I get it. You’re a student who wants to create a digital presence to either express yourself because your voice and uniqueness are heard or create a portfolio for your upcoming venture into the business world after graduating.
But your dilemma is that you cannot afford to purchase web hosting to create your website…yet.
Well, you’re lucky because I worked hard to choose the best free web hosting for students, so you don’t have to waste your time and energy.
Web Hosting Service Comparison
| Web Hosting Service | Target Audience | Main Features | Ease of Use | Performance | Limitations | Security | Support & Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TiinyHost | Beginners, Small Projects | Simple drag-and-drop interface, instant setup | Extremely user-friendly, no coding required | Fast setup, good for small projects | Basic features suited for small/simple sites | SSL, basic security measures | Great support via chat and email, community-driven |
| GitHub Pages | Developers, Students | Host directly from the GitHub repository, supports Jekyll | Requires GitHub knowledge | High reliability, good speed | Static sites only | Basic GitHub security | GitHub community, no direct support |
| 000WebHost | Beginners, Students | Free PHP, MySQL, cPanel, No ads | Beginner-friendly | Good for free service | Limited storage and features | Standard security features | Community forums, basic support |
| InfinityFree | Students, Hobbyists | Unlimited bandwidth and storage, PHP, MySQL | Moderately easy | Reliable with unlimited resources | Ad-supported, limited scripting | Standard security, SSL | Community support |
| AwardSpace | Small Projects, Students | 1 GB disk space, 5 GB bandwidth, PHP, MySQL | User-friendly | Decent performance | Limited storage and bandwidth | Basic security, SSL options | Community forums, limited direct support |
| Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Free Tier | Advanced Users, Students in Cloud Computing | Limited access to cloud products, hosting, storage | Requires cloud computing knowledge | High-performance, cloud infrastructure | Complex, limited free tier | Advanced cloud security | Advanced support for paid tiers, community for the free tier |
| Netlify | Developers, Students in Modern Web Development | Continuous deployment from Git, static site, and Jamstack focus | Easy for those familiar with Git and modern web tech | High performance, suited for static sites | Mainly for static/Jamstack sites | SSL, basic security | Extensive community documentation |
Top 7 Free Web Hosting Services For Students
1. Tiiny Host
- Speed Time: less than 20 seconds
- Up Time: 99%
- Set-Up Time: 2 minutes
Performance & Features: This free, simple static web hosting offers a hassle-free linking of your domains and deploys your website in a flash.
What I like most about this student web hosting is that it lets you set a lifespan for your live site. Once the lifespan ends, the website will automatically be set to offline and archived.
This feature is perfect for students who haven’t decided which niche or specific topic to tackle on their websites.
Pros:
- Simple drag-and-drop interface
- Instant set-up
- Fast set-up
- Good for small projects
- No registration required
Cons:
- Limited storage
2. GitHub Pages
- Speed Time: 4-5 seconds
- Up Time: 99.9%
- Set-Up Time: up to 10 minutes
Performance & Features: GitHub is one of the world’s largest developer platforms and is trusted by many brands, such as P&G, Mercedez Benz, and 3M.
This code-hosting platform lets students collaborate on projects from anywhere using repositories, commits, pull requests, and branches.
This free web hosting lets you create your custom domain for your website. What I like about GitHub is that it uses Jekyll without dealing with databases.
Pros:
- Host directly from the GitHub repository
- supports Jekyll
- High reliability
- good speed
- Perfect for collaboration
Cons:
- Needs programming background
- For static sites only
3. 000WebHost
- Speed Time: averaging at 1.87 seconds
- Up Time: 99.9%
- Set-Up Time: about 2-4 hours
Performance & Features: I love how you can try this free web hosting without stressing about not having a credit card. You can easily sign up and start building your websites in an instant.
However, you can only create a single website with 3 GB monthly bandwidth and 300 MB disk space. With 000WebHost, you can get a free cPanel license and a pledge that the site will not inject ads onto your web pages.
Pros:
- Cloudflare-protected name servers
- Runs Imunify360 for security
- Offers up to 3GB of bandwidth
- Free PHP, MySQL, cPanel
- No ads
Cons:
- can permanently delete your data if your website goes over the limits
- Limited storage
4. InfinityFree
- Speed Time: more than 2 seconds
- Up Time: 99.9%
- Set-Up Time: 5 minutes
Performance & Features: This web hosting service is perfect for students who aim to create their websites with LAMP scripts. It offers 5 GB of storage, so every student can install up to 400 MySQL databases free of charge.
