000WebHost is a popular name in free web hosting connected to Hostinger. It provides a platform for users to set up basic websites at no cost, serving as an entry point into web development. This free hosting option is useful for creating simple, static sites or for beginners exploring web technologies.
However, 000WebHost is not the only free hosting option available. There are several others on the web. Keep in mind that free hosting services usually come with limitations and can’t offer the performance of premium hosts.
1. WordPress.com
Website: https://www.wordpress.com/
When I think of ‘free,’ WordPress.com often comes to mind. This platform serves as the foundational site for the popular content management system (CMS), providing a live environment for users to engage with it.
Why Use WordPress.com instead of 000WebHost?
Choosing WordPress.com over 000webhost is ideal for beginners. The platform simplifies the setup process, making it user-friendly for those new to web development. Users can experiment freely, building on a robust framework that supports a wide range of designs through themes and plugins.
However, WordPress.com is tailored for long-term WordPress users. It does not offer opportunities to learn how to manage web hosting accounts. All hosting management is automated and handled by the platform itself.
This makes WordPress.com less ideal for those who want to gain deep hosting management skills. Yet, for anyone looking to easily operate a WordPress site or run a WordPress-based online store, WordPress.com offers significant advantages
2. Weebly
Website: https://www.weebly.com
Weebly is more than just a web hosting platform; it’s primarily designed as an intuitive website builder. This service is intended for users who have little knowledge of web hosting or building websites – that they can do so without the need for a steep learning curve.
Weebly as Alternative to 000WebHost
Weebly stands out as a viable alternative to 000webhost by offering a versatile range of plans suitable for everything from basic websites to large online stores. Its free plan is particularly appealing as it eliminates the initial complexity of website construction, making it accessible even to novices in web development.
Although you can use Weebly to build a basic website, even their free plan allows eCommerce transactions. This means that Weebly is a fantastic option for those who intend to go this route. The concept would be you build and learn for free, and when you’ve got the basics down to pat you can sign up for a paid plan later.
For those interested in Weebly, the focus will be around building your site and adding features, rather than getting stuck learning how to configure the account. The catch is that because you’re relatively insulated form the web hosting portion of the plan, you may have difficulties if you decide to move away from the Weebly platform.
3. X10hosting
Website: https://x10hosting.com
X10hosting offers a free web hosting service that emphasizes its ease of use and rich feature set. It provides users with the ability to quickly install popular web applications such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal which can be convenient for launching websites.
X10hosting as 000WebHost Alternative
Like WordPress.com and 000webhost, x10hosting serves as a stepping stone to more advanced, paid services. Users starting with x10hosting’s free service are often encouraged to upgrade to x10premium, which offers additional features and resources.
While x10hosting doesn’t have that great of a reputation, it is a place where newbies can get the full shared web hosting experience. Because of their script installers, you can also experiment with various platforms if you aren’t sure which is the right one for you.
Aside from the basics of web hosting, you’ll be able to gain some hands-on experience with other things as well. Examples of this include setting up and managing email accounts, learning to work with File Transfer Protocol (FTP), or even work with databases and tools.
4. AwardSpace
Website: https://www.awardspace.com
AwardSpace is a standard web hosting service that also offers free accounts. These accounts come with a robust set of features, although some of AwardSpace’s offerings are somewhat unconventional compared to mainstream providers.
Why Use AwardSpace instead of 000WebHost?
For example, they offer users the use of the Zacky application installer and website builder. This is open source, so doesn’t cost anything to use. Although the interface may be a little different compared to popular ones like Softaculous, the concept remains the same – one-click installation.
The Zacky website builder is a nice touch though. Given how popular website building tools are you may be surprised that some web hosting providers don’t offer the use of one – even some paid platforms. Free accounts on AwardSpace can make use of one of their subdomains, so you won’t even need to register your own to start with.
If you’re planning to move later, AwardSpace has several options for you. They offer a huge range of plans so that your upgrades can be very progressive, starting from their $1 web hosting. From there, you can go up the scale all the way to semi-dedicated servers of their Cloud plans.
5. Freehostia
Website: https://www.freehostia.com
Freehostia, as a free web hosting platform, throws up some impressive features and specifications. For example, with a free hosting account here you get 250MB of space, can host up to 5 domains, and get 6GB of bandwidth, along with the use of email and databases.
What Makes Freehostia a Good 000WebHost Alternative?
The kicker isn’t just that you get all of this for free, but unlike many other free hosting platforms, they don’t force their branding onto your websites. That means this can be a viable option especially for business users who want a simple web presence without other branding on the site.
Despite their strange predilection for naming their hosting plans rather strangely (Watercircle, Lovebeat, Wildhoney, and Supernatural?), free here really is free and comes with a website builder thrown in. In fact, you can even test their website builder before you sign up for a free account!
Of course, there are certain limitations which is the norm, but these can be overcome by opting for one of their paid plans later. As a sweetener to the deal, Freehostia offers new sign ups to their plans massive discounts such as their $1 per month VPS deals.
Is Free Hosting Really Free?
From the examples I’ve listed above you can see that I’ve made sure to share free solutions that offer a few different concepts. Each of them has their own pros and cons – such as the example of Weebly which offers a superior website building service but insulates users from the account configuration side of the business.
In some cases, such as that of Weebly, business users hoping to stay on free plans might want to stay away since the hosts’ branding will affect the brand of your own business.
The one major underlying catch is the free often really isn’t free. Web hosting costs a lot of money to provide and because of that, companies can’t afford to give away these services gratis forever. The idea is to offer users something free and build in just enough limitations to make them want to upgrade to a paid plan.
Conclusion: Can You Live with Free Web Hosting?
From sub-par performance to challenges such as very limited resources and a long list of dos and don’ts, free web hosting can be extremely frustrating. After all, as I just said, that’s the way they are designed to be with a purpose.
For shared website owners, certain options can be advantageous if they know their specific needs. For example, business owners who require a simple, no-frills website may find Weebly an excellent choice. It allows for quick, self-managed site construction, eliminating the need for additional development expenses
At the end of the day, I recommend that you take free web hosting as it was intended – to be a learning experience. Use the no-cost opportunity to experiment and see what type of concept suits you. Or, if you already know, take the opportunity to learn in a live environment before paying top dollar for the best web hosting you can afford. This rings especially true for the ambitious would-be website owner.
