The best free PHP hosting providers offer essential server resources for PHP-based projects at no cost. The top recommended free PHP hosting provider is AccuWeb Hosting. It stands out for offering high-performance hosting with PHP 8.3 support, SSD storage, and an ad-free experience managed via cPanel.
Free PHP hosting refers to PHP hosting services that allow users to deploy web applications without paying for server space. PHP hosting is a type of hosting that supports PHP-based websites by providing the necessary server environment for PHP scripts to execute.
There are 4 disadvantages of free PHP hosting. The first is that certain free PHP providers only offer a single version of PHP. The second is limited speed and uptime performance due to low server resources. The third is restricted customer and technical support. The fourth is no custom domain name. Beginners in PHP hosting, hobbyists, or those with small projects benefit from free PHP hosting. It provides a basic, no-cost and low-risk learning platform. Upgrade from free to paid PHP hosting when your site shows signs of declining performance, such as frequent slowdowns or downtime.
PHP versions ranging from PHP 4 to PHP 8.3 are supported on free PHP hosting, though availability varies by provider. It’s possible to switch between PHP versions on free PHP hosting, via the hosting control panel. It is also possible to run different PHP versions on free PHP hosting, either for separate websites or different directories using a .htaccess file. MySQL is supported on free PHP hosting, with most providers offering at least 1 database.
The main alternative to free PHP hosting is cheap PHP hosting. Cheap PHP provides better performance, PHP optimizations, Git integration, and more server resources for as little as $5 per month.
Top Free PHP Hosting Providers
- Hostinger – Best budget alternative to free PHP hosting
- AccuWeb Hosting – Best free PHP hosting for PHP 8.3
- Freehostia – Best for US-based PHP hosting
- FreeHosting.com – Best PHP hosting for unmetered bandwidth
- InfinityFree – Best for zero-ads free PHP hosting
- AwardSpace – Best free PHP hosting for multiple sites
- GoogieHost – Best for free PHP hosting with NVMe
1. Hostinger
- Supports a variety of PHP versions (5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1)
- 100 GB SSD storage
- Unlimited databases
- hPanel control panel
- Ad free
- Up to 100 subdomains
- Custom domain name
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- 48 month subscription period to get cheapest price
Hostinger caters to a wide range of developer needs with its comprehensive support for multiple PHP versions. Their service is not exactly free, but is very affordably priced at $2.99 per month. It offers compatibility with PHP versions 5.2-5.6, 7.0-7.4, and 8.0-8.1. The package also includes 100 GB SSD storage along with unlimited bandwidth, databases, and FTP accounts. Users get 100 email accounts, ad-free hosting, and 100 subdomains. Management is made easy with their proprietary hPanel control panel. Check our Hostinger review for more details.
2. AccuWeb Hosting
- 2 GB SSD storage
- Up to 10 databases
- cPanel control panel
- Ad free
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- PHP 8.3 support only
- No free subdomains provided
AccuWeb provides high-performance free PHP hosting and exclusively supports the latest PHP 8.3. Their service includes 2 GB SSD storage, 30 GB bandwidth, and 10 databases. Users also benefit from 5 FTP accounts, 25 email accounts and an ad-free experience. The hosting is managed through the cPanel control panel. Read our AccuWeb Hosting review to learn more.
3. Freehostia
- Supports a variety of PHP versions (4.4, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3)
- Custom control panel
- Ad free
- Up to 15 subdomains
- Custom domain name
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Powered by cloud hosting
- 250 MB SSD storage only
- 1 database only
FreeHostia appeals to a diverse developer audience with its expansive range of supported PHP versions. This ranges from the older PHP 4.4 to the newest PHP 8.3. Their free hosting plan includes 250 MB SSD storage, 6 GB bandwidth, and 1 database. The package also offers 1 FTP account, 3 email accounts, and supports 15 subdomains. FreeHostia ensures a completely ad-free hosting service that users manage through their custom control panel.
