The honest guide to "free website" offers
Every month someone offers a free website. Some are fine. Most cost more than the paid ones. Here's how to read them.
"Free website, just pay hosting"
You get a template and a monthly bill. The site is yours as long as you pay them, and it lives on their platform. Moving it later usually means rebuilding. Ask: what do I get if I leave?
"Free build, you buy the plugins"
The build is free because the builder gets paid by the plugins, themes and hosting they put you on. The site works until a plugin needs an update that breaks another one. Ask: who patches this next year?
"Free trial, then $X a month"
Usually honest. The question is what $X includes. Hosting only? Security? Edits? If edits aren't included, every change is an invoice.
"We'll build it free if you refer us"
A sales arrangement, not a website arrangement. Fine if you'd refer them anyway.
What "free" never includes
Someone who answers when the form stops working. Someone who moves your domain. Someone who notices the site has been down since Tuesday.
How to compare any offer, including ours
Four questions. Who owns the domain and content? What's in the monthly fee? Who do I call when it breaks? What happens if I leave? If the answers aren't on their site, ask them in writing.
Ours: you own the domain and content; monthly covers hosting, security, edits and support; you call us; you get an export and 30 days.