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Unless you are using a static website to promote your business, you’ll need a database. Your database is used to store all of the content of your site.

Using a database means that you can easily update your website content and take advantage of CMS tools like WordPress. That being said, a database alone won’t get you very far – you’ll need a website host that offers both free PHP hosting and also MySQL database hosting. 

Overview of the Best MySQL Database Hosting Providers

1. Hostinger

BEST FOR – Unlimited MySQL Databases

Although Hostinger isn’t a strictly free provider, they are definitely worth a mention. If you’re looking for reliable web hosting with free MySQL hosting, Hostinger is a sure bet that you don’t want to miss out on.

From £2.59 per month, you’ll get access to unlimited MySQL database as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee. There’s really nothing to lose! If you love Hostinger as much as I do, their premium web hosting offers unlimited MySQL databases for just £2.59 per month. That’s less than the price of a sandwich! If you want to know how great Hostinger is, check out my hosting review for an in-depth look at their services and performance.

Hostinger, in the last 30 days, has achieved a 99.9% uptime. Their server performance is transparent, allowing you to see the exact status at any given time. When I signed up to Hostinger, I installed WordPress via cPanel and monitored my site’s performance. It boasted an amazing response time of 263 ms which is absolutely brilliant. It’s hard to get better than this when you’re almost paying nothing for it.

If you want to trial Hostinger’s web hosting and MySQL databases for free you can do so with 000webhost. They are powered by Hostinger, giving you the easy option to upgrade whenever you want or need to. What’s more, if you’re not happy for any reason (which I’m sure you will be), there’s a money-back guarantee in place.

Click Here To Visit Hostinger

Pros

• MySQL databases
• hPanel
• Excellent performance 
• WordPress optimised
• 99.9% uptime guarantee

Cons

• Free domain on yearly plans only

2. 000Webhost

BEST FOR – Small to medium PHP/ MySQL projects

If you’re looking for free MySQL database hosting, then look no further than 000Webhost. I previously covered this hosting provider in our Complete List of Free WordPress Hosting for 2019 article. 000Webhost has some awesome free deals, however, they don’t offer customer support with their free packages, which is a bit of a letdown.

000Webhost offers you 1GB bandwidth for free and you get free MySQL hosting as part of the deal. All of the free accounts from 000Webhost come with free MySQL databases and access to phpMyAdmin to administer your account. 

You have full control over your MySQL database with 000webhost, you are only limited to the amount of data that you can add in with the free plan. In fact, you can use up to two MySQL databases for free with 000Webhost, which is more than a lot of hosting providers on this list. 

Upgrading is easy, so once you run out of space you can jump up to one of their paid plans which are super cheap. If you upgrade to a premium plan from 000webhost then you’ll be sent over to Hostinger. You can then grab a free SSL certificate, free business email address, WordPress optimized hosting and 100GB bandwidth – all for just £0.79 per month. 

Click Here To Visit 000WebHost

Pros

• phpMyAdmin
• cPanel
• No adverts
• 99.99% Uptime Guarantee

Cons

• No Customer support on the free plan

3. GoogieHost

BEST FOR – Free MySQL, PHP cloud-based hosting

GoogieHost offers free MySQL and PHP hosting that offers you everything you’d get from a paid web host. There will be no ads on your sites and they’ll be powered by solid-state drives (SSDs) which are much faster than traditional drives. 

You also get a free SSL certificate for free from GoogieHost, which is ideal for making your site SEO-friendly. Currently, Googiehost is home to 165,654 websites in locations all around the world. Their hosting is optimized for the latest PHP, MySQL versions and extensions. Their servers come with Cloudflare and Cloud Linux, which is unusual for a free service. 

GoogieHost is a 100% cloud-based hosting service that offers 1000MB of SSD space and 100GB bandwidth for free. Unlike other hosts, you’ll also be able to access customer support, even on the free plan should you get stuck. 

If you want to host multiple websites, require a lot of traffic or disk space then you’ll need to upgrade to one of their premium plans. 

Click Here To Visit Googiehost

Pros

• 24/7 customer support
• One-click app installer
• cPanel 
• Free subdomains
• 99.9% uptime guarantee

Cons

• None

4. AwardSpace

BEST FOR – Adless free German MySQL DB hosting with customer support

Awardspace offers free MySQL hosting where you can host up to 4 websites and add up to three subdomains. Awardspace also allow you to use a one-click app installer, so you can have your CMS up and running in minutes. They also offer customer support, even for their free hosting services, which is ideal.

