Run a Website for Free: Easy Steps and Best Tools

Want a web presence but hate the price tag? You can actually get a site online without spending a rupee. The trick is picking the right free host, using a simple builder, and knowing the limits before you launch.

Top Free Hosting Platforms

Most free hosts give you a sub‑domain (like yoursite.example.com) and a few gigabytes of storage. Here are three that work well in India:

InfinityFree – Unlimited bandwidth, no forced ads, and a simple control panel. You get PHP and MySQL, so you can run WordPress if you feel adventurous.

GitHub Pages – Perfect for static sites. Push your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to a repo and GitHub serves it for free. No database, but it’s lightning fast.

Google Sites – Drag‑and‑drop editor, integrates with your Google account, and you can link a custom domain later. It’s limited in design, but the learning curve is near zero.

All three let you upgrade later if you need more power, but they work fine for a starter blog, portfolio, or small business landing page.

How to Publish Your Site Without Paying

Step 1: Choose a builder. If you don’t want to touch code, try Wix Free or Weebly Free. They provide templates and a visual editor. For a code‑first approach, go with a static site generator like Jekyll or Hugo and push to GitHub Pages.

Step 2: Get a domain. A free sub‑domain is included with every host, but a custom domain looks professional. Services like Freenom still hand out .tk, .ml, .ga domains at no cost. Keep in mind they may renew at a higher price, so note the expiration date.

Step 3: Upload your files. Most hosts have a file manager or let you use an FTP client. Drag your index.html, style.css, and any images into the public folder. If you’re on GitHub, push to the gh‑pages branch and GitHub does the rest.

Step 4: Test everything. Open your site on a phone and a desktop. Check that links work, images load, and the page loads under 3 seconds. Free hosts often share resources, so heavy traffic can slow you down.

Step 5: Optimize for SEO. Even a free site can rank if you add meta titles, descriptions, and use headings correctly. Write a clear <title> tag with your main keyword, and sprinkle the keyword naturally in the first paragraph.

Step 6: Plan for growth. Keep an eye on storage limits and bandwidth caps. If you hit a wall, migrate to a low‑cost plan (often $2–$5/month) or switch to a different free host that offers more resources.

That’s it – you now have a live website without touching your wallet. The biggest hurdle is remembering that “free” usually means limited support and occasional ads. If those aren’t deal‑breakers, you’re good to go. Happy publishing!