Writer: Lynn Cadet
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
If you’re looking to safeguard your website without breaking the bank, choosing the best free hosting with SSL certificates is a wise move. Encrypting your website is key to security, and SSL certificates are crucial to this process.
SSL stands for secure socket layer. SSL encryption provides website security by protecting sensitive data in transmission. It helps fight against hackers. The SSL site encryption prevents hackers positioned between two communication endpoints from diverting data elsewhere.
Securing confidential information is essential for maintaining customer trust. SSL certificates enable you to do just that. These certificates are small computer files that provide a cryptographic key linked to your organization’s details. With them, website owners can ensure secure connections between a web browser and a server.
Every user should consider free SSL certificates when purchasing a web hosting plan. Depending on your budget, the price for hosting will vary. But it’s good to know most hosting providers include complimentary SSL encryption in their packages, so it’s not too difficult to acquire. You may only need to pay for an SSL certificate as an add-on feature when you sign up for free hosting.
Best Web Hosting with Free SSL Certificate
Although free may always seem like the best option, it’s not always so, especially when it comes to hosting and security. A low-cost hosting alternative tends to deliver better benefits than a free plan.
There are many affordable hosting providers you can find online. While free hosting plans can be limited, budget-friendly options offer more features without costing a fortune. These include shared or WordPress-optimized hosting with numerous benefits. Economical web hosts typically offer tiered plans starting as low as a dollar, all equipped with a free SSL certificate.
Hostinger Shared Hosting Plans Start at $2.69 / Month
Hostinger provides website creators with the tools to develop a solid online presence. From a free site builder to a custom control panel, users can leverage Hostinger’s multitude of features to run a high-performing website.
All plans include a free SSL certificate for HTTPS security. Publishers can save money with its affordable options and still receive a quality hosting experience with the security to match, making it one of the best cheap web hosting providers on the market.
1. Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Best overall value: Nothing at this price comes close feature-for-feature.
- AI builds your site in minutes — no technical skills needed
- Up to 3 websites with free SSL
- Weekly backups and managed WordPress
- 2 business mailboxes free for 1 year
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Sead Fadilpasic
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 20 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 3 minutes |
1&1 IONOS WordPress Hosting Plans Start at $1.00 / Month
If you’re looking to keep your budget expenses to a minimum, 1&1 IONOS will give you a great bang for your buck. Its WordPress hosting plans deliver all the essentials to manage a blog or an eCommerce site at an affordable price for the first year with the hosting platform.
The hosting platform is ideal for optimizing a WordPress site. Publishers can use its value-add features to create a marketable brand for themselves without spending much per month. Its unlimited option for databases, websites, and storage allows users to access capabilities they wouldn’t find elsewhere. 1&1 IONOS also offers a free Wildcard SSL certificate, a free domain for a year, an email account, and 24/7 customer support through live chat.
2. IONOS.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.00
- Just $1/month for 12 months
- Free domain registration and up to 500 email accounts
- Setup wizard helps with installation, suggests themes, and installs plugins
- FREE automatic WP updates and DDoS protection
- SSD drives, NGINX, and guaranteed RAM for page load speed
- Get started on IONOS now.
Christina Lewis
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 25 GB SSD – 75 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
InMotion Hosting Dedicated Server Plans Start at $35.00 / Month
Although dedicated hosting can be pricey, InMotion Hosting delivers a cost-effective hosting package that covers all needs. Users can choose between managed hosting with cPanel, which is more expensive, or bare-metal hosting plans. InMotion Hosting offers discounts on different plans depending on the monthly subscription time frame.
When you choose InMotion Hosting, you can expect fast, secure, and reliable hosting with solid servers and impressive features. They include free SSL certificates, 1Gbps unlimited bandwidth, dedicated IPs, SSD storage, and malware scanning in all plans. If you’re not thrilled with your experience, there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. InMotionHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $35.00
- Best for businesses needing enterprise hardware with managed support
- Bare-metal or fully managed dedicated servers from $35/mo
- Intel Xeon to AMD EPYC, up to 16 cores and 192 GB DDR5 RAM
- Monarx security & 500 GB backup storage with Premier Care
- 24/7 Advanced Product Support from senior sysadmins
- 99.99% uptime SLA, up to 10 Gbps unmetered bandwidth
- Get started on InMotion now.
