4.8 
The demand for reliable and free Joomla hosting services continually increases as individuals and businesses seek to establish their online presence.
In this article, we’ll explore the best free Joomla hosting providers. We’ll offer a comprehensive comparison of their features, performance, and reliability so you can make an informed decision.
The 5 Free Joomla Hosting Providers in 2024
- FastComet – Best Joomla Hosting Provider Overall
- Kamatera – Best Scalable Joomla Hosting Provider
- Hostinger – Best Affordable Joomla Hosting Provider
- HostArmada – Best Managed Joomla Hosting Provider
- A2 Hosting – Best Fast Joomla Hosting Provider
The Best Free Joomla Hosting Providers in 2024 (Bought and Tested)
FastComet has been popular for offering various hosting plans, including Joomla-focused plans, since 2013. Its plans are filled with feature-rich and dependable services. Joomla hosting plan on this platform includes a free domain name. If your domain is already free, you can easily receive a free transfer to FastComet.
You can count on Joomla SSD hosting from FastComet to deliver 300% optimal performance. This performance is achieved by reducing the random access time for files and databases to 0.1 milliseconds.
- Overall Score – 5.0
- Pricing – 5.0
- Features – 5.0
- Performance – 5.0
- Support – 5.0
- User Friendly – 5.0
Pricing: Its pricing model includes three plans. FastCloud Basic plan costs $2.39 per month. FastCloud Plus plan costs $3.59 per month, and FastCloud Extra plan costs $4.99 per month.
Features: FastComet delivers high-performance Joomla hosting by providing generous resources, including large GB of storage and RAM. It includes free SSL certificate, cPanel & Softaculous, Free CloudFlare CDN, and more.
Performance: FastComet offers 99.9% uptime guarantee, meaning that there will be no long-term downtime if anything goes wrong. It takes 0.57 seconds for its server to respond and 1.27 seconds to load a basic web page, which is pretty quick.
Support: FastComet offers 24/7/365 Joomla customer support and free weekly and daily Joomla backups to protect your data.
User Friendly: FastComet has intuitive interfaces and one-click installations, making it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and manage their Joomla websites efficiently.
Additional Parameter – Brute-Force Protection: FastComet’s Brute-force Protection is an advanced security measure designed to thwart unauthorized access attempts systematically. It fortifies your Joomla website against brute-force attacks.
Pros & Cons
- Ultra Fast SSD Storage
- Drag & Drop SiteBuilder
- One-Click application installer
- Secure off-site daily backups
- Point & Click free restore manager
- 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
- No free domain.
Kamatera is an exceptional choice for scalable Joomla hosting, offering a robust platform designed to meet the needs of Joomla-based websites. With Kamatera’s cloud infrastructure, users can easily scale resources up or down based on website traffic and requirements. The high-performance servers and SSD storage ensure speedy Joomla installations and efficient website operations.
Kamatera is extremely popular among private customers, government organizations, and companies. This is a result of its excellent services at reasonable prices.
- Overall Score – 4.9
- Pricing – 4.9
- Features – 4.9
- Performance – 4.8
- Support – 4.9
- User Friendly – 4.8
Pricing: Kamatera offers adaptable cloud services ranging from $4 to $1,000 per month. Users can tailor their plans based on specific needs. Prices can be chosen monthly or even hourly.
Features: Kamatera has over sixty operating systems, thirteen data centers worldwide, six versions of cPanel or Plesk, and various add-ons like load balancers, backups, and managed services.
Performance: Kamatera’s Joomla hosting provides a guarantee of 99.95% uptime, with a maximum downtime of 8 hours per year, according to its Service Level Agreement (SLA).
Support: Kamatera Joomla hosting provider offers comprehensive support for its customers. Its 24/7/365 global customer support and skilled administrators provide enterprise-grade service.
User Friendly: Kamatera has a user-friendly console, which makes server management a simple task. Its simple and uncluttered appearance is easy to navigate, and the console allows users to manage all elements of their hosting service.
Additional Parameter – Cloud Firewall – Kamatera’s cloud firewall feature provides industry-leading protection for cloud servers and safeguards them against malware or external attacks.
