Namecheap Web Hosting Review
Last updated on January 19, 2025 by RGB Web Tech
Namecheap is a leading domains, hosting and websitesâ service company helping businesses worldwide to setup their online presence and reach their online success. Namecheap make it possible for anyone to create a winning web presence by providing easy domain name registration, affordable hosting plans, and all the best apps.
Namecheap will direct and point business owners to website security and privacy products from the most trusted brands around and their award-winning customer service team is available 24/7 with friendly advice to help you get your site up and running in no time.
Top Features
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free website builder
- Domain name and privacy protection
- Free automatic SSL installation
- Free Supersonic CDN
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free in <24 hours website migration
Type of Web Hosting
To figure out what category you fall in, hereâs a quick recap of the different hosting types and who they are for:
- Shared Hosting â Shared hosting is the most cost-effective plan for entry-level websites.
- VPS Hosting â VPS hosting is for websites that have outgrown shared hosting.
- WordPress Hosting â WordPress hosting optimized for WordPress sites.
- Dedicated Hosting â Dedicated hosting is Enterprise-level servers for large websites.
- Cloud Hosting â Cloud hosting is best for websites that are growing rapidly.
- Reseller Hosting â Reseller hosting is for agencies, web developers, and web designers.
- Managed Hosting â Managed hosting is an IT hosting model in which the client leases servers or cloud computing resources.
- Colocation Hosting â Colocation hosting is where you rent space for your IT hardware at a 3rd party providerâs data center facility.
- Self Service Hosting â Self hosting is a form of running your own website or application by setting up a server and network yourself.
- Cluster Hosting â A cluster hosting is a host that is configured to take over the role of another host server within a cluster.
Alternatives - Web Hosting Providers
If you want to explore more web hosting plans, here is some web hosting services provider companies as below:
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Read More : You can explore here 30+ Best Web Hosting and Domain name Providers 2023
Video - Best Web Hosting For Small Business
Affordable Website Hosting for your domainIf you found this article helpful, we encourage you to share it on your social media platformsâbecause sharing is caring! For more information about article submissions on our website, feel free to reach out to us via email.
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Written by RGB Web Tech
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Latest technology trends shaping the future, including AI advancements, blockchain innovation, 5G connectivity, IoT integration, and sustainable tech solutions. Explore breakthroughs in quantum computing, cybersecurity, augmented reality, and edge computing. Stay ahead with insights into transformative technologies driving innovation across industries and revolutionizing how we live, work, and connect.
What is VPS Hosting? - Virtual Private Server
Last updated on January 19, 2025 by RGB Web Tech
A VPS ( Virtual Private Server ) is a virtual machine sold as a service by an Internet hosting service. The virtual dedicated server (VDS) also has a similar meaning.
A virtual private server runs its own copy of an operating system (OS), and customers may have superuser-level access to that operating system instance, so they can install almost any software that runs on that OS. For many purposes it is functionally equivalent to a dedicated physical server and, being software-defined, can be created and configured much more easily. A virtual server costs much less than an equivalent physical server. However, as virtual servers share the underlying physical hardware with other VPSes, performance may be lower, depending on the workload of any other executing virtual machines.
How does VPS work?
If youâre familiar with VMware or Virtualbox, youâll be familiar with how VPS hosting works. These programs let you run what are known as virtualized operating systems from one machine. For example, your computer might be running OS X, but you could run different systems such as Linux or Windows XP without having to reconfigure or restart your computer.
VPS web hosting environments work in the same way as a virtualized operating system in the sense that one server will run numerous, one of a kind virtualized OSâs on a single server -since each virtualized system behaves as though it is a dedicated server. Virtualization is possible through a hypervisor. A hypervisor is computer hardware, software or firmware that creates and runs virtual machines (VM) by separating the underlying physical hardware from a computerâs operating system and applications. The computer system on which the hypervisor runs is known as a host machine, and each VM is called a guest machine.