With the free hosting account from Awardspace you get 5GB bandwidth and 1000MB disk space as well as a full MySQL database. Awardspace is continually optimizing their service and are known for their 100% free hosting packages.

Awardspace offers some nice analytical tools so that you can monitor your bandwidth usage to make sure that your site doesn’t go offline. This is great for SEO as you can ensure that you have more than enough space to keep your website online consistently.

Click Here To Visit Awardspace

Pros

• Adless hosting
• 24/7 customer support
• Analytic tools

Cons

• Limited space

5. HyperHost

Best for – Adless free hosting for up to 20 websites hosted in Europe or Ukraine

Hyperhost offers a free hosting package with high-speed SSD drives. They offer free MySQL databases and FTP access so that you have full control over your website or app. 

Unlike a lot of other free hosts, HyperHost offers 24/7 free customer support via chat, ticket, and phone. When a company offers this level of service for its free members I feel it says a lot about their business values. 

The free hosting from HyperHost will get you 1GB SSD disk space, and allow you to host one website. If you need more space you can go for a free account that will support up to 20 websites and give you 15GB of disk space – completely free. 

Hyperhost offers some amazing shared hosting packages on next-gen tech free of charge. Additionally, they have a pre-installed cPanel that allows you to install WordPress, Joomla or other CMS systems, all for free!

The only real downside to hosting with HyperHost is that they only have servers in Ukraine and Europe. This is not particularly useful if you are targeting website visitors from other countries, as Google ranks sites in relation to their server’s physical location. 

Click Here To Hyperhost

Pros

• Free cPanel
• Up to 15GB disk space
• Host up to 20 websites for free
• 24/7 suppor

Cons

• Servers only in Europe and Ukraine

6. HostPoco

BEST FOR – US-based shared MySQL, PHP hosting

HostPoco proudly states that they are “the worlds #1 free web hosting providers”. Sounds nice, but how do they stack up against their competitors in real life? Let’s find out. 

HostPoco offers 200MB disk space for free, which is more than most on this list. They also give you 2 free email accounts, a free SSL certificate, cPanel and just 1 MySQL database. ProFreeHost n the other hand offers unlimited disk space and unlimited bandwidth for free, so maybe they are better. The only thing that PrFreeHost doesn’t offer their free members is customer support. 

HostPoco, on the other hand, offers 24/7/365 customer support via live chat and tickets. So they are definitely great in that respect. 

The free hosting from HostPoco is offered for a lifetime unless you decide you want to upgrade. 

Click Here To Visit Hostpoco

Pros

• Lifetime free hosting
• 24/7/365 customer support
• 2 email accounts
• Free SSL certificate

Cons

• Just 200MB free disk space

7. ProFreeHost

BEST FOR – 100% FREE PHP and MySQL website hosting

If you’re looking for a 100% free hosting provider for your MySQL databases then look no further than ProFreeHost. You get unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, free subdomains and a web builder all 100% free. 

The free service is paid for by using 3rd party ads, but they say they don’t force advertisements on your website. 

ProFreeHost offers PHP versions of upto 7.0 and MySQL 5.6. Support is offered via their member’s forum and they also operate a ticketing system.

Click Here To Visit Profreehost

Pros

• 100% FREE for life
• cPanel
• One click installer
• Professional email addresses

Cons

• No live chat or phone support

8. Oracle Cloud

BEST FOR – Professional web/ application developers

Oracle MySQL cloud offers MySQL in the cloud for free with a 30-day credit provision. Oracle Cloud offers a free promotional account that is active for 30-days. You can upgrade your account to a pay as you go account with no contract. 

If you like to always go with the best of the best then you might like to host with Oracle cloud. The official MySQL owners. This service is best for professional developers that want complete freedom with their MySQL database and hosting. 

You have the choice of signing up for a free trial, free credits or a paid subscription to get started with Oracle cloud. Oracle has some great tools that allow you to estimate your monthly usage with their “cost estimator”.

Being able to view exactly how many resources you are using is essential for cloud hosting packages, as they normally charge per hour or use. 

Click Here To Oracle

Pros

• Host with the best
• Estimate usage
• Free trial or free credits available
• Flexible 
• Scaleable

Cons

• Not for beginners

What is meant by MySQL Database?

