Drupal is a content management system (CMS) for creating websites and web applications. Free Drupal hosting providers allow users to host their Drupal websites for free. This is useful for individuals and businesses who cannot pay for hosting services. Note that free hosting has limitations and may not be as reliable or secure as paid hosting. For this reason, it is better to use paid plans with free trials or money-back guarantees.
The providers here allow you to use their hosting services for your Drupal hosting. However, you may have to create a paid plan at some point.
Here Are the Top 5 Free Drupal Hosting Providers
- Kamatera – Best Free Drupal Hosting Overall
- Hostinger – Best Free Drupal Hosting For Sign-Up Discount
- Ultahost – Best Free Drupal Hosting For Free Control Panels
- IONOS – Best Free Drupal Hosting For Managed Drupal Hosting
The Best Free Drupal Hosting Services of 2024 (Bought and Tested):
Kamatera is one of the most reliable web hosting providers. The web host offers cloud hosting infrastructure situated in 18 global data centers. It offers VPS and dedicated servers that cater to a wide range of needs. These plans are affordable and can be billed hourly or monthly. Kamatera is number one on our list because it offers a 30-day free trial. You can use its hosting infrastructure for your Drupal website for 30 days without paying a dime.
- Overall score – 5
- Pricing – 5
- Features – 5
- Performance – 5
- Support- 5
- User-Friendly- 5
Pricing: With the 30-day free plan, you get 1 cloud server valued at up to $100. You can configure the server to your choice as long as the components do not cost more than $100. You get 1 TB each of cloud block storage and outgoing Internet traffic. You also get full access to all features on the cloud platform, such as the ability to scale your server up or down.
Features: The star feature is the cloud hosting infrastructure that guarantees reliability and scalability. You also get generous hosting resources, flexible billing options, and a 10 Gbit/sec port connection. You also have the option to install any OS of your choice and choose from 18 data centers.
Support: Kamatera offers 24/7 technical support via phone, email, or chat. The web host also offers fully managed service at an extra cost of $50/mo. Regular support will be sufficient for basic web hosting. Developers and enterprises may need managed support for personalized and responsive support.
Performance: We have no issues whatsoever with Kamatera. Our testing shows a record loading time of 147 ms when pinging from New York, USA. With 18 global data centers, you will surely get a data center that will deliver impressive loading speeds to your web visitors. The web host also offers a 99.95% uptime guarantee.
User Friendly: Kamatera offers a simple management panel to all clients. Its website is easy to understand and shows all the necessary information upfront. There is no knowledge base, but the support team is always available to answer your questions. If you want more support, consider getting the fully managed service.
Additional Parameter – Affordability: At some point, the free plan will end, and you will need to buy a plan. Kamatera offers affordable pay-as-you-use plans, so you don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket. The basic configuration costs just $4/mo, and you only have to pay for the days you use the service.
Pros & Cons
- Truly free Drupal hosting for 30 days
- User-friendly management interface
- Reliable cloud hosting infrastructure
- 24/7 customer support
- Hourly or monthly billing options
- No knowledge base
Hostinger is a top-tier web hosting provider with years of experience in web hosting. The web host offers affordable plans with freebies like SSL and domain registration. It is also listed on the official Drupal website, so you have no reason to worry. We add Hostinger to this list for two reasons. First, it offers a 30-day money guarantee, which means you can use its product for free. Second, it offers up to 80%, which you can lock in by subscribing for 4 years.
- Overall score – 4.9
- Pricing – 5
- Features – 4.5
- Performance – 5
- Support- 5
- User Friendly- 5
Pricing: To enjoy the free trial (money-back guarantee), you need to sign up for a plan. The entry plan (1.99/mo) allows hosting for one website and offers 50GB SSD and 100GB bandwidth. The second plan ($2.99/mo) and the third plan ($3.99/mo) can host up to 100 websites and offers 100GB SSD storage (200GB for the third plan) and unlimited bandwidth.
Features: Hostinger Drupal hosting features free domain registration and Drupal-optimized servers. Other features include the unique hPanel, easy GIT integration, and auto installer. You also get cache boost, DDoS protection, SSL/TLS certificates, and access manager. However, Hostinger does not offer dedicated servers.
Performance: Hostinger offers good performance for both websites and web applications. We observed excellent loading speeds (180 ms – London, United Kingdom). Most of the results showed loading speeds of less than 300 ms. Choose a data center location close to your target audience to get these remarkable speeds. Hostinger also offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Support: All customers get 24/7 support via live chat and email. There is no phone support. However, the comprehensive knowledge base provides everything you need about Drupal installation and management. You can also get timely updates from the blog. Lastly, Hostinger offers video tutorials under the Hostinger Academy on YouTube.
User Friendly: Drupal hosting with Hostinger is as simple as purchasing a plan and using the one-click installation. Hostinger auto-installer will install the CMS and help you set up your hosting environment. If you are uncomfortable with the hPanel, choose other panels like cPanel or Cyberpanel.
