Does GoDaddy Host Websites for Free? Here’s the Real Answer

Many people ask: Does GoDaddy host websites for free? The short answer is no - not really. GoDaddy doesn’t offer a true free hosting plan like some other providers do. If you see ads claiming GoDaddy has free hosting, they’re usually tricking you into signing up for a paid plan with a free trial or a free domain name, not actual web hosting.

What GoDaddy Actually Offers Instead

GoDaddy’s cheapest plan starts at $2.99 per month for the first year (then jumps to $10.99). That’s their Economy plan, which includes basic hosting for one website. But here’s the catch: you still have to pay for the hosting. Even if you get a free domain for the first year, you’re still paying for the hosting space, bandwidth, and server resources.

There’s no hidden free tier. No free subdomain like “yoursite.geocities.com” or “yoursite.000webhostapp.com”. No free storage, no free email, no free SSL certificate unless you upgrade. GoDaddy doesn’t give away hosting like some competitors do. They make money by selling hosting plans - not by giving them away.

Why Free Hosting Doesn’t Really Exist (Even When It Seems Like It Does)

Let’s be clear: free hosting isn’t magic. Someone has to pay for servers, electricity, tech support, and security. If a company says “free hosting,” they’re either:

• Using ads to fund the service (like 000webhost or InfinityFree)
• Offering a time-limited trial (like GoDaddy’s 30-day trial)
• Upselling you to a paid plan after the “free” period
• Providing a free domain only - not hosting

GoDaddy falls into the third category. You might see a banner saying “Get a free domain when you sign up for hosting.” That’s not free hosting. That’s a free domain with paid hosting. Big difference.

What You Get When You Pay for GoDaddy Hosting

If you pay, here’s what you actually get:

• One-click WordPress install - handy if you’re building a blog or small business site
• Free SSL certificate - required for HTTPS, and GoDaddy includes it on all plans
• 24/7 customer support - phone, chat, and email help available
• Website builder - drag-and-drop editor with templates
• Unlimited bandwidth on higher plans - good for growing sites
• Free email accounts - like [email protected]

These are real features. But none of them come for free. You have to pay to unlock them.

Who Should Avoid GoDaddy for Free Hosting

If you’re just testing a website idea, learning to code, or running a personal blog with low traffic - GoDaddy isn’t the right choice. You’ll be paying $3-$10 a month for something you could get for free elsewhere.

Try these instead if you want real free hosting:

• 000webhost - free plan with 300MB storage, no ads
• InfinityFree - unlimited bandwidth, free subdomain
• GitHub Pages - perfect for static sites (HTML/CSS/JS), free and reliable
• Netlify - great for modern websites, free tier includes custom domains

These services are slow, limited, or not for high-traffic sites - but they’re free. And if you’re starting out, that’s often enough.

What Happens If You Try to Use GoDaddy for Free

Some people think they can sign up for GoDaddy’s “free trial” and just never pay. That doesn’t work. GoDaddy requires a credit card to start the trial. If you don’t cancel before the trial ends, they charge you automatically - no warning, no grace period.

One user in Dublin reported being charged €130 after forgetting to cancel a 30-day trial. They didn’t even use the site. GoDaddy’s billing system is aggressive. It’s designed to convert trial users into paying customers - not to give them free access.

Free Domain ≠ Free Hosting

This is the biggest confusion. GoDaddy often promotes “free domain for one year” with hosting. But the domain and hosting are two different things.

• A domain is your website address: yoursite.com
• Hosting is the server space where your website files live

You can have a domain without hosting (like buying a street address but not building a house). You can have hosting without a domain (using a subdomain like yoursite.godaddy.com - which looks unprofessional).

GoDaddy gives you the address for free - but you still have to rent the building.

Alternatives That Actually Offer Free Hosting

Here’s a quick comparison of real free options:

None of these are perfect, but they’re real free options. GoDaddy doesn’t appear on this list because they don’t offer a free plan at all.

When GoDaddy Might Be Worth the Cost

There are times when paying for GoDaddy makes sense:

• You need phone support and don’t want to figure things out alone
• You’re launching a small business and want a professional email address
• You’re not tech-savvy and need a drag-and-drop builder
• You’re buying a domain and want to host it in one place

If you’re serious about your website and want reliability, GoDaddy delivers. But again - you pay for it.

Final Verdict

GoDaddy does not host websites for free. Ever. Not now. Not in 2026. Not ever. If you want free hosting, go to a provider that actually offers it - not one that tricks you with free domains and trial periods.

Free hosting exists. But GoDaddy isn’t it.