The hypervisor provides each guest machine (each website using the VPS) with a virtual operating system and takes care of managing and executing guest operating systems. This process makes the most effective use of computer resources such as network bandwidth, memory space and processor cycles. For this reason, a hypervisor also goes by the name of a virtual machine monitor (VMM).
VPS hosting relies on a hypervisor to take resources from the physical server and provide each website with access to an emulated server (the VM). These physical servers are often held in a data center and divided equally between several virtual compartments (known as server virtualization). Each compartment is rented out, and server software is set-up on them separately so that each unit is capable of functioning as an independent unit. Each individual VPS is called a container, and the server each container is held within is known as a node.
With VPS, you benefit from many of the advantages of a dedicated server for a significantly lower cost. It offers more privileges within the OS and allows users to install any type of software capable of running on that OS. Each virtual serverâs software is installed separately, enabling independent functionality for all users.
Defined amounts of CPU time and memory are shared throughout all the accounts sharing the server space. So, despite the fact that there might be far bigger websites than yours on another VPS compartment powered by the same server, that doesnât matter. You are guaranteed the system resources you are paying for.
VPS is a step up for most users, but you'll also benefit by knowing a bit more about the technology. When your website is stored on a VPS, you are solely responsible for setting up, maintaining and running the server yourself. Handling an internet server is not an easy task! It involves taking care of security patches, server configuration, software updates, and so on. Unless you have the degree of technical skills required, it is going to tricky, and for this reason, there are two versions of VPS hosting â managed VPS and unmanaged VPS.
There are different types of VPS Hosting
Unmanaged VPS
With unmanaged VPS, your web hosting takes over installing the operating system, and you as the site owner take over managing various aspects of the server such as:
- Installing software, your control panel and taking care of software updates.
- Monitoring for security threats, installing security patches and fixing error messages.
- In the event of an outage or hardware failure you wonât get much if any support from your host.
- Configuring and maintaining your server including any upgrades you might want to see.
- You take over the responsibility of setting up your sites backup services.
This is recommended for site owners who have a technical background.
Managed VPS
Site owners with less technical acumen or a smaller staff can benefit from managed VPS. With managed VPS hosting, IT professionals lighten your load by keeping your server running correctly and taking care of your virtual server. Hereâs what you should expect from a web hosting provider:
- Initial server setup : When you launch your site with a VPS there are a few steps to take in order to set the server up including installing your control panel, server software and installing any applications and your operating system. A managed host will take care of this.
- Updates : Similarly, all applications and OS updates, and ongoing fine tuning of the server will be handled for you.
- Security Patches : Security patches for your OS and core server software are installed and updated, on your behalf.
- Monitoring : Monitors for early warning signs of hardware failure and malicious attack.
- Automated Backups : In the event anything goes wrong with your site, you can retrieve it back to an earlier version.
Check with your VPS hosting provider to see what levels of management they offer. Some have greater flexibility, like Namecheap; we offer Self-Managed, Managed, Fully Managed and Emergency Assistance.
The tradeoffs between managed and unmanaged hosting are cost vs flexibility. While unmanaged services are, naturally, far cheaper than managed plans, thereâs a snag - you need to have the tech know-how to run and maintain a server, or be prepared to hire someone to keep it running smoothly and safe from potential attacks.
What are the benefits of VPS Hosting?
The main merits of VPS servers is that they give you the freedom of having your own virtual machine just like you would from a more expensive, dedicated server with performance that can allow you to handle moderate traffic with the occasional heavy spike.
- Customization : Since you have your own OS, with a VPS, you can customize it to your needs. For example, if you have your own instances of server applications from PHP, to MySQL, or Apache, you can customize them so that the server fits your needs.
- Control : Offers the ability to oversee a hosting environment. Also, if you plan to install applications that need you to perform a system restart to finalize the installation, you can do this without affecting anyone else, at any time. Even though you share a VPS server with others, yours can be restarted without disrupting others.
- Cheaper : More affordable than a dedicated server.