Dave McQuilling
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 960 GB SSD – 7.68 TB NVMe | 4 – 16 cores | 16 GB – 192 GB DDR5 |
If you don’t see a web hosting service that catches your eye just yet, you can explore other options such as hosting.com which includes a free SSL certificate on its WordPress hosting plan or HostGator, which includes free SSL on its shared hosting plan.
Best Free Web Hosting with SSL Certificate Included
If you’re looking for the best free web hosting, we recommend checking out free trials before settling on a plan. Many hosting companies offer multi-day free trials, which can be a cost-effective way to get a feel for hosting without rushing into a commitment.
Free trials give users plenty of time to weigh their priorities and determine if the hosting provider is a good fit, especially if they’re new to hosting. Users can select from various hosting platforms, from popular website builders, such as Wix, to major web hosts, such as Kamatera, to create their web presence.
Free Website Builder with SSL Included: Wix
Wix allows users to maintain all their web hosting needs in one place. Users can leverage Wix’s 14-day money-back guarantee to create and design a unique website without the pay commitment. The web hosting service provides access to its proprietary site builder and a shared hosting plan for a low cost after your free trial ends.
If you’re looking to test the waters with website ownership, Wix can be a great place to start. It supplies publishers with all the tools to build a web presence and simplifies the process by providing tons of templates, unlimited pages, and customer support for free. Other notable features include a free custom domain for a year, SSD storage, and an SSL certificate.
4. Wix.com
Monthly Starting Price $17.00
- Start designing FREE for 14 days
- FREE domain with most plans
- Drag-and-drop templates, specific to industry
- Exhaustive knowledgebase of articles
- Huge app market available
- Get started on Wix now.
Lynn Cadet
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-day FREE trial | 2 GB – Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Free VPS Hosting with SSL Included: Kamatera
Kamatera offers VPS hosting with a ton of perks. It allows users to sign up for a free 30-day trial with no strings attached. Kamatera’s free, no-commitment account allows publishers to access its user-friendly cloud management portal to set up their cloud servers.
Kamatera is a great hosting choice for those looking for customization and flexibility. You can build your server with features according to your liking, including choosing the amount of SSD storage, RAM, and vCPU you need.
5. Kamatera.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.00
- Customize your cloud environment for FREE
- Work with a dedicated account manager
- Dozens of Windows & Linux OS choices
- Complimentary live chat support open 24/7
- Launch in less than 60 seconds
- Get started on Kamatera now.
Surajdeep Singh
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day FREE trial | 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD | New or Transfer | 3 minutes |
Other Free Web Hosting Services
If you’re set on free hosting, you can find a number of hosts that provide it. Free hosting is best used for personal websites or hobbies because you may have to sacrifice on performance and reliability for the price. You can still get a hosting experience but it will be lacking certain aspects such as unlimited bandwidth and free domain names.
The following free web hosting providers include SSL encryption:
Before opting for a free web hosting provider, make sure to weigh your options and determine which web hosts have the best features for you.
TLS Certificate vs. SSL Certificate — What is the Difference?
Website security is an essential piece of the maintenance and success of any site. With vulnerabilities growing on the web, website owners need the right tools to protect their organization and, most importantly — their data. One way they can do so is through SSL and TLS certificates. You’re wondering what’s the difference between the two, but technically, they are more similar than they are different.
SSL means secure socket layer, while TLS means transport layer security. Although TLS and SSL certificates don’t share the same name, they provide the same use advantage. TLS encryption is essentially the modern equivalent of SSL certificates. Although many web hosts list their certificates as SSL, they mainly offer TLS encryption these days.
The hosting industry shifted toward TLS certificates in 1999 to avoid legal issues with the original SSL creator, Netscape. This way, companies could develop the protocol as an open standard, accessible to everyone.
Users can leverage these two network protocols for end-to-end data security. The TLS and SSL certificates are responsible for maintaining data privacy as information transmits between two endpoints — a web server and a web browser. This data encryption allows website owners to protect their visitors’ information without complexity or much maintenance.
Which SSL Certificate is Best?
Only three types of SSL certificates exist. All three serve the same purpose but vary in the validation standards. The three types include extended validation, organization validation, and domain validation certificates.
Companies can only receive extended validation SSL certificates after the Certificate Authority has verified the exclusive right of the organization to use the domain specified. The Certificate Authority is the entity that validates identities and issues SSL certificates.