Pros & Cons
- Multiple locations
- Load balancer
- 99.99% uptime
- Flexible pricing
- Dedicated cloud firewalls
- No money-back guarantee
Hostinger is an affordable Joomla hosting provider. It offers optimized servers for Joomla, a custom control panel with security and performance features, and a dedicated support team specialized in Joomla. Hostinger offers a wide range of hosting services, including cloud hosting, virtual private server hosting, shared hosting, and specialized hosting like WordPress hosting, cPanel hosting, Minecraft server hosting, and hosting for agencies.
The hosting plans are priced low per month and include a free domain name for the first year. Hostinger is known for its performance-oriented and cost-effective hosting services, making it a popular choice for Joomla websites.
- Overall Score – 4.8
- Pricing – 5.0
- Features – 4.8
- Performance – 4.9
- Support – 4.8
- User Friendly – 4.9
Pricing: Hostinger offers three pricing plans for Joomla hosting: Single, Premium, and Business. The Single plan costs $1.99 per month, the Premium plan costs $2.99 per month, and the Business plan costs $3.99 per month. All plans come with WordPress features, including a free domain name for the first year.
Features: Hostinger Joomla servers are optimized for the latest PHP and MySQL versions, ensuring peak performance and unbreachable security. It includes a free SSL/TLS certificate in all annual Joomla hosting plans,
Performance: Hostinger’s Joomla hosting provider offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Its dedicated teams of DevOps and engineers monitor the servers round the clock to ensure optimal performance.
Support: Hostinger’s Joomla hosting provider offers a dedicated team of support experts specialized in Joomla, providing 24/7 assistance via email or live chat. The support team is always ready to help you with any questions or requests to ensure a smooth experience while using their Joomla hosting services.
User Friendly: Hostinger is simple and flexible. Its one-click setup makes it easy to install and configure your Joomla website.
Additional Parameter – Cache Accelerator: Hostinger’s Cache Accelerator speeds up your Joomla website with server-side caches. It makes sure that your visitors remain engaged no matter how many of them are coming your way. This optimizes the performance of your Joomla website, making it faster and more responsive.
Pros & Cons
- Enhanced security
- 30 days money-back guarantee
- Affordable prices
- Free domain name
- 24/7 support
- Weekly backups
- No phone support
HostArmada Joomla hosting provider offers comprehensive managed hosting services tailored to elevate your website’s performance. Its commitment is evident through free installations for themes, modules, and the Joomla script itself.
Beyond hosting, HostArmada provides optimization, hassle-free website transfers, and dedicated staging assistance. This ensures that your Joomla website operates at its best, backed by personalized hosting recommendations based on specific factors like visitor traffic, website size, and resource requirements.
- Overall Score – 5.0
- Pricing – 5.0
- Features – 5.0
- Performance – 4.9
- Support – 4.9
- User Friendly – 5.0
Pricing: HostArmada’s pricing plans include Start Dock at $12.95 per month, Web Warp at $19.75 per month, and Speed Reaper at $23.05 per month. The pricing varies based on the billing cycle you choose biennially, annually, monthly, or triennially.
Features: HostArmada provides a robust hosting experience with features like free SSL for all websites, ensuring secure connections. It offers reliable storage and domain management.
Performance: It prioritizes performance with cutting-edge features, utilizing Cloud SSD Technology to ensure a 99.9% uptime. Its cloud-powered shared hosting servers reduce concerns related to hardware failures.
Support: HostArmada offers 24/7 technical support to ensure a fast and secure hosting experience. Its human-powered support service helps with tasks such as website transfers, templates, or module installations and promptly resolves any website-related issues that may arise.
User Friendly: HostArmada provides an easy-to-navigate service with cPanel, a renowned industry standard for web hosting control panels. The intuitive design and functionality of cPanel empower users with a seamless and native control panel experience.
Additional Parameter – 45 Days Money-Back Guarantee: The Joomla hosting provider offers a risk-free hosting experience with a 45 Days Money-back Guarantee. This allows users to thoroughly test their servers and services and receive a full refund if they decide to leave.