MySQL is an open-source database management system, used by millions to power their dynamic websites. MySQL was developed back in 1995 by a Swedish company (MySQL AB) and later bought by Sun Microsystems. The Oracle Corporation now owns MySQL after they acquired Sun in 2010. 

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. The “My” part is the name of the MySQL co-founder Michael Widenius’s daughter. We are now on the 8th version of MySQL.You’ll need a MySQL database if you are running a PHP powered website like Joomla, Magento or WordPress. 

Is MySQL always free?

MySQL is free and open-source, however, you’ll need to find a host that offers MySQL server hosting if you want to use it for websites powered on the internet. In this article, we’ll explore seven of the best free MySQL hosts currently available online. 

In Conclusion

It’s exciting how many hosts there are that offer 100% free MySQL hosting. As with any hosting solution, you’ll need to select one that fits your individual needs.

For example, check how much bandwidth you get with the free account and see if that fits the amount of traffic you predict will arrive on your website. 

Some hosts like ProFreeHost offer 100% free unlimited hosting, so they are well worth a look if you are on a budget. Other hosts like Awardspace and Oracle are great for starting out for free, but you’ll need to upgrade when you need more disk space or bandwidth.

With the increasing amount of companies taking their business away from traditional high-street stores, we’re seeing an upward trend of eCommerce being THE WAY TO SHOP. For this reason, people are looking for the perfect shopping experience. Sure, Amazon is great, and you should dive in and take your share of their £185 billion revenue.

But who wants to put their whole business in the hands of a big corporation? Instead, smart business owners are looking to form long-term relationships with stores that they can trust, and small businesses are getting rewarded for this shift in buyer preferences.

In this article, we’ll explore the ins-and-outs of subscription eCommerce and then delve into the 10 best eCommerce platforms for subscriptions and membership. 

What is Subscription eCommerce?

eCommerce is one thing – selling your products online, but eCommerce subscription is a whole new business model. Businesses offer subscription-based eCommerce for consumers to regularly receive goods (either digital or physical). For example, consumables that are required regularly, like shampoo, wine or socks. Subscription services can also deliver digital goods, think of Netflix or Audible. There are a plethora of ways to offer subscription-based eCommerce products and services. Other examples of subscription-based eCommerce businesses are the Dollar Shave Club, Teabox and Ipsy.

With 79% of US customers stating that they would be more likely to buy if they were offered free shipping – you could offer FREE shipping as a perk of your online subscription platform. You must get creative and provide a subscription service that is both needed and useful and provides world-class products conveniently and at the best price.

What are the Benefits of Subscription eCommerce?

If you’re looking to get started in the world of eCommerce subscription then you need a robust eCommerce platform that supports your needs. One thing that’s amazing about starting a subscription-based eCommerce site is that you’ll be working with repeat custom (a lot) and this means that you can take advantage of the fact that customer retention (ie. Selling to repeat customers)   is seven times more profitable than going out and attempting to acquire new customers.

You have the opportunity to build a relationship and talk to your customers regularly if they are members or subscribe to your website. You can then promote your other products to them, in a non-sleazy way of course. This equates to more sales and happier customers.

Cash-flow management is important in business and many businesses don’t know where their next income, lead or sale will come from. With the eCommerce subscription or membership model, you’ll be able to consistently know how much money will be coming in, allowing you to plan and make better business decisions.

1. Wix (£14.30 / month)

BEST FOR – Wix is a brilliant comprehensive web builder solution for complete beginners.

You can get up and running in a matter of hours with Wix because it is so easy. Wix also has a paid membership feature, that you can use to receive recurring monthly payments. This is a relatively new feature from Wix. You can make a custom membership section within Wix and show members pages that apply to their membership. This can be used for both digital and physical recurring subscription packages.

To get started you can sign up for a Wix account in seconds with your Facebook or Google ID. Then select the type of store you are starting, such as Electronics, Food & Drink or Beauty & Wellness. Setting up everything is easy with Wix.  You get a free domain name, the hosting is all done on the site and they even throw in free logo design.

Click Here To Visit Wix

Pros

• Free Plugin
• Use with WordPress
• Integrate with Shopify, Amazon and Magento.

