Why Your Free Hosting Provider Might Be Costing You More Than You Think

You must have heard - There’s no such thing as FREE. It’s true in the case of “free” hosting as well. There are hidden costs associated with free hosting. You will come across many hosting companies that claim they provide free hosting for websites. 

However, after getting an appealing deal to host your website for free, you will find several significant limitations concerning costs. But where do these hidden costs come from, and what is included in a free web hosting? Let’s find out in this blog.

What is Free Web Hosting?

Free web hosting allows businesses and individuals to host their websites without paying anything. Businesses may find it an affordable option which is budget-friendly and caters to initial website needs. 

For example, suppose you have a small bakery and you want to have a strong digital presence through a website. A website will allow your customers to learn about your business, place orders, and even use location services to reach your outlet. In such cases, the small business owner creates a website and hosts it free of charge using free web hosting. However, it is important to understand the long-term consequences of hosting a website for free. There are a range of limitations in free web hosting, which we will look into in this blog. 

What are the downsides of free web hosting?

There are several downsides of free web hosting, which include a lack of customisation, a lack of stability, and not having a custom domain. What good is having a website when customers can’t reach you feasibly? 

Let’s look at some possible downsides of free web hosting and how it impacts your business in the long run.

#1: Limited Resources and Performance Issues

Customers may find it appealing that they will not have to pay any recurring monthly or yearly payments to host their website. However, free web hosting has performance issues and limited resources. 

#2: Limited Bandwidth and Storage in Free Web Hosting

Websites will have only a fixed bandwidth and storage for the website. Bandwidth is the amount of data customers can transfer from their browser to the host server. 

Hence, you cannot effectively manage the operational cost and server load, which comes with free hosting services. Upon exceeding the limit of storage and server load, the customers will not be able to access the website until businesses extend their web hosting plan. 

To reset the bandwidth of the website, you will need to pay for better hosting. Meaning, businesses and website owners will need to pay for the hosting that comes with more features and characteristics to meet their website needs. 

#3: You Cannot Have a Custom Domain Name

If you go with a free web hosting service provider, you will have to use the subdomains or domain names associated with the identity of the provider. Having an unprofessional name for your website does not build your brand identity. You need a custom domain name to attract credible visitors and foster trust.

To Sum Up

Top web hosting providers give you a better understanding of what your website needs. While free web hosting can be a good start for a small and new business, in the long run, your website needs a good hosting package. Our strategists and experts rank and rate top hosting firms and hosting providers at 10Hostings. You can carefully select and compare top web hosting providers in USA from our platform to determine which fits your website hosting needs.