Jimmy ParkerBuilding a website is one of the most critical steps in running a business. While ideally, you should pay for a quality web hosting provider, we do understand that not everyone has the upfront capital to spend.
To help out those just starting out, we’ve compiled a list of the best free web hosting services you can use in the UK.
We also added an “almost-free” option as a lot of free hosts come with various issues like forced ads, downtime, lack of security measures, and bad support.
Let’s get into it!
Best Free Web Hosting UK 2023
Here is a review of some of the best free web hosting companies in the UK.
1. Hostinger – Best Almost-Free Web Host
Price
£0.99
Disk Space
10 GB
Support
Live Chat
Hostinger is one of the most popular web hosting providers on the market, and for a good reason. They offer a wide range of services, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and even WordPress hosting. Their prices are very affordable, and they also offer a free plan. The combination of features and the free program is why Hostinger is number one on this list and also tops our comparison of the best cheap hosts in the UK.
Hostinger has excellent customer service available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Access to excellent customer service is essential when you are building your website. You never know when you might have a question that you need to answer.
Hostinger also includes a free website builder that is easy to use. You don’t need to be a developer or have the design experience to build an excellent website using Hostinger’s website builder.
While Hostinger has a free plan, one of the significant advantages of using their web hosting is its upgradeability. They have multiple tiers of plans that allow you to increase your costs as you need additional services slowly. You don’t have to pay for things you don’t need.
However, their free plan does have some limitations. For example, you only get 1 GB of storage and 10 GB of bandwidth. Some ads are on the free plan, but most free hosting websites have ads on their free hosting plans.
Hostinger is a great option if you’re looking for affordable web hosting and is highly recommended for anyone looking to start hosting their first website.
Pros
- Free plans and affordable paid plans
- Secure login that requires a separate email login
- Excellent Uptime
- Above-average integrated email service
Cons
- Users are required to install WordPress Plugin
- Some users complain about the file manager losing data
- Cloud storage is limited on the free plan
Build your site with Hostinger
2. Wix – Best Free Host and Website Builder
Wix is one of the most popular website builders on the market. They offer a free plan that gives users access to their features and tools. There is no time limit on the free program, and users can create an unlimited number of pages. Wix also offers a free domain for one year on their free plan. Plus, the website builder is one of the best in the world. It is easy to use, and many users review it highly.
One of Wix’s most significant advantages is that the layouts on the website builder are designed for businesses, restaurants, online stores, and entrepreneurs. Plus, all Wix websites are guaranteed to look great on a mobile device which is becoming increasingly critical as mobile browsing becomes more popular with customers. Wix knows precisely who its customers are, and they tailor its services and offerings directly to them.
Wix’s website builder gives you a ton of freedom to build your website the way you want. You can customer the colors, themes, photo galleries, and plugins to match the needs of your business.
Overall, Wix is our second-rated free host because of how easy it is to use their website editor and the quality of their hosting.
Pros
- Wix is easy to use and has a drag-and-drop interface.
- Users can create an unlimited number of pages.
- Wix offers a free domain for one year.
- There are no limits on storage or bandwidth.
- Wix has a wide range of features and tools.
Cons
- Wix displays ads on free websites.
- Users can only connect their domain after upgrading to a paid plan.
3. Weebly
Weebly is another hosting website tailored to small businesses needs. Weebly is a website builder that offers both free and paid plans. The free plan gives you access to most of Weebly’s features with some limitations. For example, you’ll have Weebly branding on your site, and you can only connect a domain name if you upgrade to a paid plan. You also can’t remove Weebly branding from your site unless you upgrade.
Weebly’s free plan is good if you want to get a feel for how the platform works before committing to a paid plan. It’s also a good option if you need a simple website and don’t need advanced features like an eCommerce store. You can build a website with all the fundamentals you need to put your business on the internet.
As your business grows and you need more features, you can easily upgrade your Weebly plan to one of their paid plans to get more advanced features. Weebly’s paid plans also provide great value for your money, and you will not have to pay for features you do not need.
One of the enormous benefits of using Weebly is its SEO guides. SEO is a complex topic, but Weebly makes it easy to understand and implement into your website. With their help, you can improve your website’s ranking on search engine results pages. Improving SEO will help you get more traffic to your website and grow your business.
Overall, Weebly is a great free hosting website with great value for your money on the paid plans. However, the inability to remove the Weebly branding causes it to land number 3 on this list.
Pros
- Easy to use
- No ads
- Free plan available
Cons
- Weebly branding on the free plan
- Limited storage on the free plan (500MB)
- You can’t remove Weebly branding without upgrading
4. 000WebHost
000Webhost is a great free hosting option for small businesses. They have many features that are perfect for small businesses, such as a drag-and-drop website builder, a one-click WordPress installer, a free SSL certificate, and more. They also offer paid plans with even more features if you need them.
One downside of 000Webhost is that they have a lot of ads. Ads can be distracting for visitors to your website, and they can make your website look less professional. However, the ads are only on the free plan, so if you upgrade to a paid plan, you will no longer have to worry about them.
