But the good part is that you can start for free and, if things go well and your site starts to kick-ass, you can buy additional services, like custom domain names and SSL certificates, afterward.
This one could be an inconvenience because search engines prefer websites that serve their content through a secure connection, and if you don’t implement SSL, your site won’t rank well on Google’s (or other engines) search results. SSL/TLS cert is another feature you might need to drop if you don’t want to pay. So forget about using that cool domain name you came up with during a sleepless night.
Some free platforms just don’t let you use a top-level domain of your own - they force you to use theirs, and offer you to pick an available subdomain unless you pay. And also without the need to learn about programming, web servers, Linux, or any other geeky stuff.īut what if you are a geek, and you want to get into that geeky stuff? What if you really want to get your hands dirty with some Linux administration tasks, with Apache Server configuration, with MySQL database management? Well, you can also do that without paying anything, and manage a live website like a pro.īefore we start reviewing, let’s make something clear: all the free platforms - even Weebly or Wix - offer an essential service, and make you pay for anything you might want on top of that.
You can choose any of those options to create and maintain your website without investing a dollar. Or webpage creation platforms, like Weebly or Wix. Think about open blogging platforms, like WordPress, Google’s Blogger, or Tumblr. Those ways perfected over the years, and today you can publish great websites, even with professional looks, totally free. Since the early days of the world wide web, there have always been ways to publish content for the masses without paying a dime. That may not be the case for web hosting providers, but there sure are pretty good options that cost absolutely nothing, or are very close to being free. “The best things in life are free”, the song goes.