There are many web site server providers that offer both paid and free web site hosting. Though both the way the user can display his contents on the World Wide Web but there is a difference between the two and the choice which to choose depends on application to application.
Free web site hosting providers display your contents free of cost by giving the users some server space. The new users can try the free web site hosting plan to get familiar with the display of contents and the functioning of the web servers.
On the other hand the paid web site hosting plans require money and in return provide with server space bundled with host of other services. The paid web site hosting plan works best with professionals who are well acquainted with the system and functioning.
Paid web site hosting providers are benefited by the rent they get for renting out their server space. Whereas free web site hosting works by making money by providing the users website with their ads and banners.
Sometimes the free web site providers give their web space without any advertisements but they provide very slow servers that normally do not respond well. This is done to lure the user and switch to their paid web hosting plans with some discount or freebies.
The advantages for using a free web site hosting provider are, first they are free of cost and the user has no loss to incur and can manage with his basic needs of displaying his content on the world wide web without paying for the features he never plan to use.
Second, normally the web site hosting support team is very decent and answers the users queries with simple explanation and in a short time frame as the companies themselves are aware of the fact that maximum utilization of the free web hosting plan is done by newbies. They are also providing help with the web pages and try to make the users acquainted with the other features, which they gradually make paid.
Third advantage for the free web site hosting plan is that the providers are providing with interface to upload the files, though there may be some restriction for the file size or number of files uploaded at a time, but the user need not download or buy a FTP client.
Fourth advantage for the free web site hosting plan for the beginners is that they need not pay for the small space they are using on the server, and if at all they need more space they can pay some small amount and increase their cyber space.
Though there are a lot of advantages to free web site hosting plans but there is lot on the other side of the coin too.
The disadvantages with the free web site hosting plans are forced ads and banners that no professional will want on his web site. Where as in paid web site hosting there are no ads or banners, all the contents are of the buyer, so can be arranged as suitable.
Second, the domain name always start with the free web site hosting service provider name followed by the users name, which may not be acceptable to professionals. Whereas in the case of paid service provider there is a registered domain name that can be anything unique required by the service buyer.
Third there is a limited space provided in the free plan whereas in the paid plan there is ample space and some paid web hosting providers also provide rental plans according to the cyber space provided.
Fourth, the free plans does not provide with extra features and do not look well after their servers to reduce the down time. Whereas in paid plans the service providers give a host of extra features such as email, scripts support, PHP, MySQL etc. also these provider look well after their servers to keep the downtime to a minimum and provide security for the contents.
Other drawback for free plan is the slow speed and low bandwidth, where as in paid servers speed is more and bandwidth is also sufficient.
