Cheap and Free Web Hosting: Pros, Cons and SA Picks
Free and ultra-cheap hosting can look appealing. But hidden limits can break your site at the worst time. Here’s what to know and how to choose safely.
Free hosting: what you really get
Common trade-offs:
- Ads or branding on your site
- Limited bandwidth/storage, slow shared servers
- No email or capped mailboxes
- No backups, weak security, no SLA
If you must go free, research 000webhost alternatives and check if they include a database and SSL.
When free hosting is okay
- Learning HTML/CSS/PHP
- Personal experiments and prototypes
- Temporary project pages
For any business or ecommerce, choose paid plans with SSL, backups, and support.
Safer cheap options
Look for:
- Free SSL and at least weekly backups
- Email accounts included
- Clear renewal pricing
Compare budget plans in our Hostinger South Africa review and the broader Best Web Hosting in South Africa.
Free domain offers explained
“Free domain for one year” is common on annual plans. Watch renewal fees and TLD restrictions. Consider using a registrar with competitive renewals and manage DNS carefully.
Alternatives: site builders and nonprofits
- Builders: Weebly and Squarespace include hosting; good for portfolios and simple sites.
- Nonprofits: Google for Nonprofits offers credits/tools; for static sites, Firebase Hosting can work for developers.
Upgrade path
Start small, monitor performance, and be ready to upgrade. When traffic grows, move to a better shared, VPS, or cloud plan. Follow our migration checklist: How to Move or Transfer Web Hosting.