Writer: Christina Lewis
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Alexandra Anderson
We all know college is pricey, so we’ve researched the best free WordPress hosting for students. Between tuition, books, and lab fees, you may not have extra cash to spend on a web hosting service for school or personal projects. But don’t let that stress you out; a free plan will help you save money on your hosting service so you can spend it elsewhere (i.e., Spring break in Daytona).
The best free web hosting will make setting up and deploying your WordPress site easy. You can expect your web host to include plenty of bonus features, including a free SSL certificate, a free domain name, and unlimited bandwidth to help your blog or portfolio website thrive. There’s no need to waste time scouring the internet for a free web hosting service. We’ve covered you with our top recommendations below for cheap and free hosting.
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Best Value: Students Get 50% Off WordPress Hosting with InMotion
InMotion Hosting consistently ranks high for its WordPress hosting packages, boasting lightning-fast SSD storage, choice of datacenter location, and award-winning customer support. InMotion’s customers can enjoy a range of premium plugins and WordPress themes to help them customize their sites.
With InMotion’s drag-and-drop website builder, site owners can create a fully functional WordPress site with zero need for coding skills. Alternatively, if you have an existing WordPress website, the intuitive cPanel control system makes it easy to migrate your website to InMotion without downtime. For students on a budget, InMotion Hosting is an excellent provider to consider.
1. InMotionHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.79
- Up to 12x faster WordPress hosting
- FREE SSL certificate and SSD storage
- Automatic WordPress plugin, theme, and core updates
- Features a FREE drag-and-drop WP page editor
- Premium themes and plugin subscriptions
- Get started on InMotion now.
InMotion Hosting, long known for affordable and high-performance shared hosting options, entered the WordPress space with a solid option built upon the company’s reputation for great support and reliability. Build on an all-SSD infrastructure, InMotion’s inherently quick speeds make the infrastructure a perfect fit for delivering rapid WordPress page loads. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 100 GB – Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
Classic WordPress.com Offers Free WordPress Hosting (Limited)
WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org) is a free WordPress hosting service that helps users build a custom WordPress site and host it for free. WordPress.com offers plenty of hosting features to run your free website, including WordPress themes, website templates, and plenty of add-ons for functionality. Users can easily create forms, display blog posts, and build pages.
This free WordPress host is an excellent choice for students who need hosting for a small blog or school project. Be aware that the free version of WordPress.com includes advertisements and doesn’t allow a fully custom domain name. But you should also know that if you enjoy the free version and want additional features, you can quickly upgrade to an affordable paid plan that includes ad-free hosting, premium plugins and themes, and even better performance.
2. WordPress.com
- Dozens of customizable themes
- 1 GB of storage
- 24/7 support via email and community forums
- Pre-installed SSL certificate
- No credit card required
- Get Started on WordPress.com Now
WORDPRESS
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Best for Aspiring Developers: Free WordPress Hosting Trials
A free trial is a fantastic way to test a WordPress hosting service without digging into your pockets too soon. You will have to pay once your free trial ends, but the introductory period will give you an idea of the quality and value of your chosen WordPress host. While we can all appreciate completely free web hosts, the long-term performance and support these plans give don’t always cut it for aspiring developers and bigger sites.
Whether you’re looking for a provider for your next project or personal website, you can find a hosting plan with a free trial that suits your needs. These providers offer premium features in their shared hosting and cloud hosting plans. Take a closer look at the details of each host to see if either appeals to you.
3. Cloudways.com
Monthly Starting Price $8.25
- Migrate unlimited WP sites using Cloudways plugin
- FREE CDN and WordPress staging areas
- Caching plugin, Breeze, comes pre-installed
- SSD storage for 3x faster WordPress hosting
- 25% OFF with code HOSTINGADVICE
- Get started on Cloudways now.
Cloudways makes it simple to kick-start a WordPress site or app hosted in a cloud environment. During the initial setup, we were given a choice of a single- or multi-site installation of the latest WordPress version — complete with Cloudways optimizations — or a no-frills WP install. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day FREE trial | 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD | New or Transfer | 8 minutes |
4. Kamatera.com
Monthly Starting Price $4.00
- Scalable cloud resources to grow your WP site
- Optimized servers with latest WP and NGINX
- SSD storage with 99.95% uptime guarantee
- User-friendly management console
- Enjoy a 30-day FREE trial at signup
- Get started on Kamatera now.
Residing in a happy spot between shared hosting and a managed server, Kamatera’s WordPress hosting solution brings the best of both worlds to the popular open-source content management system. While the hosting company’s cloud servers aren’t as inherently optimized or managed as closely as other top tier WordPress hosting specialists, more experienced site owners will seriously appreciate the web host’s all-SSD infrastructure. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day FREE trial | 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD | New or Transfer | 6 minutes |
5. Flywheel.com
Monthly Starting Price $13.00
- High-touch managed WordPress hosting
- FREE speed boost via built-in CDN and custom FlyCache technology
- One-click sandbox environment for staging
- In-house WP expertise and support available 24/7
- FREE 14-day demo site
- Get started on Flywheel now.
