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Creating a blog or website nowadays is more accessible and cost-effective than ever before. With the wide range of tools and services available, it is now possible to have a webpage up and running within a few hours. The internet’s democratic nature still enables individuals to publish a website or blog for little to no cost.
Some website building platforms like Wix and WordPress, security certificates such as Let’s Encrypt, and hosting are free options for those looking to publish a website online. However, is everything that is free truly valuable?
In this article, we will discuss website hosting. Is it necessary to pay for hosting when there are free options available? The response is usually affirmative. Free hosting comes with restrictions and is generally unsuitable for the majority of websites.
Discover the primary reasons for choosing a paid hosting service for your website or blog by reading our article.
To guarantee increased stability
Companies that require payment for hosting services typically prioritize investing in infrastructure to ensure they have advanced servers and a specialized technical team for equipment maintenance. This results in a more reliable hosting environment, allowing customers’ websites to remain operational for longer periods.
Free hosting servers often exhibit decreased performance, which impacts their stability. This is evident as most free hosting providers do not ensure a 99.9% uptime for customers, with Hostinger, a top free hosting service, offering just 99% uptime.
A slight variation, amounting to 0.9%, equals nearly 6.5 hours offline every month. For businesses relying on their website, even brief downtime can lead to financial losses and damage to reputation.
To enhance safety
Paid hosting is generally more secure against attacks and hacker intrusions compared to free hosting. While it doesn’t guarantee complete immunity from attacks, it does enhance readiness to combat them before affecting customers’ websites.
A reliable paid accommodation is less likely to suddenly disappear compared to free options, which can happen with some smaller companies that rely on the free model and may eventually shut down due to financial challenges.
For the ability to expand and adapt
If you have a small website or blog that receives minimal traffic, you can rely on free hosting. But as your site grows, you may eventually hit resource constraints like disk space or bandwidth limits, prompting the need for a swift transition to a paid hosting plan.
In a paid hosting plan, you have access to more resources, allowing your website to expand with greater flexibility. Concerns about storage space or traffic are minimized, making it less likely that you will need to switch hosting providers.
For more options
A quality hosting service consists of more than just storage space and bandwidth; it also includes features like email, SSL, and backup. Opting for a paid plan is ideal for users who utilize these resources as many of these features are already incorporated into the plan.
If you choose a free hosting service and then separately pay for email services, you end up spending nearly the same amount as you would for a paid hosting plan which includes email. This is also true for databases, SSL certificates, and website statistics. Free plans have limitations in these areas, while paid plans offer a range of features tailored to your website’s needs.
To rely on assistance
Choosing the free hosting option means you will receive minimal support, which could pose significant issues during site downtime.
In various instances, technical assistance may be required, including for tasks like website publishing, email setup, and data recovery. Essentially, unless you are knowledgeable and fortunate, you will have to depend on the support provided by the company.
By opting for a paid lodging, you receive full access to technical assistance that is typically accessible through various channels like chat, phone, and email. Additionally, the support is often more extensive, with many services offering assistance 24/7. Ultimately, the likelihood of receiving prompt service is greater with a paid option.
Summary
There are various distinctions between free and paid accommodations. While free options may suffice in certain instances, paid hosting is typically the superior choice due to its enhanced stability, security, flexibility, and comprehensive services and technical support.
Meet and compare the top hosting companies in the market if you are looking to host your website.
Published on: 17/01/2017 (revised on 05/04/2018)