- Dedicated resources : With a VPS Server, you have a predefined amount of RAM available to you whenever you need it. In contrast to shared web hosting, where there could be others sharing your server that could eat up the RAM when you want it most!
- Scalable : Another great thing about VPS is that you can purchase the resources you think you will need, and if thatâs insufficient, you can simply increase its size.
Virtual Private Server Pros and Cons
VPS hosting can be an ideal solution for you if thatâs the service you really need. Below, you can read the pros and cons of running a virtual private server.
Pros
- Itâs faster and more reliable than a shared hosting server.
- As server resources such as memory or processing power are guaranteed, thereâs zero to minimal fluctuation in available resources.
- Issues and traffic surges of other server users donât affect your site.
- You get superuser (root) access to your server.
- You have better privacy, as your files and databases are locked from other server users.
- Itâs an easy-to-scale service. As your website grows, you can easily upgrade your server resources (RAM, CPU, disk space, bandwidth, etc.).
Cons
- Itâs more expensive than shared hosting.
- It requires more technical knowledge to setup your VPS, though there are a lot of tutorials available online.
- Server management is more technically demanding than shared or cloud plans.
- Improperly configured servers may lead to security vulnerabilities.
Do I need VPS hosting?
There are use cases for every type of hosting, so who exactly is VPS hosting for? You should consider VPS hosting if:
- Your business is expanding beyond the constraints of shared hosting.
- You are expecting a substantial increase in site traffic within the next few months. For example, your site is geared toward a new marketing effort or promotional campaign, or if youâre expanding into other markets.
- You might have enough bandwidth to handle a single website, but two, three? If you plan on hosting several websites in the near future youâre going to need more resources. Similarly, if your current shared hosting account is eating through the resources and your host is asking you to consider upgrading, itâs time to consider VPS.
- Your website needs better privacy and performance compared to whatâs available with shared hosting.
- You want full control over the server, things like custom configurations, root access and installations unavailable with shared hosting.
Conclusion
VPS style hosting is the best way to keep up the success of any site going through rapid growth and expansion. Itâs the next best plan that can afford some form of scalability. With VPS, not only will you enjoy a tremendous amount of storage and bandwidth (thatâs entirely yours), itâs a cost effective solution to meeting the demands of a busy site. Of course weâve mentioned dedicated hosting, which for most will be a vast amount of resources you may not need, and youâll pay significantly more for it.
When deciding between the type of VPS, consider how hands on you want to be, or whether you are able to employ someone else to do the heavy lifting for you. If you like the sound of running your own server, go for unmanaged VPS, if on the other hand youâd like some help with server maintenance, automated backups and software updates, opt for the managed version. When it comes to choosing a VPS host.
Namecheap has the most optimized VPS hosting plans, we provide three types of VPS management: self-managed, managed (which includes root access) where we provide assistance with the additional configuration of core services to meet the specific requirements of each site. We can also help to optimize the server performance. We offer constant monitoring of all services on the server to prevent any of them from being down, and the ability to take immediate actions to resolve the issue in the case sudden downtime occurs. Our fully managed service plans (when root access is granted to Namecheap) includes all the features of the managed option including extras such as priority support and weekly backups.
List of VPS (Virtual Private Server) Service Providers:
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Read More : You can explore here 30+ Best Web Hosting Providers 2023
Video - Best Web Hosting For Small Business
Affordable Website Hosting for your domainIf you found this article helpful, we encourage you to share it on your social media platformsâbecause sharing is caring! For more information about article submissions on our website, feel free to reach out to us via email.
Send an emailWritten by RGB Web Tech
Latest Technology Trends
Latest technology trends shaping the future, including AI advancements, blockchain innovation, 5G connectivity, IoT integration, and sustainable tech solutions. Explore breakthroughs in quantum computing, cybersecurity, augmented reality, and edge computing. Stay ahead with insights into transformative technologies driving innovation across industries and revolutionizing how we live, work, and connect.
