The best free domain alternatives to Awardspace's subdomains. Learn about Awardspace’s history, why it’s popular, and explore the major challenges of using its free subdomains. Find out how to choose the best free or cheap hosting options and explore top alternatives to kickstart your blogging journey.
Awardspace Free Domain Alternative: Exploring the Best Deals
Pre-History of Awardspace
Awardspace, founded in 2003, has established itself as a significant player in the free web hosting industry. As an early adopter of providing free hosting services, Awardspace catered to a burgeoning market of individuals and small businesses seeking to establish an online presence without the initial financial outlay. This foresight helped them build a strong reputation in the hosting sector.
Popularity and Growth of Awardspace
Awardspace’s strategy of offering free hosting services played a crucial role in its popularity. By providing users with a no-cost option to create and host websites, Awardspace attracted a large user base. Their free plan includes a subdomain, which serves as a starting point for many users. This approach allowed Awardspace to gain visibility and trust, as users could test their services before potentially upgrading to paid plans.
Major Clients and Their Use of Awardspace
Awardspace’s free hosting services appeal to a diverse range of clients. Individuals, small startups, and hobbyists commonly utilize the free subdomains to create personal blogs, portfolio sites, and small business pages. Notable users include amateur bloggers, freelancers, and small-scale entrepreneurs who benefit from the initial cost savings while exploring online opportunities.
Why Seek the Best Free Domain Alternative to Awardspace?
While Awardspace offers a valuable free hosting solution, there are several reasons to explore alternative options, particularly regarding free subdomains:
1. SEO Challenges with Subdomains
Google’s ranking algorithms tend to treat subdomains separately from the main domain, which can dilute SEO efforts. Here are some challenges associated with using free subdomains from Awardspace:
- Limited Control Over Branding: Subdomains often appear less professional compared to custom domains, which can impact brand perception.
- SEO Implications: Subdomains may not pass the same level of authority as a primary domain, potentially affecting search engine rankings.
2. Lack of Customization and Flexibility
Free subdomains come with inherent limitations, such as:
- Limited Customization: Users may have fewer options for customizing their website compared to using a custom domain.
- Reduced Functionality: Some features and integrations may be restricted or unavailable.
3. Potential for Service Restrictions
Free hosting services, including Awardspace’s free plan, can have restrictions that impact website performance and growth:
- Bandwidth Limitations: Free plans often come with lower bandwidth and storage limits, which can affect site speed and reliability.
- Ads and Branding: Some free hosting providers display ads or branding, which can detract from the user experience and professional appearance.
How to Choose the Best Free Domain or Hosting Alternative
When seeking alternatives to Awardspace’s free subdomains, consider the following options and factors:
1. Free Domain Providers
- Freenom: Offers free domains with extensions like .tk, .ml, .ga, .cf, and .gq. It’s a popular choice for those seeking a no-cost domain.
- Dot.tk: Specifically provides free .tk domains, ideal for short-term or experimental projects.
2. Free Hosting Providers
Explore these top free hosting alternatives:
- 000webhost: Offers free hosting with PHP, MySQL, and no ads. However, it has some limitations in terms of bandwidth and storage.
- InfinityFree: Provides free hosting with unlimited bandwidth and storage but may have limitations on server resources.
- ByetHost: Offers free hosting with PHP, MySQL, and no forced ads, though it comes with some restrictions.
- Awardspace (Free Plan): As mentioned, provides free hosting with subdomains, suitable for beginners.
- Freehostia: Provides free hosting with 250 MB of storage and 6 GB of monthly bandwidth, suitable for small sites.
Comparing Free Hosting vs. Paid Hosting
Free Hosting vs. Paid Hosting:
Awardspace Free Domain Extension:
Awardspace offers several subdomain extensions as part of their free hosting plan. These extensions allow users to create a website with a subdomain under Awardspace's main domain. As of the latest information available, the subdomain extensions provided by Awardspace are:
- .awardspace.com
- .webspace.com
- .website
These extensions are typically used by users who opt for Awardspace's free hosting service and want to build their website without purchasing a custom domain. While these free subdomains can be a great starting point, upgrading to a custom domain can offer more professional branding and potentially better SEO benefits.
To help you make an informed decision about free hosting options, let’s compare Wix, Awardspace, InfinityFree, and 000webhost based on their free plans. The comparison chart below highlights key features, limitations, and differences among these popular hosting providers.