Cons

• Easily hacked
• Hard to navigate
• Tech experience needed

3. Shopify (£7.15 per month + £12.67 per month)

BEST FOR – All in one eCommerce solution with multiple apps and add-ons

Shopify is one of the leaders in the eCommerce space. They also offer a subscription app that you can use to take recurring subscription payments. The app costs £12.67 per month on top of your Shopify fee. The app is specifically designed for subscription boxes and includes a build-a-box feature for both digital and physical ordering. You can start setting up your Shopify store with a free trial and the app comes with a free 3-day trial so that you can test-drive everything.

Click Here To Visit Shopify

Pros

• Easy add-on for Shopify
• 0% recurring fee
• Scaleable
• Responsive themes
• Add on apps

Cons

• Restrictive
• Can get expensive with all of the apps

4. Squarespace Commerce Advanced (£36.54/ Month)

Best for – Beginners who need an all-in-one hosting and website builder

If you are new to the eCommerce world, it’s a good idea to get an all in one solution until you become familiar with all of the moving pieces that are involved with your eCommerce subscription service.  Squarespace does just that, you get everything that you need (apart from the payment gateway in one place).  Most importantly, Squarespace supports subscription models. They also provide a tonne of nice themes for your eCommerce store.

Squarespace also allows you to install a blogging module so that you can also add a blog to your eCommerce store. Blogs can be an important source of traffic, so this component is great to add on to your eCommerce subscription site.  They also offer comprehensive online tutorials, making Squarespace a great solution for the complete beginner. Squarespace can also be integrated with Amazon, WordPress, Spotify, and Magento.

Click Here To Squarespace

5. BigCommerce (£23.79 / Month)

BEST FOR – Customizable eCommerce platform

BigCommerce is not as easy to use for complete beginners as say Wix is, but it does offer some really great features for your eCommerce store. You can also create content to attract inbound customers. Once you get the hang of it BIGCommerce can be a great eCommerce platform that is available at a decent price.  They also offer 24/7 customer support if you get stuck with anything. If you are completely fresh when it comes to creating online spaces, then you might want to get some help if you decide to go with BIGCommerce

BigCommerce can be integrated with WordPress, Amazon, Shopify and Magento. If you’re looking for a feature-rich solution and you have some tech expertise then BigCommerce is well worth a look.

Click Here To Visit Bigcommerce

6. Recurly (£78.62 per month)

BEST FOR – Larger organizations looking to enhance subscription platform

Recurly is specifically designed for subscription management. They put a lot of emphasis on data analysis to improve the performance of your eCommerce subscription site. Recurly powers some of the biggest subscription sites out there and say they are “The Top Subscription Platform for Maximizing Revenue”. They offer a 30-day free trial so that you can test drive the entire platform. If you are looking for a top of the range eCommerce subscription platform then Recurly is well worth a look.

Click Here To Visit Recurly

7. POWr for Big Cartel (£7.94)

BEST FOR –Artist and makers running a Big Cartel Website

If you’re running an eCommerce site on Big Cartel, then you are most likely an artist, photographer or creator. To make your store into a subscription site you can use the POWr plugin for FREE. You don’t need to know any coding to integrate the POWr order form plugin . Best of all it’ll match your website branding. If you need more features, like discount codes or customization then POWr offers an advanced feature set that costs £6.42.

Click Here To POWr

8. OsCommerce (FREE)

BEST FOR –Those with tech skill looking for a solution that is cheap to deploy

OsCommerce is an all in one open-source eCommerce platform. If you have your own hosting, or you are happy to set one up with a hosting provider then you can deploy OSCommerce free of charge. You’ll need some tech experience to get OsCommerce up and running. Older versions of OsCommerce don’t allow you to take subscription payments, so you’ll need to ensure that you have RC2.2 version or newer to set up your subscription store.

Click Here To Oscommerce

9. 3dcart

BEST FOR –Fast growing eCommerce owners with no technical skills, SEO-friendly
3dcart is a reliable and centralized platform that is gaining the confidence of users worldwide.

With 3dcart, you get an easy-to-use e-commerce platform that doesn’t require any software development skills. At the same time, they also offer you an optimized and advanced structure that’s capable of handling hundreds of products. This is great for businesses that are growing fast and need a suitable SEO friendly solution.

Finally, when it comes to subscriptions and recurring payments they offer an out of the box solution already included so, once again, no need for plugins or add-ons.