17 Best FREE Web Hosting Services
Last updated on January 19, 2025 by RGB Web Tech
Is free website hosting any good? Well, âfreeâ is always good but not always worth it in the long run. Let me explain:
In short, if you want to run a test website, youâre not expecting to get much from it, and you donât want to invest any money into it at all, then free website hosting might indeed work for you!
In 95% of other cases, youâre going to be better off with a cheap website hosting plan like Bluehot, Hostinger etc. no more expensive than $2.75 or even $1.99 per month (small businesses or online stores often choose something in this price range).
If youâre in a hurry, hereâs a summary of our findings based on the analysis below:
Free website hosting is okay for a hobby project or a proof-of-concept type of project. Itâs okay if you want to run a site for a short while, get your data and then shut it off.
For any sort of serious website building project or a site thatâs meant to stay online for a long while, youâre better off with an affordable web hosting plan or even a pick from the very best web hosting services out there.
For example, Bluehost is our recommended self-hosted website server. If you check them out through our link, youâll unlock a special discounted price of $2.75 / mo vs the $3.75 standard entry-level price. You also get a free domain name bundled in.
Alternatively, you might opt for an all-in-one solution. For example, Wix is a good choice for a quick start, covering both hosting and website builder in one place. Although there is a free plan, you can try any premium plan offering 14 days of money-back.
Want to get the full story? We compared 17 best free website hosting options to help you make your decision.
The limitations of free website hosting
In life, you tend to get what you pay for, and web hosting is no exception. If you choose the free hosting route, be prepared for some common issues that come along with it.
Even the best free hosting tends to be fairly unstable, which can result in downtime. Also, providers typically place restrictions on storage space and bandwidth, limiting your siteâs growth and traffic capacity. Your personal website or business website may also have slow performance.
That said, there are times you may want to consider free hosting. For a personal project, it may be all you need. The same is true if youâre practicing your web design and web development skills and just want a space to try out new ideas.
Perhaps youâre setting up an area to test new plugins or themes. In that case, the limitations of free hosting shouldnât be a barrier to what you want to accomplish. Of course, if you simply need a staging site, you may want to use a local development tool, such as Local, and not worry about hosting at all.
However, if you need a live site and donât want to deal with the drawbacks of free web hosting, there are some affordable alternatives to consider. A cheap host can help you keep your budget low while avoiding poor site availability.
17 Best FREE Website Hosting Services
The good news is that you can test drive free website hosting at no cost to see if it might work for you. If youâve decided to give it a try, here are 17 options to consider.
1. InfinityFree
InfinityFree is a free web hosting service that boasts a 99.9% uptime guarantee. It offers users:
- An auto-installer with more than 400 different apps, including WordPress
- Free subdomains
- 5 GB disk space
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 400 MySQL databases
- Knowledge base support
Youâll also have access to the Softaculous Script Installer to set up WordPress. This hosting service provider doesnât offer domain registration, but you can use one youâve acquired from another registrar.
Once your website is published, your visitors wonât see ads. However, there will be ads in cPanel on the back end. Your site is also limited to 50,000 hits per day.
2. Wix
Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder â similar to tools like Weebly or Squarespace; and yup, you donât need to be familiar with PHP, like you do with other solutions (e.g. â Joomla).
However, weâre featuring Wix on this list because itâs kind of an all-in-one solution for both a website platform and server space to host that website. Since Wix does come with a free plan, this makes it a free website hosting service as well. This free website builder is a unique way to enjoy awesome site-building features backed by enterprise-grade reliability. On that free plan, you get:
- Wix.com subdomain
- Beautiful templates
- 500 MB disk space
- 500 MB bandwidth
- Global content delivery network
- Free SSL and security monitoring
- Knowledge base and customer support
- Decent load times
Unfortunately, if youâre expecting no ads, you will be disappointed. Just like most of the free web hosting providers, Wix places their own ads on free plan sites. You can only connect a Wix subdomain and would have to move to a paid plan for connecting a custom domain.