It seems rather obvious (and repetitive) to say that a web host that solely hosts WordPress sites excels at hosting WordPress — but it’s true. In addition to revamped infrastructure optimized for the world-famous content management system, Flywheel offers several proprietary, one-of-a-kind services that extend WordPress hosting beyond traditional norms. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 days | 5 GB – 50 GB | N/A | 4 minutes |
Get Cheap WordPress Hosting for as Little as $1.00/Month
If you’re looking for a hosting plan that provides a great deal of value for the amount you pay, these providers are sure to impress you. And just because these plans are cheap doesn’t mean they’re light on features. Thanks to industry competition to offer the best web hosting, providers must include enticing, valuable add-ons to attract and retain customers. Some of our favorite aspects of these shared hosting plans include 24/7 live chat support, automatic updates, and security features to ensure the safety of your site.
6. 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 1&1 IONOS now.
You’re not alone if you’re looking for fine-tuned optimizations and security enhancements specifically tailored around WordPress. Hundreds of hosts are clamoring to offer the best services for the world’s most popular content management system, and 1&1 IONOS is among the select group leading the way. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 25 GB SSD – 75 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
7. Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Officially endorsed by WordPress.org
- 1-click WP install, PHP 7+, HTTP/2, and LiteSpeed
- All-in-one security protections from BitNinja
- No price markup for WordPress services
- Daily backups, FREE SSL certificates, and AI Tools
- Get started on Hostinger now.
As much as we love WordPress, one of our biggest pet peeves is when hosting providers exploit the popularity of the world’s most-used content management system by offering so-called WordPress hosting that, in reality, is exactly the same as the host’s shared server plans. Fortunately, Hostinger’s ultra-fast infrastructure and easy access to SSL certificates and backups sets up the company to outperform the vast majority of the violators of our admittedly made-up rule. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD – 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
8. DreamHost.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.59
- WordPress hosting for up to unlimited sites
- FREE WordPress website migration
- Fully managed hosting with DreamPress plan
- NEW WordPress website builder tool
- 1 of 3 providers endorsed by WordPress.org
- Get started on DreamHost now.
One of only three hosting providers recommended by the WordPress Core team, DreamHost has actively contributed to the WordPress community for more than a decade. The company’s platform is optimized for the incredibly popular content management system, and plans include easy setup, automated updates and backups, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 specialized support. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
9. InMotionHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.79
- Up to 12x faster WordPress hosting
- FREE SSL certificate and SSD storage
- Automatic WordPress plugin, theme, and core updates
- Features a FREE drag-and-drop WP page editor
- Premium themes and plugin subscriptions
- Get started on InMotion now.
InMotion Hosting, long known for affordable and high-performance shared hosting options, entered the WordPress space with a solid option built upon the company’s reputation for great support and reliability. Build on an all-SSD infrastructure, InMotion’s inherently quick speeds make the infrastructure a perfect fit for delivering rapid WordPress page loads. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 100 GB – Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
10. A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.99
- FREE Cloudflare CDN and 1-click WP installs
- Turbo Server, SSD speed, and optimized caching
- A2-optimized plugins for performance and security
- FREE SSL certificates and 24/7 support
- FREE HackScan and KernelCare
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
As experts in performance optimization, A2 Hosting is a top choice for powering resource-heavy WordPress websites. The company offers shared or managed plans for the ultra-popular content management system, with the benefits extending to Joomla, Drupal, and other platforms. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB SSD – Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
11. AccuWebHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $3.49
- Pre-installed caching & SEO plugins
- Unlimited sites and installations
- FREE WordPress migration & daily backups
- All-SSD storage for higher performance
- Zero restrictions for WP plugins
- Get started on AccuWebHosting.
Boasting what the company calls a “zero-click installation,” AccuWebHosting pre-installs the WordPress content management system on new hosting accounts, in addition to plugins for SEO and caching at all but the lowest service tier. Managed WordPress hosts that limit customers’ ability to install certain plugins is one of our biggest pet peeves. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 50 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
What is WordPress?
Roughly 40% of the internet’s websites are powered by WordPress. This free, open-source content management system (CMS) makes it easy for bloggers and small businesses to launch and maintain a fully customizable site. Thanks to WordPress’ ever-growing community of support, users can choose from thousands of WordPress themes, templates, and plugins to make their sites unique and functional.
The WordPress dashboard offers a user-friendly experience to newbies who need practice building and maintaining websites. The CMS is beginner-friendly because if you opt for a free WordPress hosting service, you won’t spend a dime on getting your first site up and running.
Of course, you can choose a host that offers premium managed WordPress hosting instead, such as the folks at WP Engine or A2 Hosting. If you select a managed WordPress plan, your provider will take care of the nitty-gritty server details, but you’ll most likely have to pay a small monthly price. The cost may be worth the investment, especially if you plan to stick with your hosting provider for a while.
Which Hosting is Best for WordPress?
There isn’t one specific type of server that’s best for hosting WordPress. Instead, it’s a combination of features and performance your hosting provider offers that makes for the best hosting. If you’re building a midsize to a large site, a dedicated server, cloud, or VPS hosting plan should suit you well. These servers will boost your website’s performance with appealing bonus features, including a free domain name, scalable bandwidth, and a custom email account to communicate with customers. Plus, if you’re not tech-savvy, a managed hosting plan will take the guesswork out of setting up and maintaining your servers.
But if you don’t need the resources of a higher-performing server, a shared hosting plan should give you enough resources to support your website. A shared hosting plan offers less storage and bandwidth than other server types, but your provider will toss in many free perks with your WordPress hosting service to make up for it. We think of a shared plan as a happy middle ground between a free hosting service and a premium plan.
Ultimately, free website hosting is a smart way for students to launch a WordPress website for school. Why not save a few dollars where you can between tuition, books, and supplies? You’ll make the right choice for your next school project as long as you know the potential limitations of a free hosting service.
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