Click Here To 3dcart

10. OpenCart Express (£79.42)

BEST FOR –Advanced web developers/ designers that can customize as required

OpenCart is an open-source eCommerce platform that allows a lot of flexibility as to how you would like your store to look and perform. You can get a lot of additional functionality by using some of the extensions available from OpenCart. A few things you need to take into consideration – OpenCart is not easy to deploy, you’ll most likely need the help of a computer programmer to get the site as you want it. You also won’t have support from the company as it is open-source, but you can ask the community in the online forum or help and support.

This platform can be modded up the way you want, but you’ll also need some web hosting to put the site on and a domain name. If you want something easier, then Wix or Shopify are great options.

How to take Subscription Payments?

To take subscription payments for your eCommerce subscription store, you’ll need to integrate your chosen platform with a Payment Gateway. Thankfully it is easier than ever to set up an account and get up and running with your eCommerce subscription site. Years ago we had to deal with banks and complex systems, but now you can get everything set up in minutes from the comfort of your own home. There are many payment gateways to choose from, but the following are two of our favorites:

Payment Gateways to Integrate with Your eCommerce Store

11. Stripe

BEST FOR – Easy setup in minutes for UK, European and US businesses

Most platforms now have Stripe as one of the default settings. They have simple application program interfaces (APIs) that you can use to integrate with your online store. Stripe is an online payment processor that is primarily used in the UK, Europe, and the US. However, you can use Stripe Atlantas to set your eCommerce store up as a US company if you live in another location.

If you are in the UK, Europe or the US then you can set up your Stripe account and integrate it with your eCommerce store in minutes. Stripe can easily be integrated with most platforms such as – WordPress, Clickfunnels, Amazon, Shopify, and Magento.

Click Here To Stripe

12. Paypal

BEST FOR – Quick account setup, fast payments, popular and easy to use

Paypal is a really easy payment gateway to use. I’d say it’s simpler than Stripe to setup in most cases. So if you want something quick and easy, then Paypal is a great option. The only thing is that they limit the amount of money you withdraw until your account has been up and running for a while. You can still take payments, but that’s something to bear in mind, if you have to buy stock. 

Click Here To Paypal

The Bottom Line

Make sure that you are offering a subscription service that is needed and useful. Selecting the best platform will lay a good foundation, that is – if people require the solution that you are offering.  Tailor your packages to your customer needs by speaking with them and optimizing your offering. Creating an eCommerce subscription can be a rewarding experience that brings recurring residual income, but it does need managed. Having a few payment methods can be a bonus – you could even allow people to pay in Bitcoin if that is something you are interested in.

ASP.NET is a programming language or more accurately an open-source server-side web application framework. If you’re looking for a great ASP.NET web host, then you might have a complex application that needs a powerful web host or aim to build one. Perhaps you have a  site that uses DotNetNuke, Umbraco or nopCommerce and needs a great ASP.NET host. If that’s the case, this article is for you.

You’ll need a secure Windows server environment Microsoft is continually improving the .NET framework, the latest version is 4.7.2. You’ll need a web host that will support the framework that your app is built-in. Alternatively, you can migrate to the latest version and tweak your app as appropriate. While .NET is backward compatible, some components get updated so using the latest version of the .NET framework is advisable.

The ideal .Net host will have a Windows server, optimized for ASP.NET scripts, be scalable and offered at a great price. That being said, Let’s explore the best Windows ASP.NET hosting options that are currently available.

7 Best Windows ASP Net Web Hosting (More than IONOS) #Windows #hosting Share on X

1.SmarterASP.NET (£2.34/ Month)

BEST FOR – 60-Day Trial (No Credit Card), US and European Small-Medium Businesses

Founded back in 1999, SmarterASP.NET has focused on providing cost-effective solutions for Microsoft ASP.NET hosting for two decades. The parent company is Global Passive System & BusinessICS Intl Limited in the US. If you are looking for a company that specializes in ASP.NET websites then SmarterASP.NET could be the “smart” choice. 

If you’re looking to target people in the UK and US then SmarterASP.NET is great, as they have servers in these two locations. SmarterASP.NET also offers an amazing 60-day free trial that doesn’t require a credit card. So you can give them a go and you ‘ve got nothing to lose.

SmarterASP.NET Packages and Pricing

All of the servers come with MSSQL databases, high-quality SSD drives, and security features. Whatsmore, you’ll also get 24/7 support with the free trial, can’t say fairer than that.  SmarterASP.NET also has automatic data backups on all of the plans, apart from the free trial. If you are looking to schedule tasks or run Cron Jobs, then you’ll need to select their .NET PREMIUM package.