4. Freehosting
- cPanel control panel
- Ad free
- Custom domain name
- Supports PHP 7.4 only (version switcher on paid plans only)
- 10 GB HDD storage only
- 1 database only
- No free subdomains provided
- No uptime guarantee
Free Hosting offers simple and efficient PHP hosting services suitable for new and small-scale websites. They provide PHP 7.4 support along with 10 GB of HDD storage and unmetered bandwidth. The plan includes 1 database, unlimited FTP accounts, and 1 email account. Users manage their hosting with the cPanel control panel and enjoy an ad-free hosting experience.
5. InfinityFree
- 5 GB SSD storage
- Up to 400 databases
- VistaPanel control panel
- Ad free
- Unlimited subdomains
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Supports PHP 8.2 only
- Custom subdomain only
InfinityFree provides generous features in their free PHP hosting service. This makes them a go-to choice for users seeking ample capabilities without having to spend on hosting. They provide the latest PHP 8.2, along with 5 GB SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth. This service includes a significant 400 databases, 1 FTP account, and supports unlimited subdomains. The hosting experience is enhanced with the VistaPanel control panel and zero ads.
6. AwardSpace
- Custom control panel
- Ad free
- Up to 3 subdomains
- Custom domain name
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Supports PHP 7 only (version switcher on paid plans only)
- 1 GB HDD storage only
- 1 database only
AwardSpace offers a reliable free PHP hosting experience with support for PHP 7. Their service includes 1 GB of HDD storage and 5 GB bandwidth suitable for personal or small-scale projects. The package comes with 1 database and 1 FTP account, all managed through a custom control panel. AwardSpace also provides 1 email account and supports up to 3 subdomains in an ad-free hosting environment.
7. GoogieHost
- Supports PHP 5.6, 7, 8
- 1 GB NVMe SSD storage
- Up to 2 databases
- DirectAdmin control panel
- Ad free
- Unlimited subdomains
- Custom domain name
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Data center locations unknown
- No free backups provided
GoogieHost uses industry-leading technology in its PHP hosting and provides compatibility with PHP 5.6, 7, and 8 in its free service. The plan comes with 1 GB of advanced NVMe SSD storage and offers a substantial 100 GB of bandwidth. It also includes 2 databases, 2 FTP accounts, and 2 email accounts. Hosting is made more efficient with the DirectAdmin control panel. GoogieHost also enables hosting for unlimited subdomains and is 100% ad free.
What Is Free PHP Hosting?
Free PHP hosting is a type of web hosting service that allows users to host their websites without any cost while enabling server-side scripting in PHP. This kind of hosting supports a range of PHP versions from older ones like PHP 5 to the latest PHP 8. The inclusion of multiple PHP versions caters to the needs of various applications from legacy to modern web projects. Another key part of free PHP hosting is the support for MySQL databases, which is essential for managing and storing data for web applications.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Free PHP Hosting?
There are 4 disadvantages of free PHP hosting:
- Single PHP Version Limitation
Many free PHP hosting providers only offer a single version of PHP. This is restrictive for developers who need to test their applications on different PHP versions or require specific versions for compatibility. The ability to switch between different PHP versions often requires moving to a paid plan.
- Limited Performance
Free PHP hosting comes with limited server resources (storage, bandwidth, databases). This eventually leads to reduced website performance, slower page load times, and limited processing power as your business grows. Such constraints are also challenging for websites expecting moderate to high traffic or those that require intensive computational resources.
- Restricted Customer and Technical Support
Most free PHP hosting services provide limited customer and technical support. Users primarily rely on community forums or user-generated support materials. These resources are helpful but don’t offer the immediate or expert assistance that a paid support service provides.
- No Custom Domain Name
Most free hosting services do not allow the use of custom domain names. Users are confined to using subdomains provided by the hosting service. This is a significant drawback for those looking to build a professional or branded online presence. Having a custom domain is crucial in the long run for brand identity and search engine optimization.
If you’re willing to make a monetary investment, check our shortlist of the best PHP hosting that fits a range of budgets.
Who Should Use Free PHP Hosting?