Pros & Cons
- Free website migration
- LiteSpeed Web Server
- Automatic daily backup
- 24/7 technical support
- WAF and IP firewall
- 1-click Joomla installer
- Expensive renewal rates
A2 Hosting is a shared web hosting provider that has been in the hosting industry since 2001 and has gained a lot of recognition for its loading speed. It is also well-known for having a high uptime, which makes it a highly dependable hosting company.
In addition, A2 Hosting provides safe Joomla hosting packages to individuals wishing to create websites with Joomla. It offers a number of extensions, such as VirtueMart, EasyBlog, JCE, JD Builder, and Astroid, to improve Joomla sites.
- Overall Score – 4.7
- Pricing – 4.8
- Features – 4.7
- Performance – 4.8
- Support – 4.8
- User Friendly – 4.7
Pricing: A2 Hosting comes with four plans. The Startup plan costs $2.99, Drive costs $5.99, Turbo Boost costs $6.99, and Turbo Max costs $14.99. All plans, apart from the Startup, offer unlimited SSD storage and data transfer.
Features: You will find that the shared features include FTP/SFTP access to the server environment, free SSH access, shared SSL certificate, Node.JS, PHP, Python, PERL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Apache, and several others. Web hosting options from A2 Hosting include shared, reseller, VPS, dedicated, email, cPanel, and turbo hosting. In addition, A2 Hosting offers free website migration, site builders, SSL certificates, and domains.
Performance: A2 Hosting Joomla hosting provider offers speed-optimized servers and LiteSpeed web server option for better website performance. Its Turbo Servers now feature AMD EPYC Servers with NVMEe drives, which provide 40% faster CPU performance, 2X faster to first byte. It can handle 9X more traffic and 3X faster read/write speeds.
Support: The Joomla hosting provider has a 24/7 fast and responsive support crew that assists customers at any time.
User Friendly: A2 Hosting offers a user-friendly experience with easy cPanel control panel, pre-installed Joomla, and the option to choose the high-speed Turbo Servers for up to 20X faster page loads compared to competing Joomla hostings.
Additional Parameter – Unlimited Transfer: A2 Hosting’s Joomla hosting provider offers unlimited transfer, which allows users to transfer an unlimited amount of data between their website and the visitors. This enables the website to accommodate high traffic and data transfer without incurring additional charges or facing limitations.
Pros & Cons
- Pre-installed Joomla
- Unlimited traffic
- Official Joomla sponsor
- Free website builder
- Choice of data center location
- Free A2 cloud backup
- Not all features are accessible on the basic plans
Ranking comparison between the Top Providers
Best Joomla Hosting Provider: Final Recommendations
After a comprehensive investigation, we’ve narrowed down the top 5 Joomla hosting providers to FastComet, HostArmada, Kamatera, Hostinger, A2 Hosting, and InterServer. Each provider stands out for various reasons, offering unique features that cater to diverse user needs.
However, our top pick is FastComet. This Joomla hosting provider offers a remarkable balance of affordability, speed, and excellent customer support. FastComet also has a global network of data centers, free daily backups, and a user-friendly interface, ensuring a seamless Joomla hosting experience.
While other providers boast specific strengths, such as HostArmada’s focus on high-performance cloud solutions and Kamatera’s scalability, FastComet’s overall package, including reliability and customer-centric features, makes it our top choice for free Joomla hosting provider.
Types of Joomla Hosting and Which One is Right for You?
1. Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is an economical choice for Joomla websites with modest resource needs. It is suitable for small-scale projects. This hosting option allows multiple Joomla sites to share server resources, providing a cost-effective entry into web hosting for Joomla users.
However, during peak times or if other sites experience high traffic, there might be a slight impact on Joomla site performance.
2. Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is an excellent choice for growing Joomla websites that require enhanced control and resources. It offers a balance between shared hosting and dedicated servers, providing speed, scalability, and features at a fraction of the price of dedicated servers. Some key aspects of VPS hosting for Joomla websites include scalability, control, performance, and managed VPS options.
VPS hosting allows for better scalability and enables users to allocate more resources as needed to handle increased traffic and demand. It also provides users with more control over their environment and allows them to customize their setup without the complexity of a dedicated server.
3. Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated hosting is a solution that provides maximum control, performance, and security for websites, making it ideal for large, resource-intensive projects like Joomla sites. When you allocate an entire physical server exclusively for your project, you ensure consistent performance and protection against potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Dedicated hosting offers enhanced customization options, cost-effectiveness, and data center support. This makes it a suitable choice for businesses with specific server requirements and high traffic volumes.
4. Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is suitable for the dynamic nature of Joomla websites, offering flexibility and scalability. Joomla users can easily scale resources based on demand by using interconnected virtual servers. This makes it a cost-effective solution for sites with varying traffic. The pay-as-you-go model of cloud hosting further enhances its cost-effectiveness, as users only pay for the resources they consume. This adaptability and cost-effectiveness make cloud hosting an attractive option for Joomla websites that require consistent performance and the ability to handle fluctuations in traffic.
Several hosting providers offer cloud hosting specifically optimized for Joomla websites. Many provide optimized cloud servers built specifically for Joomla CMS. They offer enhanced performance through fine-tuning MySQL and Apache.
5. Managed Hosting
Managed hosting is a type of web hosting where a service provider leases dedicated servers and associated hardware to a single customer and manages the setup, administration, and support of the server and application. Managed hosting services typically include hardware and software setup and configuration, technical support, patch management, system maintenance, monitoring, and updates.
For Joomla users, managed hosting is beneficial as it allows them to concentrate on content creation and design without having to worry about server maintenance and security. Some key benefits of managed hosting for Joomla users include reduced operating costs, backups and disaster recovery services, expertise and security, server monitoring, and 24/7 support.
6. Reseller Hosting
For Joomla-focused entrepreneurs, reseller hosting is a business-oriented solution that allows them to provide hosting services to their clients without having to deal with the hassle and cost of maintaining the actual servers. It offers the benefits of affordability, manageability, and the ability to offer customized plans. This makes it an attractive option for those looking to enter the hosting industry and generate additional income.
Reseller hosting is a cost-effective way to offer a complete package, including website creation and hosting, without the upfront infrastructure costs. It also provides manageability, as each client is assigned unique accounts for their hosting plans. Plus, it offers the potential for additional income and the ability to create customized hosting plans tailored to clients’ specific needs.
Managed Vs. Unmanaged Joomla Hosting Solution
Managed Joomla hosting is a comprehensive solution that takes the burden of technical management off your shoulders. One advantage is automatic updates, where the hosting provider ensures that your Joomla installation and other features stay current. This proactive approach to maintenance extends to security monitoring, shielding your site from potential threats with regular scans and timely application of security patches.
The expert support fixes Joomla-related issues and offers assistance with troubleshooting, optimization, and any challenges related to the hosting environment. This hands-on support is preferable for users who want a more streamlined experience without going into the complexities of server management.
On the other hand, unmanaged Joomla hosting provides a more hands-on approach for users who want greater control and are comfortable with server management tasks.
With unmanaged hosting, you have the flexibility to configure your server environment according to your preferences. This includes choosing server software, adjusting security settings, and handling software updates manually. While unmanaged hosting offers more control, it requires a higher level of technical proficiency, making it suitable for users who are experienced in server administration and prefer a do-it-yourself approach.
How Do We Rank, and How Should You Choose Your Joomla Server Hosting Provider?
- Uptime, Latency, and Performance20%
- Server20%
- Extra Features5%
- Scalability20%
- Joomla-Specific Support15%
- Brand Reputation20%
At HostAdvice, our team of experts takes a step-by-step approach to ranking Joomla server hosting providers. We understand that choosing the right hosting service is crucial, and we’re here to help you make an informed choice. To achieve this, we consider a wide range of factors and services before assigning rankings to hosting providers.
Our comprehensive chart breaks down these critical factors and gives you a clear picture of what to consider when making your decision. This way, you can select a hosting provider that not only meets your needs but is also a perfect match for your Joomla website.
- Uptime, Latency, and Performance (20%)
Uptime refers to the amount of time that a website is available and accessible to users. Latency, on the other hand, refers to the delay between a user’s action on an application and the response of the application to that action. Higher latency has a direct effect on the load time of an application.