Comparison Chart: Wix vs. Awardspace vs. InfinityFree vs. 000webhost
Feature | Wix (Free Plan) | Awardspace (Free Plan) | InfinityFree (Free Plan) | 000webhost (Free Plan) |
---|
Domain/Subdomain | Subdomain: username.wixsite.com/sitename | Subdomain: username.awardspace.com | Subdomain: username.epizy.com | Subdomain: username.000webhostapp.com |
Storage | 500 MB | 1 GB | 5 GB | 300 MB |
Bandwidth | 500 MB/month | 5 GB/month | Unlimited | 1 GB/month |
Ads | Displays Wix branding and ads | No ads | No ads | Displays ads |
Website Builder | Wix's drag-and-drop builder | Basic website builder | Limited site builder | Basic website builder |
SSL Certificate | Free SSL certificate provided | Free SSL certificate provided | Free SSL certificate provided | Free SSL certificate provided |
Email Accounts | No free email accounts | No free email accounts | No free email accounts | No free email accounts |
FTP Access | No FTP access | Limited FTP access | Full FTP access | Full FTP access |
Database | Not available | MySQL | MySQL | MySQL |
Support | Basic support and help center | Basic support through help center | Community forums and ticket support | Community forums and ticket support |
E-commerce Features | Not available on free plan | Not available on free plan | Not available on free plan | Not available on free plan |
Performance | Limited performance due to free plan | Basic performance suitable for small sites | Generally good performance | Performance can be limited |
Upgrade Options | Upgrades to paid plans with more features | Upgrades to paid plans for more features | Upgrades to paid plans for more features | Upgrades to paid plans for more features |
Key Points of Comparison:
Domain/Subdomain:
- Wix: Offers a branded subdomain (
username.wixsite.com/sitename
), which includes Wix’s branding and does not allow a custom domain on the free plan. - Awardspace: Provides a subdomain (
username.awardspace.com
) which is less branded but still part of their main domain. - InfinityFree: Offers a subdomain (
username.epizy.com
) with no ads, but it is hosted under a generic domain. - 000webhost: Provides a subdomain (
username.000webhostapp.com
) that includes ads and is less professional compared to custom domains.
Storage and Bandwidth:
- Wix: Limited to 500 MB storage and bandwidth, which may be restrictive for larger sites.
- Awardspace: Offers 1 GB of storage and 5 GB of bandwidth, which is modest but sufficient for small websites.
- InfinityFree: Provides 5 GB of storage with unlimited bandwidth, giving more flexibility in terms of content.
- 000webhost: Offers 300 MB of storage and 1 GB of bandwidth, which may be limiting for more extensive sites.
Ads:
- Wix: Displays Wix branding and ads, which can affect site professionalism.
- Awardspace: Does not display ads, making it a cleaner option for a free plan.
- InfinityFree: Does not display ads, providing a more professional appearance.
- 000webhost: Displays ads on the free plan, which can detract from the site’s appearance.
Website Builder:
- Wix: Known for its powerful drag-and-drop builder, but only available on the paid plan.
- Awardspace: Offers a basic website builder that is functional but limited in features.
- InfinityFree: Provides a limited site builder; users may need to use external tools for advanced features.
- 000webhost: Includes a basic site builder with limited capabilities.
Support:
- Wix: Provides basic support and access to a help center.
- Awardspace: Offers basic support through their help center.
- InfinityFree: Community forums and ticket support are available.
- 000webhost: Provides support through community forums and ticket-based help.
When choosing among these free hosting options, consider the following:
- Wix is best for users who want a simple drag-and-drop website builder but don’t mind Wix branding and have limited storage/bandwidth.
- Awardspace offers a no-ads subdomain and a decent amount of storage and bandwidth for small projects.
- InfinityFree provides more storage and bandwidth with no ads, making it a good choice for users needing more flexibility.
- 000webhost offers the least amount of storage and bandwidth and displays ads, but it does provide full FTP access and a basic website builder.
While Awardspace’s free subdomains offer a valuable starting point for many users, exploring alternatives for free domains and hosting can provide better flexibility, professional appearance, and SEO benefits.
Services like Freenom for free domains and various other hosting providers can offer more control and fewer restrictions. Additionally, transitioning to paid hosting services can offer superior performance and support as your online presence grows.
To delve deeper into choosing the best free or cheap hosting options, and to explore additional resources on domain alternatives, visit EarlyBazar.com.
This site offers extensive information on selecting the right domain and hosting solutions for your needs, providing insights into both free and cost-effective paid options.