The eCommerce functionality is also unavailable in the free version. However, you can still set up things like bookings, events, and forums, and fill in your site with SEO-friendly content with just a few clicks.
3. ByetHost
ByetHost is another free hosting service that you could use. Its plan features:
- Five subdomains
- 1 GB disk space
- 50 GB monthly transfers
- One MySQL database
- 24/7 support via ticket system and knowledge base
ByetHost offers solid support for its free plan, which can be rare. You can access a self-service knowledge base and video tutorials, but a ticketing system is also available.
In addition, youâll receive usage statistics such as disk space, bandwidth usage, and daily hits. You can find this data in VistaPanel, which is ByetHostâs free hosting control panel. Then, you can use the information to help budget your resources.
4. 000WebHost
000WebHost is a free hosting option from Hostinger. Some of its features include:
- One website
- 300 MB disk space
- 3 GB of bandwidth
- One MySQL database
- Community forum
000WebHost comes with the Zyro website builder, which should make designing your site less intimidating. Like InfinityFree, visitors to your website wonât see ads, but there will be ads in your WordPress dashboard.
Free hosting from 000WebHost doesnât even require a credit card to set up, and you can use it as long as you like. Also, if you outgrow your free plan, you can easily upgrade to a cheap plan from Hostinger. Hostinger plans start at $1.99 / month for your first billing cycle.
5. Google Cloud Hosting
Google Cloud Hosting isnât technically free. However, it does offer a one-year free trial that includes:
- One website
- Unlimited storage
- Extensive support documentation
While Google Cloud Hosting is tailored towards large businesses, anyone can use it. To get started, all you need is a Google account.
The free trial lasts for 12 months, or until youâve used up the $300 credit it includes. After this, you only pay for the resources you use. Google offers a price calculator to help you estimate your costs.
6. AwardSpace
AwardSpace offers a variety of hosting services. Itâs best known for its free plan, which includes:
- One website
- Three subdomains
- 1 GB disk space
- 5 GB bandwidth
- MySQL database
- 24/7 live chat
Awardspace includes one-click content management system (CMS) installation as well as the Zacky website builder. Also, the 24/7 live chat is available to free plan users if you have questions.
Once launched, your own website will be ad-free. Plus, you can place ads to monetize it. AwardSpace provides you with the ability to monitor your bandwidth usage as well, which may help you budget your resources.
7. Freehostia
Freehostia offers paid and free hosting. The free plan, called âChocolateâ, provides:
- Five websites
- 250 MB disk space
- 6 GB bandwidth
- One MySQL database
- FAQ and ticket support system
Freehostiaâs cluster platform aims to offer more reliability from its free hosting. Hopefully, this results in less downtime for your website.
Youâll have access to a website builder complete with templates. If you run into issues, you can have an answer to your support ticket in one hour, even with the free plan.
8. FreeWebHostingArea
FreeWebHostingArea is a volunteer-maintained free hosting service. It offers:
- 1.5 GB disk space
- Unmetered traffic
- MySQL databases
- Free email support
9. W3Schools Spaces
W3Schools Spaces features of the free plan:
- Free templates
- Allow 500 requests/month
- Allow 100MB data and storage/month
- Free SSL
10. Glitch
Glitch features of the free plan:
- Provide 4000 requests/hour
- The server processes 512MN of RAM
- Storage capacity 512MB
- Unlimited static sites
- Support import/export Github function.
11. Fleek
Fleek features of the free plan:
- Support to edit domains
- Provide services https
- 3GB of storage
- Unlimited websites
- Automatically deploy on Git
- 250 minutes to build and 50GB of bandwidth
- Free SSL
12. Netlify
Netlify features of the free plan:
- Automatically built from Git
- Deployed on the global edge network
- Bandwidth: 100GB/Month
- Number of websites: Unlimited
- Restorable to any version
- Provides a free CLI.