Another downside is that 000Webhost’s customer support is not as good as some of the other options on this list. They have a knowledge base and a forum, but they are not as responsive as some other companies.
Another one of the concerns with using 000Webhost is security. There was a massive security breach in 2015 where 13.5 000Webhost clients had their information exposed. There have been no subsequent data breaches, but this does question how secure your information is with 000Webhost.
Overall, 000Webhost is a great free hosting website for small businesses. They have all the features you need to get your business online and offer paid plans with even more features. The only downsides are the ads on the free plan and the less-than-stellar customer support.
Pros
- Free SSL certificate
- One-click WordPress installer
- Drag and drop website builder
Cons
- Ads on the free plan
- Not as exemplary customer support
5. Awardspace.com
Awardspace is a great free hosting option for small businesses. They have many features that are perfect for small businesses, such as a drag-and-drop website builder, a one-click WordPress installer, and more. They also offer paid plans with even more features if you need them.
The free hosting plans on awardspace.com come with many great features. You receive 1GB of storage space for all the files and images you want to put on your website. Your website will also work great up until 5 GB of monthly traffic. Finally, you get one email account and 24/7 support to help build your website.
One downside of Awardspace’s free plans is that they have a lot of ads. However, the ads are only on the free plan, so if you upgrade to a paid plan, you will no longer have to worry about them.
You get many great features if you want to upgrade to a paid plan. Your website will work 10x faster than the free plan. You get unlimited storage space, additional email accounts, and more advanced developer tools.
Overall, Awardspace is a great free hosting provider. They offer all the features you need to get your business online, and their paid plans offer even more features. The only downsides are the ads on the free plan and the less-than-stellar customer support.
Pros
- One free email account
- One-click WordPress installer
- Drag and drop website builder
Cons
- Ads on the free plan
- Fewer data center options
6. x10Hosting
x10Hosting is another decent free host. They have many features that are perfect for small businesses, such as a drag-and-drop website builder, a one-click WordPress installer, and more. They also offer paid plans with even more features if you need them.
Additionally, x10Hosting’s free plan gives you access to high-performance and reliable web hosting for absolutely nothing. You also get several features that are paid features on other web hosting websites.
The biggest negative for x10Hosting is that the company is relatively new. It doesn’t have the track record that some of the other hosting companies on this list have. The lack of a track record can make using x10Hosting questionable for some business owners.
Pros
- 99% uptime
- Free website builder
- Free WordPress Hosting
Cons
- Limited hosting options
- Technical support is sporadic
How to Choose a Free Web Host in the UK
When choosing a free web host in the UK, you should consider a few things. First, you must ensure that the company is reputable and has good customer reviews. Second, you must ensure that the company offers the features you need. Third, you need to make sure that the company is affordable.
Here are a few more things to consider when choosing a web host in the UK:
- What is your budget?
- What are your website needs?
- How much experience do you have with building websites?
- Are you looking for a long-term or short-term solution?
Of course, your budget should be your starting point, as there is no reason to get excited about a service if it’s outside the range of what you’re currently able to afford. Your website needs will also need to be considered: For instance, do you need an ecommerce platform? Do you expect your website to handle a lot of traffic daily? Where do you expect most of your visitors to originate, as this should dictate where you might want to have your server located.
There is no website if you aren’t able to build one either. If you are unfamiliar with coding your own website and don’t have the budget to pay a freelancer to do it for you, you may need to look for a web hosting provider that has a web builder built within its services. Finally, what does your timeline look like? Are you looking to simply grab a foothold in the digital space and upgrade later, or do you wish to carve out your niche right away and not waste time moving your assets to an entirely new hosting provider?
These questions are paramount to your search and should be in the back of your mind as your critique each of the services yourself based on your own needs.
Free Web Hosting Questions
Is free web hosting safe?
This is a common question with a not-so-simple answer. It depends on the company you choose and how they operate their services. That said, there are some risks associated with free web hosting.
For example, your website may be subject to ads by the hosting company. These ads can be intrusive and distracting for your website visitors. Additionally, free web hosting companies may limit features or bandwidth, which can impact the performance of your website.
With that said, there are some reputable free web hosting companies out there that offer quality services.
Can I host my own website for free?
This is a common question with a few different answers. The most straightforward answer is that you can host your website on your computer for free. All you need is a computer connected to the internet and a domain name. However, your website will only be visible to people who know your IP address.
The second answer is that you can host your website on a free web hosting service. Many reputable companies offer this service, such as 000Webhost and X10Hosting. However, these companies usually put ads on your website and limit the amount of traffic you can receive.
How much does web hosting cost in the UK?
The cost of web hosting is a difficult question to answer as it depends on many factors, such as the size of your website, the traffic you receive, and your hosting requirements. However, we can give you a general idea of the prices you can expect to pay for web hosting in the UK.
The cost of web hosting in the UK depends on the services you want from the provider. You can host your website for free if you are willing to accept ads and limited bandwidth on your website. If you want a premium experience, you can expect to pay anywhere from £5-20 per month. The more expensive the web hosting, the more comprehensive their services. To get a more detailed idea, check out our list of the best UK web hosting providers.