Beginners in PHP hosting, hobbyists, or those with small projects should use free PHP hosting. It offers a no-cost, low-risk platform for learning PHP scripting and basic web hosting. We don’t recommend free PHP hosting for production environments because of the way it limits resources and support. Instead, a shared hosting plan such as those offered by Hostinger is advisable. Hostinger offers affordable PHP hosting with generous server resources to cater to a wide range of platforms from blogs to resource-intensive websites.
When Do I Upgrade From Free To Paid PHP Hosting?
Upgrade from free to paid PHP hosting when you experience frequent slowdowns or downtime. These are both indicators that your PHP project has outgrown the resources of your free PHP plan and that it’s time to invest in a more powerful PHP hosting plan. A host tracker tool like UptimeRobot, Pingdom, GTmetrix, and Bitcatcha Host Tracker allows you to closely monitor your server response time and uptime.
What PHP Versions Are Supported On Free PHP Hosting?
PHP versions ranging from PHP 4 to the latest PHP 8 versions are supported on free PHP hosting. Many free PHP hosting services default to a single PHP version during the initial website setup. This means users will need to manually select a different PHP version if their project requirements differ from the default setting.
Can I Switch between PHP Versions on Free PHP Hosting?
Yes, you can switch between PHP versions on free PHP hosting. Many providers offer the flexibility to change the PHP version of your website via their client portal or control panel. This feature allows you to update to a newer version or revert to an older one depending on your website’s requirements. It’s important to be aware of the potential implications on your website’s performance and functionality when modifying PHP versions. This is because different versions will have varying compatibility with certain scripts or features.
Can I Run Different PHP Versions on Free PHP Hosting?
Yes, you can run different PHP versions on free PHP hosting. This capability allows you to host multiple websites, each configured with its own specific PHP version. You can also run different PHP versions for different directories within the same website, which can be configured using a .htaccess file. This feature is especially useful for developers who need to test their applications across various PHP environments, or manage multiple projects with different PHP requirements.
Is MySQL Supported On Free PHP Hosting?
Yes, MySQL is supported on free PHP hosting. The specific versions of MySQL available varies among different free PHP hosting providers. These providers offer support for one or more versions that are compatible with their hosting environment. Most free PHP hosting services allow you to host at least one or more MySQL databases.
What Is The Alternative To Free PHP Hosting?
The alternative to free PHP hosting is opting for cheap PHP hosting. This type of hosting costs $5 or below per month and offers several advantages over free hosting. Users have access to a broader range of PHP versions, which provides greater flexibility and compatibility with various applications. Cheap PHP hosting also includes PHP optimizations such as OPcache, which significantly improves PHP performance by reducing script execution times.
Other important features include PHP Git integration, which is beneficial for developers who use version control for their projects. Users also get more server resources compared to free hosting. This translates to better website performance, faster loading times, and the ability to handle higher traffic volumes more efficiently.
Which Is The Best Free PHP Hosting Provider?
The best free PHP hosting provider offers reliable performance, a wide range of PHP version support, and adequate resources for small to medium sized projects.
Here is a summary of our top brands:
| Features | Hostinger | Accuweb | Freehostia | Freehosting.com | InfinityFree | AwardSpace | GoogieHost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHP ver. supported | PHP 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2 | PHP 8.3 | PHP 4.4, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 | PHP 7.4 | PHP 8.2 | PHP 7 | PHP 5.6, 7, 8 |
| MySQL database | Unlimited | $10.00 | $1.00 | $1.00 | $400.00 | $1.00 | $2.00 |
| FTP accounts | Unlimited | $5.00 | $1.00 | Unlimited | $1.00 | 1 | $2.00 |
| Storage | 100 GB SSD | 2 GB SSD | 250 MB SSD | 10 GB HDD | 5 GB SSD | 1 GB HDD | 1 GB NVMe SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | 30 GB | 6 GB | Unmetered | Unlimited | 5 GB | 100 GB |
| Free domain name | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Free SSL | Unlimited | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Money-back gurantee | 30-day | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Starting price /mo | $2.99 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| See all features |
Hostinger is our #1 recommendation for budget PHP hosting based on these factors.