13. Render
Render features of the free plan:
- 100GB/month for bandwidth and storage
- Lightning-fast CDN
- Can custom domain with full SSL functionality
- Automatically deploy on Git
14. Surge
Surge features of the free plan:
- Provides 404.html page functionality
- Unlimited websites and APIs
- Can custom domain
- Easy to deploy via CLI
- Unlimited websites.
15. Vercel
Vercel features of the free plan:
- Improve website performance with Edge Network
- Unlimited websites and APIs
- Can custom domain with full SSL functionality
- Provides Serverless Functions
- 100GB bandwidth/month
- Automatically optimize images (1000 images for the free version)
16. Firebase
Firebase features of the free plan:
- 10 GB of storage
- 360MB Bandwidth/day
- You can edit your websiteâs domain name
- Allows multiple pages to be added to the same project
- SSL support.
17. HyperPHP
HyperPHP is a free hosting and domain service for personal websites. Its plan offers:
- 1 GB disk space
- Free subdomains
- MySQL database
- Free tech support and community forums
HyperPHP offers a few ways to make launching a new website easy. Firstly, a free domain transfer is available. This host also offers an automatic script installer, which you can access through VistaPanel.
FAQs - Free Web Hosting
1. Is free web hosting reliable?
Answer : No, free web hosting isnât reliable. Most free web hosting has absurdly limited resources and youâre also likely to run into multiple issues. This includes poor performance, complicated interface, compromised security, and ads on your website. Not to mention questionable terms of service.
2. Can I get free hosting and a domain?
Answer : Free hosting and domain is rarely possible, none of the providers here has such a deal. However, many hosts offer free subdomain hosting. You can choose a desired name for your site, but it will look something like this: desiredname.freehosting.com.
3. Can I use free hosting for selling online?
Answer : Yes, as long as you can host WordPress and install WooCommerce on your paid plan, it's possible to sell online using free hosting. Yet, itâs extremely likely to cause many problems and potentially ruin the seller/buyer relationship. If your online store is always down or very slow, the buyers will simply go to more professional sites.
4. Can I host my own website?
Answer : Yes, you can host your own website if you have the tech skills and 100% uninterrupted network. It will require significant skills, technical know-how, resources, and time among other things. Plus, many Internet service providers also forbid personal hosting.
5. Does it matter where you host your website?
Answer : Yes. With a bad hosting provider, your website may be plagued with slow loading times, a lack of proper security, and extensive downtime. Itâs really important to choose a web host with a discerning eye.
Conclusion
While your free web hosting platform might not be perfect, it can be a viable option in some scenarios. However, finding a quality provider that delivers on its promises is no easy task.
In this article, we shared our opinions on the 17 best free website hosting options available. You have nothing to lose by giving one a try. Our top pick in the category of best free web hosting is AwardSpace for its 24/7 live chat support and easy WordPress installation.
However, for any type of serious project, we recommend using at least a cheap paid shared hosting service. In our collection of cheap web hosting sites, youâll find services that cost just a few dollars per month.
As we mentioned earlier in this post, you can get quality, affordable website hosting like Bluehot, Hostinger etc. for $2.75 or even $1.99 per month
Recommendation - Paid Web Hosting Service Providers
If you are looking for safe and secure website hosting, we recommend to use paid web hosting services.
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Read More : You can explore here 30+ Best Web Hosting Providers 2023
Video - Best Web Hosting For Small Business
Affordable Website Hosting for your domainIf you found this article helpful, we encourage you to share it on your social media platformsâbecause sharing is caring! For more information about article submissions on our website, feel free to reach out to us via email.
Send an emailWritten by RGB Web Tech
Latest Technology Trends
Latest technology trends shaping the future, including AI advancements, blockchain innovation, 5G connectivity, IoT integration, and sustainable tech solutions. Explore breakthroughs in quantum computing, cybersecurity, augmented reality, and edge computing. Stay ahead with insights into transformative technologies driving innovation across industries and revolutionizing how we live, work, and connect.