various scripting languages and databases, alongside static content.
Serverless/Fluid Compute: No, uses traditional shared hosting infrastructure.
Best For: Personal websites, blogs, or small projects requiring dynamic content and basic hosting features, particularly for users comfortable with shared hosting limitations.
Other Traditional Hosting Services
Several other free hosting services offer traditional web hosting with cPanel, PHP, and MySQL, including GoogieHost, ProFreeHost, and ByetHost. These are suitable for small projects or learning environments but have limitations that may affect commercial use.
GoogieHost
- Overview: Offers 100% free web hosting with cPanel, PHP, MySQL, and no ads on sites.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • 1 GB SSD, 100 GB bandwidth • Free SSL • No site ads | • Limited resources • Potential reliability issues • Ads in control panel |
- Runtime Support: PHP, MySQL; supports WordPress.
- Upgrading and Scaling: Paid plans start at $1.99/month for more resources.
- Commercial Usability: Yes.
- Server Downtime: Shared hosting; uptime may vary.
- Static/Dynamic: Dynamic.
- Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
- Best For: Bloggers or small businesses on a budget.
ProFreeHost
- Overview: Provides free hosting with unlimited disk space and bandwidth, cPanel, and PHP/MySQL support.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Unlimited resources (fair use) • Free subdomains • 99.9% uptime claimed | • Mixed reliability reviews • Slow performance possible |
- Runtime Support: PHP, MySQL; supports CMS.
- Upgrading and Scaling: No direct upgrade path; primarily free service.
- Commercial Usability: Yes.
- Server Downtime: Shared hosting; uptime may vary.
- Static/Dynamic: Dynamic.
- Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
- Best For: Non-critical projects or learning.
ByetHost
- Overview: Offers free hosting with 5 GB disk space, unlimited bandwidth, PHP, MySQL, and cPanel.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Generous free tier • Custom domains • Softaculous installer | • Potential downtime • Limited support |
- Runtime Support: PHP, MySQL; supports CMS.
- Upgrading and Scaling: Premium plans start at $4.99/month.
- Commercial Usability: Yes.
- Server Downtime: Shared hosting; uptime may vary.
- Static/Dynamic: Dynamic.
- Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
- Best For: Small websites or testing environments.
HelioHost
- Overview: HelioHost provides free web hosting with 1 GB storage and 1 GB bandwidth per day, supporting PHP, Python, Perl, and other technologies.
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| • Completely free • Supports multiple programming languages • cPanel | • Limited resources (1GB storage, 1GB/day bandwidth) • Account creation by application only • Performance may vary |
- Runtime Support: PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby; MySQL, PostgreSQL.
- Upgrading and Scaling: No paid plans; funded by donations.
- Commercial Usability: Yes, with limitations due to resource constraints.
- Server Downtime: Shared hosting; uptime varies.
- Static/Dynamic: Dynamic.
- Serverless/Fluid Compute: No.
- Best For: Small educational or personal projects.
AwardSpace, Forever Free Host, Free Hosting
Additional traditional hosting services with similar offerings - limited resources, PHP/MySQL support, and various restrictions typical of free shared hosting environments. These services are suitable for learning, small personal projects, or testing environments but may have reliability and performance limitations.
Glitch (Service Ending)
⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE: Glitch announced in May 2025 that they will be ending web hosting for apps on July 8, 2025. User profiles and project hosting will be shut down, though dashboards will remain available through the end of 2025 for code downloads and setting up redirects. This makes Glitch no longer a viable option for new projects or long-term hosting.
Migration Path: Glitch has stopped accepting new Pro subscriptions and will provide guides to help users export projects and migrate to other platforms. They recommend exploring alternatives like Fly.io, Deno Deploy, GitHub Pages, Val Town, Netlify, and Digital Ocean.
Choosing the Right Platform
By Category
Custom Code Platforms: Best for developers who want full control over their applications. Choose GitHub Pages or Surge for static sites, Cloudflare Workers or Deno Deploy for serverless APIs, Netlify or Vercel for JAMstack apps, and Render or Koyeb for full-stack applications.
Website Builder Platforms: Ideal for non-technical users. Google Sites for simple, free websites or Webflow for more sophisticated designs with CMS capabilities.
Traditional Hosting: Suitable for conventional PHP/MySQL websites. Choose InfinityFree or FreeHostia for reliable free hosting, or Oracle Cloud/AWS for more advanced infrastructure needs.
By Use Case
- Static Sites: GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Sevalla, Firebase Hosting, and Surge for unlimited projects with custom domains; Google Sites for simple sites; Webflow for limited static sites with CMS capabilities; Netlify for additional features.
- Dynamic Apps: Cloudflare Workers, Vercel (Pro plan), Netlify, Render, Koyeb, Deno Deploy, Val Town for modern serverless; Oracle Cloud, AWS, PythonAnywhere for traditional hosting; InfinityFree, FreeHostia, and LeadHoster for PHP/MySQL-based hosting.
- Prototyping: Render, Koyeb, Deno Deploy, Val Town for modern serverless; InfinityFree, GoogieHost, ProFreeHost, FreeHostia, and LeadHoster for traditional hosting; Netlify, Vercel, or Surge for static site workflows.
- Commercial Use: Most Custom Code platforms (Netlify, Cloudflare, Render, Koyeb, Oracle, Deno Deploy, Surge) and Traditional hosting (GoogieHost, ProFreeHost, ByetHost, FreeHostia, LeadHoster); Val Town and Webflow require paid plans for full commercial features; Vercel requires Pro plan; GitHub Pages has restrictions.
- Scalability: Custom Code platforms (Cloudflare, Render, Koyeb, Oracle, Deno Deploy, Surge) offer better scaling; Traditional hosting provides affordable upgrades but with resource limitations.
- Sandbox vs. Business: Custom Code platforms are generally business-ready; Website Builders vary by plan; Traditional hosting is better for non-critical or sandbox use due to resource limitations.
For serious commercial projects, consider paid plans for better reliability and support. Always verify current pricing and terms, as they may change.
Sources
Deno Deploy Pricing Details
Val Town Pricing Information
Google Sites Website Builder
Webflow Pricing and Plans
Forever Free Host Services
Free Hosting Free Plan Details
AwardSpace Free Hosting Options
GitHub Terms of Service
Cloudflare Pages Overview
Cloudflare Plans and Pricing
Cloudflare Workers Pricing
Vercel Pricing Details
Netlify Pricing Information
Glitch About Page
Glitch Pricing Details
Glitch Update
Render Cloud Platform
Render Free Tier Documentation
Render Pricing Information
Koyeb Serverless Platform
Koyeb Pricing Details
Sevalla Static Hosting
Sevalla Pricing Information
PythonAnywhere Free Account
Oracle Cloud Free Tier
Oracle Cloud Pricing Details
AWS Free Tier Information
AWS Pricing Calculator
Firebase Hosting Details
Firebase Pricing Information
HelioHost Free Hosting
InfinityFree Hosting Services
GoogieHost Free Hosting
GoogieHost Pricing Details
ProFreeHost Hosting Services
ByetHost Hosting Information
FreeHostia Free Cloud Hosting
LeadHoster Free Web Hosting
Surge Static Hosting Pricing
Surge Help Documentation