Free website hosting: what you actually get in 2026

You can host a real website for $0. The catch is always the same three things: the address, the limits, and the ads. Here are six honest options.

The short answer

Free website hosting is real, but the site lives on the host's address (like yourname.we.inc or a github.io link), has usage limits, and sometimes shows ads. For a finished site without code, use a builder's free plan. For code you wrote, GitHub Pages or Netlify host it free.

We.Inc's free plan hosts up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, with SSL. It has no AI and no custom domain; those start with paid plans at $20 a month.

Want free web hosting with no ads? GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Firebase Hosting and Google Sites all serve your site without ads. Want Google website hosting? Google offers two: Google Sites for no-code pages and Firebase Hosting for developers.

Free hosting options side by side

	We.Inc	GitHub Pages	Netlify	Google Sites	WordPress.com	Carrd
Needs code?	No, templates	Yes	Yes (or a static site)	No	No	No
Free address	we.inc address	github.io	netlify.app	sites.google.com	wordpress.com	carrd.co
Own domain free?	No, paid plans	Yes	Yes, with SSL	Yes, after verification	No, paid plans	No, Pro plans
Ads	No ads	No	No	No	WordPress.com ads	Carrd branding
Key limit	3 template sites, no AI	1 GB site, 100 GB/mo soft bandwidth, no commercial sites	300 credits a month	Few design options	1 GB storage	One page per site

Checked on each provider's own page on September 24, 2026. Free plans change often; confirm before you rely on one.

Pros and cons

We.Inc

Best for: People who want a finished-looking site hosted free, with AI building when they are ready to pay

Price: Free plan: up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, no AI. AI building from $20/mo (Starter, 250 credits). Pro $49/mo, Max $99/mo.

Pros: Describe what you want in chat and AI builds a full, editable site or app; Edit by clicking on the page, by asking in chat, or in a real code editor; Export the React and TypeScript code to GitHub, so you are never locked in; Unlimited sites on paid plans, custom domains from Starter

Cons: The free plan is templates only; AI building needs a paid plan; Newer platform with a smaller app marketplace than the big names; Store features are simpler than a dedicated ecommerce platform

GitHub Pages

Best for: Developers hosting a personal or project site

Price: Free

Pros: Custom domains; No ads; Fast

Cons: You write the code; GitHub says it is not for running an online business or ecommerce; 1 GB site limit

Netlify

Best for: Developers deploying static or modern web apps

Price: Free (300 credits); Personal $9/mo

Pros: Custom domains with SSL; Deploy previews; Functions and storage

Cons: Needs a code workflow; Usage beyond the free credits costs money

Google Sites

Best for: Simple internal or school sites

Price: Free

Pros: No ads; Custom domain possible

Cons: Basic design; No store or blog

WordPress.com

Best for: Blogs

Price: Free; paid from $4/mo annual

Pros: Great for writing; No expiry on free

Cons: Ads on free; No custom domain on free; 1 GB storage

Carrd

Best for: One-page sites

Price: Free; Pro from $9/year

Pros: Very cheap upgrade

Cons: Single page only

Firebase Hosting (Google)

Best for: Developers who want Google's own hosting for a static site or web app

Price: Free on the Spark plan: 10 GB storage, 360 MB a day of data transfer

Pros: Custom domain and SSL included free; No ads; Run by Google

Cons: You deploy code with a command-line tool; The daily transfer cap is small for a busy site

Cloudflare Pages

Best for: Developers who deploy from a Git repository

Price: Free plan: 500 builds a month, up to 20,000 files per site

Pros: Up to 100 custom domains per project; No ads

Cons: Needs a code workflow; One build at a time on free, files up to 25 MiB each

Is free website hosting safe?

From the providers here, yes: all serve sites over HTTPS and are run by established companies. The risk with unknown free hosts is ads injected into your pages, slow servers or sudden shutdowns. Stick to hosts with a clear free plan and a paid path you could move to.

Can I get free hosting with my own domain?

Sometimes. GitHub Pages, Netlify and Google Sites let you connect a domain you already own for free, but you still pay a registrar for the domain itself. No-code builders, including We.Inc, WordPress.com and Wix, keep custom domains on paid plans.

When should I pay for hosting?

Pay when the site represents a business: you want your own domain, no ads, a store, or more than a few pages. That is the point where a free subdomain costs you more in trust than the plan costs in money. On We.Inc, that is the $20 Starter plan, which adds AI building.

Free web hosting with no ads

Ads are a builder habit more than a hosting one. The developer hosts here (GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages and Firebase Hosting) never put ads on your pages, and neither does Google Sites. WordPress.com shows ads on free sites and Carrd shows its own branding. We.Inc's free plan has no ads, though the site sits on a we.inc address.

Google website hosting: Google Sites or Firebase

If you searched for Google's hosting, there are two different products. Google Sites is a no-code page editor that is free with a Google account and can use a domain you own. Firebase Hosting is for code: you upload a built site with Google's command-line tool, and the free Spark plan includes 10 GB of storage, 360 MB of transfer a day, a custom domain and SSL. Pick Sites if you do not write code, Firebase if you do.

Website hosting and a domain: what is free and what is not

Hosting can be free; a domain of your own almost never is. Every free host gives you a subdomain on its address at no cost. A name like yourbusiness.com is bought from a registrar for a yearly fee, then pointed at the host. GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Firebase Hosting and Google Sites let you connect that domain without paying the host anything. Builders such as We.Inc, Wix and WordPress.com connect your own domain on paid plans, and some paid plans include a domain free for the first year.

How to host a website for free in five steps

1. Decide whether you will write code. If not, choose a builder's free plan or Google Sites; if you will, choose GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages or Firebase Hosting. 2. Build the site, either from a template or in your code editor. 3. Publish it to the free address the host gives you and check it on your phone. 4. If you own a domain, add the DNS records the host lists so the site loads on your own name. 5. Add the site to Google Search Console so it can be found in search.

Start from a template

Sources

GitHub Docs: GitHub Pages limits (Checked Sept 24, 2026)
Netlify: Pricing (Checked Sept 24, 2026)
Cloudflare Docs: Pages limits (checked October 24, 2026)
Firebase: Pricing (Hosting on the no-cost Spark plan) (checked October 24, 2026)
Google Sites Help: Use a custom domain (Checked Sept 24, 2026)
WordPress.com: Pricing (Checked Sept 24, 2026)
Carrd: Pro plans (Checked Sept 24, 2026)
We.Inc: Pricing (Checked Sept 24, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free website hosting?

For a no-code site, a builder's free plan such as We.Inc (3 template sites) or WordPress.com (blogs). For code, GitHub Pages or Netlify. Pick based on whether you write code and whether you need your own domain.

Does We.Inc really host sites for free?

Yes. The free plan publishes up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, with no card required. It does not include AI building or custom domains; those start at $20 a month.

Can I run an online store on free hosting?

Rarely well. GitHub's own documentation says GitHub Pages is not meant for ecommerce. Builders keep stores on paid plans. On We.Inc, stores use your own Stripe account on paid plans.

Is there free hosting with a free domain?

You get a free subdomain (like name.we.inc or name.github.io). A top-level domain like yourname.com costs money each year from a registrar, though some paid builder plans include one free for the first year.

Which free web hosting has no ads?

GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Firebase Hosting and Google Sites do not add ads to your site. We.Inc's free plan has no ads either. WordPress.com's free plan shows ads.

Does Google offer free website hosting?

Yes, in two forms. Google Sites is free for simple no-code sites. Firebase Hosting has a free Spark plan with 10 GB of storage and 360 MB of transfer a day, plus a custom domain and SSL, but you deploy code to use it.