In the case of extended validation, the Certificate Authority will also check for:
- The legal, physical, and operational existence of the organization
- Consistency between the organization’s identity and official records
- Proper authorization by the organization of the issuance of the EV SSL certificate
Organization and domain validation SSL certificates require the same minimum standard of checking the organization’s right to the domain name. Where they differ is the additional verification components. The domain validation certificate doesn’t require further steps, but the organization SSL certificate does require some but not all.
In the end, you can rely on all three types of certificates to ensure the security you need for smooth communication between your browser and server.
Do SSL Certificates Improve Website Performance?
We’ve discussed how SSL certificates can improve your website’s security, but what about its performance? While the two may seem unrelated, using SSL certificates can actually improve your site’s speed and search engine rankings.
There used to be an old myth that SSL made your website slower because it had to go through the encryption process, but loading-speed studies have long debunked this.
Here’s a surprise: an SSL certificate can actually speed up your site by reducing the number of requests your browser sends to the server. Google ranks faster websites higher and favors those prioritizing security. It’s truly a win-win!
What is “Free SSL” with Hosting?
Free SSL certificates are an essential part of web hosting services. They help validate domains and the identity of the user behind the website. This way, SSL helps secure site traffic and users build trust with your customers or web followers.
SSL encryption is also simple to install, making it a go-to security resource for website owners. Some web hosts, including WP Engine, offer one-click installation. With other web hosts, you may have to input your domain name and certification details to install. You’ll know the SSL certificate works when you see your web addresses start with “https://” instead of just “http://.”
Users can also leverage other types of SSL certificates to fit their needs. Cloudflare, for instance, provides advanced SSL certificates to allow users more flexibility with their domain validation. This Cloudflare SSL certificate gives customers access to multiple customizations, including several renewal period options, Cloudflare branding removal, and preferred validation methods.
Some web hosting providers also have Wildcard SSL certificates included in their plans. These certificates benefit users with multiple subdomains because they allow you to encrypt multiple subdomain names linked to a base domain name with one certificate.
Does Web Hosting Come With SSL?
Most web hosting companies generally include free SSL certificates in their plans. However, there could be exceptions with web hosts or site builders offering free web hosting services. In such cases, they might offer the SSL certificate as an optional purchase to minimize their costs.
If you opt for a free web hosting service that doesn’t include free SSL encryption, you can obtain a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate at no charge. Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority run by the nonprofit Internet Security Research Group.
Users must go through two steps to obtain a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. First, Let’s Encrypt must validate the domain and the identity behind the web server. Then, it can issue the SSL certificate for that domain.
Let9s Encrypt services are a wonderful option if you want to save on costs while using a free web hosting plan. Let9s Encrypt provides the same HTTPS security as any other SSL provider. Plus, if you want more from your hosting experience, many budget-friendly hosting providers also include free SSL encryption.
Your Choice of Web Hosting Provider Directly Impacts Your Website Security
Security issues can arise from several sources in website management. Whether you opt for a shared hosting plan or dedicated hosting, security is of the utmost importance. Vulnerabilities in plugins and themes or software can heavily affect your website performance and make it susceptible to hackers. Although many security issues can be unpredictable, users can avoid some issues by choosing a web hosting provider with strong protective measures.
A web host can directly affect website security, depending on the security offerings it provides. Hosting providers can deliver a variety of features to help secure your website, including anything from firewall protection to SSL encryption. By comparing feature lists of different hosting providers, you can determine which one has the best options for protection.
A comprehensive set of security features should include a combination of the following:
- Domain security can shield your personal information from hackers and prevent them from stealing your domain or credit card credentials.
- Firewall protection filters through incoming requests to your website to prevent unauthorized access to your site.
- Backups are an essential contingency component. Automatically restore and recover your data if lost or deleted.
- An SSL certificate secures your website traffic and safeguards endpoint communication.
- DDoS mitigation will protect your website from unexpected attacks and block them from causing downtime issues.
- Site scanning can help protect your website from malware and other malicious threats.
Wisely choosing a web host is imperative to the security of your website, especially if you’re considering cheap or free web hosting. Check for certifications and whether compliance standards have been met. You can also research their security practices and history by looking at customer reviews. This way, you can avoid scams and unmet expectations.
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