Additional Parameter – Affordability: Hostinger allows you to get powerful Drupal hosting for just $1.99/mo. However, this discounted price is only available if you sign up for a 48-month billing cycle. The plan costs $9.99/month for the monthly billing cycle and $2.99 for the yearly billing. If you sign up for 24 months (2 years), you get to pay only $2.29/mo upon signing up.
Pros & Cons
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free domain registration
- Great for website owners and developers
- Beginner-friendly hpanel
- Globally positioned data centers
- No dedicated server
UltaHost offers a variety of hosting solutions for developers and entrepreneurs. These hosting solutions offer many control panel options and support Drupal hosting. UltaHost standout features include high-performance CPUs, NVMe drives, and unlimited bandwidth. You also get DDoS protection, daily backups, and 24/7 monitoring services. We include UltaHost because it offers free Hestia & CyberPanel control panels.
- Overall score – 4.8
- Pricing – 4.5
- Features – 4.8
- Performance – 4.8
- Support- 5
- User Friendly- 5
Pricing: You can use UltaHost Drupal hosting service for free, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. Shared hosting plans begin at $3.29/mo for the entry plan and go up to $12.99/mo for the advanced plan. These plans offer free backups, free domain transfers, free SSL, and 30-day money-back. The VPS plans begin at $5.50/mo.
Features: Shared hosting plans offer unlimited bandwidth, cPanel, 9.99% uptime, and daily backups. You also get website security, NVME SSD storage, and free migration. You get staging environments, SSH, and SFTP Access on the VPS plans. You can also install various control panels like BrainyCP, Plesk Panel, and VestaCP.
Performance: UltaHost’s performance features include SSD disks, a built-in cache, and an optimized stack. Actual testing showed average server loading speeds, which can be understandable for shared hosting. If you want fast performance, you can choose VPS or dedicated servers. UltaHost also promises 99.99% network uptime.
Support: All customers get 24/7 support via email, phone, live chat, and ticket system. You can also connect with the online community for insights into Drupal Hosting. If you need personalized support, you can opt for a support add-on. These add-ons mean the web host engineers will work as an extension of your in-house team.
User Friendly: UltaHost offers a streamlined installation process for Drupal CMS. You can check its online guides if you are unfamiliar with the process. The support team is always constantly eager to assist you with all aspects of setting up and optimizing your hosting environment.
Additional Parameter – Free Control Panels: UltaHost charges for Plesk and cPanel on its VPS plans. However, it offers Hestia & CyberPanel for free on all VPS plans and other freebies. As such, you can get powerful VPS with generous features for as low as $5.50/mo. This plan is excellent for businesses and individuals who don’t require cPanel or Plesk.
Pros & Cons
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free control panel options
- Unlimited bandwidth on all plans
- Generous storage space
- Support add-ons for personalized support
- cPanel VPS plans are expensive
IONOS is a cloud web host that offers hosting for small and medium-sized businesses. The hosting company offers a variety of web hosting plans that support Drupal hosting. Our particular focus is on its managed Drupal hosting service. Drupal hosting is generally easy to use, but managed support simplifies the process. The web host also offers data center locations in Europe and the US, making it a truly global web host.
- Overall score – 4.7
- Pricing – 4.5
- Features – 4.8
- Performance – 4.5
- Support- 5
- User Friendly- 4.8
Pricing: Like many other web hosts, the only way to use IONOS for free is to sign up for a plan and take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee. The bestselling plan costs $1/mo for the first 6 months and then $12/mo. This plan supports unlimited websites and offers unlimited storage, unlimited databases, and enhanced CPU & MEM resources.
Features: The Drupal plans include one-click Drupal installation, SSL certificates, PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler, and SSD Webspace. Other features include a one-year free domain, daily backup, and 24/7 support. The web host also supports the latest Drupal versions and offers developers an integrated help system.
Performance: IONOS provides the set-up for fast website and application hosting. Its Drupal hosting plans run on SO 27001-certified data centers strategically distributed to provide fast loading times to your customers. With an optimized hosting experience, you can get a fast-loading experience. IONOS also promises 99.9% network uptime.
Support: IONOS offers 24/7 customer support to all customers via live chat, email, and phone. It also offers an extensive knowledge base with guides and tutorials on Drupal hosting. Each customer also gets a personal consultant who will listen to their hosting needs and recommend the best services and tools.
User Friendly: Operating your Drupal project with IONOS is very simple. Just install Drupal from the IONOS app center and decide if you want to provide access to other people. The web host also provides all the technical requirements necessary for Drupal hosting. In addition, the web host allows you to consume your Drupal version via extensions.
Additional Parameter – Managed Drupal Hosting: IONOS offers managed Drupal hosting service so you can attend to other things. The web host will manage server maintenance, install important updates, and handle administrative tasks. And with the managed support, you get 24/7 phone support.
Pros & Cons
- 1-click Drupal installation
- SSL certificate
- PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler
- 24/7 customer support
- expert-managed Drupal hosting service
- Higher renewal prices
Ranking comparison between the Top Providers
Best Free Drupal Hosting Services: Final Recommendations
Based on our findings, Kamatera offers the best features, performance, and reliable support. The web host offers a 30-day free trial, allowing users to use its services without any initial cost. Hostinger is a good alternative with free domains, SSL, and a hPanel. Another good alternative is UltaHost, with its free control panels. InterServer specializes in Drupal support, fast speeds, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. IONOS, on the other hand, offers managed Drupal hosting services with SSL certificates.