InfinityFree also offers more than 400 open-source scripts with Softaculous.
Pros:
- Unlimited bandwidth and storage, PHP, MySQL
- Reliable with unlimited resources
- Perfect for LAMP scripts
- Easy to use
- Secure
Cons:
- Ad-supported
- Limited scripting
5. AwardSpace
- Speed Time: up to 12 seconds
- Up Time: 99.9%
- Set-Up Time: 5 minutes
Performance & Features: AwardSpace offers unlimited storage and monthly traffic for two websites. You can also avail free HTTPS and SSL, with 24/7 customer support with just an hour-response time.
I like how AwardSpace continuously develops its hosting system, promising to deliver web hosting services perfect for students and professionals.
Pros:
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Responsive customer support
- Firewall protection
- Built-in virus, SPAM
- 1 GB disk space, 5 GB bandwidth, PHP, MySQL
Cons:
- Has advertisements
- Limited resources
6. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Free Tier
- Speed Time: around 2 to 4 seconds
- Up Time: 99.999%
- Set-Up Time: < 30 minutes
Performance & Features: Since GCP is widely used today, working with this platform offers an opportunity to work on students’ practical skills.
Another thing I like about this platform is how you can easily find guides, tutorials, and resources to maximize its services. You can easily experiment on your website without worrying about running out of storage or resources.
Pros:
- Access to cloud products, hosting, and storage
- High-performance, cloud infrastructure
- Offers machine learning and cloud computing learning
- Generous resource allocation
- Has an active community and extensive documentation
Cons:
- Additional charges may apply
- Not beginner-friendly
7. Netlify
- Speed Time: up to 11 seconds
- Up Time: 99.9%
- Set-Up Time: +15 minutes
Performance & Features: Netlify is another free web hosting you should try. It targets Enterprises, so expect to have the agility, speed, and performance of a scalable web architecture.
I like how it integrates seamlessly with Bitbucket and GitHub, making it easier to collaborate on projects and track changes using version control systems.
Pros:
- Continuous deployment from Git, static site, and Jamstack focus
- Dynamic serverless functions
- High performance, suited for static sites
- Additional bandwidth, build minutes, and teams
- Instant rollbacks
Cons:
- Limited server control
- Needs learning curve for complex features
How To Choose The Best Free Hosting for Students
Storage & Bandwidth
Disk Capacity or storage space and bandwidth can impact the loading speed of your website, so you must consider getting enough of these for your website.
If you plan to upload many media files, you must aim to get a greater amount of disk capacity/space and bandwidth.
Uptime & Speed
You don’t want to shoo away your website guests, so finding free web hosting for students’ websites is crucial.
The perfect speed and uptime mean fewer server crashes and improved website loading speed.
Ease of Use
Not all free web hosting is easy to use, especially if you plan to take advantage of their complex features. So, if you are a first-timer, finding the easiest-to-manage web hosting for students is your best option.
Customer Support
Don’t be offended when I say this: Since you have availed yourself of free service, don’t expect to get the best customer support when problems arise.
Most companies don’t go the extra mile to help students who don’t give them a dime, so I suggest finding a company that offers 24/7 customer support regardless of the plan you have availed from them.
Security Features
Don’t let your hard work go to waste; always choose a secure web hosting service for your website. I suggest looking for a company that offers security features like malware scans, SSL certification, and firewalls to encrypt and protect your data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can students upgrade their free hosting plan in the future?
Yes, students can upgrade their free hosting plan in the future. If you want your website to grow and use better features only offered for paid hosting plans, go for it.
How do students know their website is secure when using free web hosting?
Students should ensure that their websites use HTTPS, not just HTTP, in their web address. This only means their websites use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate.
Can I run a website free of cost?
Yes, you can run a website free of cost. However, you must consider factors that may affect the overall cost of running your website, such as your site builder, web hosting service, templates you add, and more.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want to express yourself, create an online presence, or use the website for your portfolio, you’ll find your perfect web hosting service partner if you know your goal, website-building knowledge, and current needs.
One of the best options is TiinyHost because it’s easy to use, fast to launch, and you don’t need registration to try it. If you’re into collaboration, GitHub Pages is your best bet, but if you don’t have a credit card, 000WebHost should be your option.
There are plenty of free web hosting service options to choose from, but you’ll never go wrong with these suggestions.
Have you ever tried one before? Comment down below and let me know your experiences with them!