• W60 60 DAYS Trial (FREE) – 1GB webspace, 1 website, 1 domain name, 10GB bandwidth, 1 FTP account, 1 MSSQL database
• .NET Basic (£2.34/ Month) – unlimited webspace, 1 website, unlimited domain names, unlimited  bandwidth, unlimited FTP accounts, 1 MSSQL database
• .NET Advance (£3.93/ Month) – unlimited webspace, 1 website, unlimited domain names, unlimited  bandwidth, unlimited FTP accounts, 6 MSSQL database
• .NET Premium (£6.31/ Month) – unlimited webspace, 1 website, unlimited domain names, unlimited  bandwidth, unlimited FTP accounts, unlimited databases

Click Here To Visit Smarterasp

Pros

• 24/7 live chat
• 99.92% uptime
• Unlimited Bandwidth
• Free SSL
• Anytime money-back guarantee

Cons

• High renewal rates
• No Turbo on the lower plans

3. Bisend (£3.14/ Month)

BEST FOR – Managed hosting for small to medium-sized businesses serving the US or Hong Kong

Bisend was founded in 2011 and is owned by Light Red Tech Co Ltd, a UK based company.  Bisend is a company that specializes in ASP.NET hosting, as the name suggests. They have invested in powerful solid-state drives (SSD) shared and VPS hosting packages. You get the leading industry-standard control panel for Windows – “Plesk” when you choose Bisend. Bisend has servers in both the US and Hong Kong. They offer a ready-code environment so that you can get coding as soon as you purchase a server from them. They also have their servers built with the latest Microsoft Windows technology.

Bisend Windows  ASP.NET Packages and Prices

Bisend offers a free domain name for the first year and free SSL certificates. You can choose from their US of Hong Kong server locations.

•  Standard (£3.14/ Month) – 1 website, 10GB SSD Disk Space, 50GB Bandwidth, 50 Email Accounts, Site Memory: 256MB, 2GB Database
• Pro (£4.73 / Month) – 5 websites, Unlimited SSD Disk Space, Unlimited Bandwidth, 100 Email Accounts, 2x faster than the “Standard hosting” Site Memory: 512MB, 4GB Database
• Business (£11.08 / Month) – Unlimited Websites, Unlimited SSD Disk Space, Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Email Accounts – 4x faster than Pro plan, Site Memory: 768MB, 8GB Database

Click Here To Visit Bisend

Pros

• 24/7 Support
• Code-Ready Environment
• Free SSL Certificates
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• US and Hong Kong servers only
• New hosting company

4. WinHost (£3.14/ Month)

Best for – Premium Windows Hosting Specialist, one-click app installation

WinHost specializes in premium Windows hosting. They offer one-click installation for ASP.NET applications like nopCommerce and DotNetNuke. They support Windows 2016-2018 hosting and ASP.NET core hosting as well as just about every type of .net hosting you could want. They also offer free website migration so that you can minimize downtime if you want to port your website over to WinHost.

WinHost Packages and Pricing

Winhost offers four plans that get cheaper if you sign up for their 2-year package. SiteLock security is an add-on for the lower two plans (£15.84 /yr) but free for the higher two plans. The prices increase by the number of FTP users that you need.

• Basic Plan (£3.14/month) – 3GB disk space, 50GB bandwidth, 10 FTP users
• Max Plan (£6.31/ month) – Unlimited disk space and bandwidth, 30 FTP users
• Ultimate Plan (£12.67 /Month) – Unlimited disk space and bandwidth, 100 FTP users
• Power Plan (£31.73 /Month) – Unlimited disk space and bandwidth, 250 FTP users

Click Here To Winhost

5. HostGator (£3.65/ Month)

BEST FOR – Personal or small business hosting

HostGator was founded back in 2002 and is now a household name in the hosting space. HostGator is an award-winning website host and is one of the leading hosting providers that is most popular for its reseller hosting packages. As with most hosts, the longer you sign up with HostGator, the cheaper your hosting will be. You can get either shared, VPS or dedicated server hosting packages for Windows. To keep things simple we are just looking at the “shared” Windows hosting for now.