KnownHost also offers managed hosting and free cPanel on its Drupal hosting plans. These plans also include a 99.99% uptime guarantee and free SSL certificates. The last recommendation is A2 Hosting. A2 Hosting plans include fast servers, HackScan protection, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Types of Drupal Hosting and Which Is the Right One for You?
Here are some common types of Drupal hosting and recommendations based on your needs.
- Shared Drupal Hosting: Shared hosting involves sharing a single server with other users. It is suitable for small websites with moderate traffic on a tight budget.
- Drupal Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting: VPS hosting allocates a standalone server partition with dedicated resources to a single user. It is right for you if your needs have grown beyond shared hosting or if you need more control.
- Drupal Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting utilizes a cluster of cloud servers to offer scalability and flexibility. It typically offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model. It is right for you if you want scalable resources.
- Drupal Dedicated Server Hosting: Dedicated server hosting allocates an entire physical server to a single user. It offers full control over server resources, high performance and reliability. It is perfect for high-traffic Drupal websites and resource-hungry web applications.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Free Drupal Hosting Plan
Some of the areas you need to consider carefully for best performance include:
- Security and Performance: :Look at factors like the quality and location of data centers, security tools, and server configuration. You also need a web host offering high uptime in their Service Level Agreement (SLA).
- Ease of use: If you enjoy the setup and management experience, you can use an unmanaged plan. However, a managed plan helps take server management’s stress off our hands.
- Hosting resources: You need sufficient storage and bandwidth to store and serve your web page content. VPS plans are better for media heavy sites.
- Drupal Hosting Requirements: Check the requirements for your Drupal version and ensure that your web hosting server has the ideal specification and configuration.
- SSL: SSL is essential because all search engines consider the issue of SSL certification as a reg flag.
Managed vs Unmanaged Drupal Hosting: Which Is the Right One
Choosing between managed and unmanaged Drupal hosting depends on
- Your technical expertise
- Available time
- Level of control you want.
Let’s explore the two options in detail.
- Managed Drupal Hosting: This option means the web host handles updates, security, and performance optimization. It is a time-saving option that often offers the best Drupal hosting configuration. The drawback is that it offers limited control and is costlier than unmanaged hosting. We recommend it for users who want to save time and have a hassle-free hosting experience.
- Unmanaged Drupal Hosting: Unmanaged hosting means you are responsible for server management tasks. It also means you have complete control over server configurations and settings. We only recommend it for users who have the technical expertise and time for server management.
How do we rank, and how should you choose your Free Drupal Hosting?
- Types of Drupal Hosting Offered5%
- Uptime Commitment8%
- Speed Optimization9%
- Available Space and Bandwidth7%
- Scalability Options6%
- Security Enhancements7%
- Ease of Use8%
- Drupal-Specific Support12%
- Developer Tools and Extras5%
- Starting Price3%
- User Reviews30%
Choosing the right free Drupal hosting involves a careful consideration of various factors. HostAdvice uses a ranking methodology to provide users with reliable recommendations. Here are the parameters and their importance calculated in percentage weight.
- Types of Drupal Hosting Offered (5%): We check the hosting options each hosting service provides. Most web hosts offer shared hosting, VPS and dedicated servers
- Uptime Commitment (8%): We aim for a 99.9% or higher guarantee.
- Speed Optimization (9%): We consider server locations, content delivery networks (CDN), caching, and server type.
- Available Space and Bandwidth (7%): We examine the number of websites allowed, storage type, memory allocation, and available bandwidth.
- Scalability Options (6%): We consider upgrade options and the provider’s role in scalability.
- Security Enhancements (7%): We evaluate features such as daily backups, firewalls, DDoS protection, automatic updates, and SSL certificates.
- Ease of Use (8%): We prioritize web hosts that offer friendly, intuitive interfaces and simplified Drupal installation
- Drupal-Specific Support (12%): We assess the availability of a dedicated Drupal support team 24/7 to assist with any CMS-related issues.
- Developer Tools and Extras (5%): We consider additional features necessary for developers, such as the latest version of popular development software.
- Starting Price (3%): While free hosting is the focus, we also consider the pricing structure for premium plans, evaluating the value users receive for the price.
- User Reviews (30%): We use insights from beginners and experienced developers for a complete view of the web host
What is Free Drupal Hosting, and who is it for?
Free Drupal hosting refers to free hosting plans streamlined for hosting Drupal projects. These plans cut across shared hosting and VPS plans, giving you various choices.
Free Drupal hosting is suitable for
- Individuals who want to experiment with Drupal or create non-commercial websites
- Small projects or personal blogs with minimal website traffic and resource requirements
- Students, developers, or individuals looking to learn Drupal or improve their development skills.
- Businesses that need a temporary solution for testing purposes