How to Put a Website Online for Free (4 Easy Ways)

You don't need to spend money to get a website online. Whether you want a simple page for your business or you're learning to code, there's a free option that fits. Here are four ways to do it, from easiest to most technical.

Option 1: A no-code website builder

Best for: a simple business page, menu or portfolio, fast.

Google Sites and Carrd let you build a page by dragging in text, photos and buttons. No code, no hosting to set up.

1. Sign in and pick a template.
2. Add your business name, photos, services and WhatsApp link.
3. Click Publish.

Your site gets a free web address. You can connect your own domain later.

Option 2: Free static hosting

Best for: HTML and CSS sites, landing pages and portfolios.

If you already have website files, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify and GitHub Pages will host them for free, with HTTPS included. These sites load very fast.

1. Put your files in a GitHub repository (or drag and drop the folder on Netlify).
2. Connect the repository to the host.
3. Your site goes live, and updates automatically when you change the files.

These hosts don't run PHP or MySQL, so they're for static sites only.

Option 3: Free PHP hosting

Best for: learning PHP, testing a project or running WordPress.

InfinityFree gives you PHP, MySQL and a control panel like paid shared hosting.

1. Sign up and create a hosting account with a free subdomain.
2. Upload your files with the online file manager or FileZilla.
3. Create a database in the control panel if your site needs one.

Free PHP hosting has traffic and resource limits, so it's not ideal for a business site customers depend on.

Option 4: Your own free server

Best for: developers who want full control.

Oracle Cloud Free Tier gives you a small Linux server for free. You install everything yourself, which is a great way to learn but takes more time.

Get your own domain

A free subdomain works for testing, but a real domain (like yourbusiness.com) looks more trustworthy. Domains cost around US$10 to $15 a year at registrars like Porkbun or Namecheap. Check the renewal price, not just the first-year deal.

Before you go live

• Test your site on a phone. Most visitors will be on one.
• Make sure it loads with HTTPS (the padlock).
• Run it through PageSpeed Insights to check the speed.
• Add your site to Google Search Console so it shows up in search.