subject: Web Hosting: Free Vs Paida Comparison! [print this page] A web hosting company is simply a company that offers web space on their servers and some also function as Internet Service Providers (ISPs), to give their customers internet connectivity. They maintain large data centers with banks of servers. While there are literally thousands of companies out there that offer web hosting, there are basically two types. Those companies that offer free web space and those companies who are paid web hosting services. These two options are very different so take a look at the information provided below and determine which option for your web hosting is best for your needs.
Lets start with free web hosting. This type of web hosting allows you to upload your website onto the companys server free of charge. If you are looking for a personal website or your company is very small and you only need a limited amount of space and expect a limited amount of traffic this may be the option for you. Free web hosting services generally severely restrict the amount of space that your site is allotted and the amount of traffic that you can have over a given period of time is likewise restricted.
A very few of these free sites offer development tools as part of the package so you may have to either pay a web designer to build your site or invest in a development environment and do it your self. It is very hard to beat the price. Free means that your budget can be spent somewhere else and it also frees you from having to worry about monthly charges. If you are new to business or you are offering a free service and selling advertising on your site this might be perfect. Be aware however that some of the free services do not allow the sales of commercial advertising on a free web site because, in many cases, you are forced to place banner ads of the web hosting company on your site. If you are planning to sell advertising, compare the cost of a free site to your anticipated gain with the advertising.
Paid web hosting is an entirely different animal. These services usually allow unlimited web space and unlimited traffic and all of them allow the sales of commercial advertising, which can be a great source of income for any website owner. If you need a large amount of storage space and you expect alot of traffic, you might want to consider paying a monthly fee. These fees, depending on the type of service that you need, are usually pretty reasonable. Basic packages begin as low as $3 and a dedicated server can cost about $100 per month. Most of these companies offer coupons that will allow you to save even more, after the reasonable fees, and also offer free development tools to help you get your site up and running and keep it maintained.
