Free Vs Paid Hosting
Free Hosting Pros: If you are on a tight budget then free hosting is for you, after all, it costs nothing.
If you are looking to create a small, uncomplicated website then this is a perfect solution.
Typically you go for free hosting when you don't need a lot of resources and are looking for the smallest possible startup costs.
It is also a good choice to get free hosting if you have never had a website before and want to see what the whole webmaster thing is about.
Cons When signing up for a free hosting account, be aware that your website will probably have advertisements on it.
This isn't the case all the time but 4/5 free web hosts will have their ads on your website.
Be prepared to have a long URL.
You will be getting a sub domain when you sign up for a free web host.
This means you will get yourname.
freehost.
com.
This is okay if you somehow find a short username, but typically those are already taken.
You will probably not be given an email address either, which might pose a problem if you want to receive emails through your website.
Lack of support is also another issue with free hosting.
You probably won't even receive support with most free hosting companies.
Limited space can put a damper on things.
You are usually only given a couple of MB, and that can be eaten up quickly with a couple jpegs.
Paid Hosting Pros You get full control over your entire website and hosting account, usually with software like cPanel.
It is easier to add on domains to your account, and modify existing ones.
You can usually buy paid web hosting for as cheap as $3 a month.
This will probably get you 100 times more space and bandwidth you would get with a free account, and ensures you that you will be getting some form of support with your website.
With paid hosting you generally get better uptime and faster, more powerful servers hosting your website.
It is simply better to pay a couple dollars a month to get paid hosting.
Cons When there is money involved, things can go bad.
It is your responsibility to find a reliable and trustworthy host.
I have seen people get scammed by unreliable web hosts too many times.
Make sure you do your research before sending money to a host.
Once they have your money, they can pack up and move out, leaving you with nothing but a sad face.
If you are looking to create a small, uncomplicated website then this is a perfect solution.
Typically you go for free hosting when you don't need a lot of resources and are looking for the smallest possible startup costs.
It is also a good choice to get free hosting if you have never had a website before and want to see what the whole webmaster thing is about.
Cons When signing up for a free hosting account, be aware that your website will probably have advertisements on it.
This isn't the case all the time but 4/5 free web hosts will have their ads on your website.
Be prepared to have a long URL.
You will be getting a sub domain when you sign up for a free web host.
This means you will get yourname.
freehost.
com.
This is okay if you somehow find a short username, but typically those are already taken.
You will probably not be given an email address either, which might pose a problem if you want to receive emails through your website.
Lack of support is also another issue with free hosting.
You probably won't even receive support with most free hosting companies.
Limited space can put a damper on things.
You are usually only given a couple of MB, and that can be eaten up quickly with a couple jpegs.
Paid Hosting Pros You get full control over your entire website and hosting account, usually with software like cPanel.
It is easier to add on domains to your account, and modify existing ones.
You can usually buy paid web hosting for as cheap as $3 a month.
This will probably get you 100 times more space and bandwidth you would get with a free account, and ensures you that you will be getting some form of support with your website.
With paid hosting you generally get better uptime and faster, more powerful servers hosting your website.
It is simply better to pay a couple dollars a month to get paid hosting.
Cons When there is money involved, things can go bad.
It is your responsibility to find a reliable and trustworthy host.
I have seen people get scammed by unreliable web hosts too many times.
Make sure you do your research before sending money to a host.
Once they have your money, they can pack up and move out, leaving you with nothing but a sad face.