HostGator Packages and Pricing

Hostgator offers two Windows hosting packages for you to host your ASP.net website, both offer unmetered disk space and bandwidth, as well as free SSL certificates. You also benefit from the Parallels Plesk Panel and MSSQL. The packages they offer are as follows:

• Personal Plan (3.65/month)– 1 domain, unmetered disk space, unmetered bandwidth, FREE SSL website security certificate
• Enterprise Plan (£11.40/month) – 5 domains, unmetered disk space, unmetered bandwidth, FREE SSL website security certificate, FREE dedicated IP

Click Here To Visit Hostgator

6. DiscountASP.NET (£7.94/Month)

BEST FOR – Certificated Microsoft Golden partner, FREE domain name

Another dedicated ASP.NET website host that is a certificated Microsoft Golden partner and offers data centers in the US an Europe/ UK is DiscountASP.NET. DiscountASP.NET was founded back in 2003 and offers 24/7/365 support. They support all of the latest Microsoft updates. They also offer a free domain name and they are fully licensed under the Microsoft’s Service Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) Program. Despite being called “Discount”ASP.net, they are one of the more expensive providers on this list.

ASP.NET Packages and Pricing

Unlike most other hosts on this list, ASP.NET offers just one ASP.NET hosting plan. This could be a pro or a con. The plan comes with free months free if you pay upfront for a year. The features offered are as follows:

• Base Web Hosting Plan(£7.94 / Month) – 1000MB disk space, 80GBB monthly data transfer, free website migration, control panel, 500 email addresses

Click Here To Visit Discountasp.Net

7. 1&1 IONOS (£1/Month)

BEST FOR –Reliable, cost-effective, feature-rich web hosting

1&1 IONOS is one of the biggest and best web hosting companies in the world. They were founded in 1998 and currently have over 12 million customers. As a well-established web host, you know that you can put your trust in 1&1 IONOS. They also offer 24/7 customer support, should you need to resolve any issues.  Although I was tempted to put these guys at the top of the list, they do up their price to £8 after the initial period (6 or 12 months) has expired, so I put them in their relevant “realistic” place on the list. Afterall the article title did say “more than just IONOS”. But realistically – they are fantastic at what they do.

Amazingly all three of IONOS’s Windows plans come in at £1 for at least the first 6 months. The “Business” plan stays at this price for a massive 12 months, which is impressive. Here is an overview of their ASP.NET hosting packages and pricing:

• Business (£1/month for 12 months, then £8 per month) – 1 Website, 100GB storage, 25 MSSQL DBs, 25 email accounts free domain
• Pro (£1/month for 6 months, then £10 per month) – 5 Website, 250GB storage, 100 MSSQL DBs, 100 email accounts free domain, SiteLock malware protection
• Expert (£1/month for 6 months, then £14 per month) – 50 Websites, 500GB storage, 500 MSSQL DBs, 500 email accounts free domain, SiteLock malware protection, Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Click Here To 1&1 IONOS

The Bottom Line

Windows ASP.NET web hosting differs from Linux hosting by what you can install on the server and the databases you use. It’s important to find a host that offers free MSSQL databases and a Plesk control panel. In this article, we’ve focused on shared Windows hosting but it’s important to note that you can also get dedicated Windows hosting and VPS hosting for Windows. When selecting a host, look for the resources you get for the price you are paying. 

Are you looking for a Microsoft website builder alternative?

Just about everyone on the planet has heard about Microsoft, the American multinational technology company founded by Bill Gates and his childhood friend Paul Allen. Microsoft is the world’s largest software maker. Gates famously stated his mission of “a computer on every desk and in every home”. If mobile devices count, I’d say he has reached his goal. But how does Microsoft fair in the website building arena?

In this article we’ll dive deep into the world of Microsoft Website builder options. Firstly, let’s cover the basics. 

Does Microsoft Have a Website Builder?

Microsoft doesn’t seem to be a big player in the website builder arena. They used to provide a software package called “FrontPage” that ran the internet at one point, but support for this product is now discontinued. 

Microsoft FrontPage was available for almost two decades – however they stopped supporting it back in 2009. The old FrontPage HTML editor has since been replaced by Microsoft Expression Web and the lesser known Microsoft SharePoint Designer. Since 2012 Microsoft Expression Web 4 has been discontinued, however you can download it from their site. SharePoint Designer is also a thing of the past. 

Is Microsoft FrontPage still available?

Up until April 2014 Microsoft provided some extended support for FrontPage. Now they have completely discontinued the FrontPage web publishing software and it is no longer supported. You can however download the legacy software from the Microsoft website, so we’ll discuss the applications for the discontinued software should you like to give them a go. 

