Angela Lee
Everyone knows web hosting is a critical aspect of establishing an online presence. Hence, free web hosting always feels like a great option for when you’re first starting out. But in reality, free web hosting often comes with a lot of hidden costs and can even end up costing you more.
So, if you are looking for a web host in Australia and want to know if free web hosting or paid hosting is right for you, keep reading. In this write-up, we will explore the hidden web hosting costs of free web hosting services.
What are Free Web Hosting Services?
Free web hosting services mean you get hosting services without incurring any out-of-pocket costs. Though these services sound alluring, in many cases, they may include compromised performance, lack of customer support, scalability, security issues, bombardment of ads, etc. – all leading to decreased reliability.
The Hidden Costs Free Web Hosting Services
1. Performance Cost Due to Resource Limitations
Web server resources include RAM, storage, CPU cores and bandwidth, which are all essential for ensuring seamless website running and access. Compromising on any or all of these means threatening your website’s uptime and performance.
Though free web hosting might sound appealing, it comes with compromised resources. Such compromises can cause the website to hang and slow down, which can destroy your customers’ user experience.
You might also face issues managing website files due to storage constraints or carrying out intensive web server operations, which can affect overall performance.
2. Affect Your Customer User Experience Due To Ad-Driven
Free hosting is ad-driven; that’s how providers actually earn money. You get limited control over the ads and where they are located on your website. The ads are usually interstitials, pop-ups and sometimes banners etc. These ads can spoil the user experience, making it hard to retain them.
3. Domain Name Compromisation
A good domain name contributes to many aspects, like increasing brand credibility and trust while also offering SEO benefits. However, most free web hosts offer subdomains or domain names that include their branding. So, if you want a unique domain name, you’ll have to buy one from a domain registrar.
On the other hand, the best hosting providers that offer paid plans tend to include domain registration as a service under their plans.
4. Security Cost
Security is another big cost when you choose a free web hosting service. Free web hosting providers do not undertake very quality-assured security measures, which makes your web hosting infrastructure vulnerable and at risk of being exposed in case of an attack.
Therefore, it is very important to invest in web hosting services that provide robust security measures.
5. Limited Customer Support
The customer support you get with free web hosting is extremely limited. You don’t get the dedicated support you usually get when you opt for the best hosting providers. This not only increases risk but also slows down issue resolution times and can even lead to prolonged downtime.
Conclusion
While free web hosting is a feasible option for smaller websites, businesses that are serious about ensuring long-term success and building a credible and professional brand image are better off opting for paid web hosting plans.
The best hosting providers offer scalable plans, web hosting control panels, better security and prompt resolution of technical issues. Therefore, ensure you always choose reliable and high-quality web hosting services for your website.