Choose a hosting provider that offers uptime monitoring to ensure that the website is always available for users.. Also go for one with low latency to ensure fast load times for the website. Performance is also a crucial factor to consider, as it affects the user experience and search engine rankings.
- Server (20%)
Joomla has specific server requirements, including the minimum version of PHP, supported databases (such as MySQL or PostgreSQL), and web server software. For example, Joomla 4.x recommends PHP 8.2 and MySQL 8.0, among others.
It’s essential to verify that the hosting server meets these requirements to support the proper functioning of the Joomla website. Additionally, we advise you to choose a qualified hosting provider that meets the security requirements of a typical Joomla site. With this, one can ensure a stable and secure hosting environment for Joomla.
- Extra Features (5%)
Consider the features the Joomla provider offers. Joomla hosting providers often offer one-click installation options, which simplify the installation process by automatically configuring the necessary files and database connections.
Additionally, it’s advisable to choose a hosting provider that meets the security requirements of a typical Joomla site. A provider with multiple data centers, enterprise-grade hardware, DDoS protection, storage options, free CDN, and server customization is worthwhile. Also, consider backup options and affordable pricing plans.
- Scalability (20%)
Joomla hosting plans often provide scalable resources to accommodate websites as they grow. This includes options for upgrading server resources like CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth to handle increased traffic or resource-intensive Joomla extensions.
So, consider the scalability and resources offered to ensure that the website can handle increased traffic and resource-intensive Joomla extensions.
- Joomla-Specific Support (15%)
A reliable Joomla hosting provider typically offers specialized technical support from experts knowledgeable about Joomla. They can assist with Joomla-specific issues, provide guidance on optimizations, and troubleshoot any compatibility problems that may arise. These providers make it easy for users to set up a Joomla website without technical expertise.
In addition, they ensure that the hosting server meets the minimum system requirements for Joomla to function properly, such as the PHP version and supported databases.
- Brand Reputation (20%)
Before investing in a hosting provider, read online evaluations and ratings from customers to determine the brand’s reputation. A reliable hosting provider with a good reputation ensures that the website performs well and is secure.
When evaluating a web hosting provider, consider factors such as average uptime, page load time, and customer support.
What Is Joomla Hosting?
Joomla hosting is a specialized web hosting service tailored to support websites built on the Joomla content management system (CMS). Joomla is an open-source CMS that enables users to create and manage dynamic websites and online applications. Hosting providers offering Joomla hosting are equipped with server configurations optimized for Joomla’s requirements.
In a Joomla hosting environment, servers are configured to support the specific technical needs of Joomla, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance. This includes considerations for server resources, database support, and compatibility with Joomla extensions. Joomla hosting providers may also offer features such as one-click Joomla installations, automatic updates, and expert support.
Who Is Joomla Hosting For?
Joomla hosting is designed for individuals, businesses, or organizations that choose to build and manage their websites using the Joomla content management system (CMS). Here are some specific groups for whom Joomla hosting is particularly suitable:
1. Website Developers and Designers
Joomla hosting is ideal for developers and designers who prefer to work with the Joomla CMS. The hosting environment is optimized for Joomla, providing a platform that supports the specific requirements of Joomla-powered websites.
2. Small to Medium-sized Businesses
Businesses that want a feature-rich and dynamic website without extensive coding often opt for Joomla. It simplifies the process, offering compatibility, ease of installation, and often additional features like one-click installations and automatic updates.
3. Non-profit Organizations
Joomla’s flexibility and robust features make it a popular choice for non-profit organizations aiming to create interactive and engaging websites. The hosting ensures that these organizations have a suitable and optimized environment for their online presence.
4. Individual Website Owners
Individuals who choose Joomla for personal blogs, portfolios, or other types of websites benefit from Joomla hosting. It provides a hosting environment configured to support Joomla’s specific needs, offering a smooth experience for individual site owners.
5. Those Wanting a Content Management System (CMS)
Anyone seeking a powerful and user-friendly CMS for managing website content can use Joomla hosting. It simplifies the hosting process for users who specifically prefer or have chosen Joomla as their CMS.