Because Microsoft has stepped out of the Web Builder Arena, we’ll also explore Microsoft supported web builder tools that you can take advantage of.

#1 | Microsoft Expression Web 4 (Free)

I chose Expression Web 4 to be first on the list because, despite support being pulled, Microsoft Expression Web 4 is an actual Microsoft visual website editor. Microsoft released Microsoft Expression Web 4 in 2006 and then dropped support in 2012. 

Specifically designed for Microsoft Developers, Microsoft Expression Web 4 supports ASP.Net and Microsoft Silverlight. You can edit your website code either directly or through their easy to use visual editor. 

Microsoft Expression Web 4 is especially good for embedding multimedia files like videos and photos on your web pages. This website editor has some nice features and is completely free, so it’s worth a go if you are looking specifically for a “Microsoft” website builder. 

Click Here To Visit Microsoft Expression Web 4

Pros

• You can embed multimedia files
• Visual Editor/ Edit code directly
• Great for Microsoft developers
• Completely free

Cons

• Support is discontinued
• Old fashioned appearance

#2 | Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is more of a source-code editor than a website builder. However, as Microsoft website builders are slim pickings – I thought I’d throw it in.  If you’re looking to get into coding like a professional developer, then Visual Studio is brilliant. It has nice syntax highlighters and it’s free and open source. VS code is made for just about every programming languages like Python, C++, C#, Batch, F# and Objective-C. You can also create CSS files to make your website look stylish. The only caviate is that you’d need to get into coding to use Visual Studio. 

Click Here To Visit Visual Studio Code

Pros

• Professional Set up
• Free
• Easy to use UX
• Works in both Windows and MacOS

Cons

• Not for beginners
• No templates

#3 | Wix (for FREE)

Next up is Wix – a popular website building platform that has partnered with Microsoft Office 365. Meaning you can use your Microsoft Office 365 account and get your Wix subscription free. You can even login to your Wix account with your Office 365 details. Wix is a slick, modern free website builder tool that is so easy, a young child could use it.  They offer clean and professional looking website templates that you can click to select and then all you have to do is drag and drop elements to complete your design. 

With Wix you have everything you need to build a website and get it up and running in a matter of minutes. You can even go in and make your pages just perfect with the Wix page editor. Wix has a wide range of helpful tutorials on using your Microsoft Office 365 subscription to create your Wix site. You can also connect an Office 365 to a domain on your Wix account.

Click Here To Visit Wix

#4 |GoCentral (from £4.75 p/m)

GoCentral is the website builder tool from GoDaddy. GoCentral isn’t a Microsoft product, but like Wix, they’ve partnered with Microsoft. I like the fact that you get Microsoft Office 365 as part of your subscription with GoCentral. 

GoCentral has been designed with the modern short attention span in mind. They’ve stated that the platform has been created for you to create your website in an hour or less, which is fantastic if you want to give a website idea a go and are short of time. 

GoCentral isn’t wonderful when it comes to flexibility in your website creation. Also it can be quite slow. On a positive note, GoCentral is great for creating all types of website, including eCommerce sites.

Click Here To Visit GoCentral

#5 | WebMatrix 3 (FREE)

Web Matrix 3 is yet another website builder from Microsoft that you can access for FREE. However, like FrontPage, Microsoft Expression Web and  Microsoft SharePoint Designer, support for Web Matrix 3 is discontinued, as of 2017. Hence, it’s now totally free and great for people who are working with older websites built in Web Matrix 3. 

Web Matrix is a software that was created for developers, specifically for those using HTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript. So it’s not as user friendly as site builders like Wix, and not for the novice. 

WebMatrix could be an interesting place to start if you want to learn to create websites for free. They offer a wide range of helpful tutorials that guide you through the entire process. You can jump on the WebMatrix site and download their software, select templates and even preview a mobile website view. 

Click Here To Visit WebMatric 3

#6 | Microsoft FrontPage

Yet another product from Microsoft that has seen its support pulled. FrontPage is great for those who want to work with legacy websites. FrontPage was one of the first website builders and a big thing in its day. However, as the internet exploded, so too did our options for website builders and editors. 

FrontPage was launched in 1997 and was one of the original website building platforms. They were the first platform to provide a What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor – so you could preview your websites before you put them online. Pretty standard in 2019 but back in 1997 the feature was quite revolutionary. 

As we are discussing Microsoft Website builders, I thought it was fitting to add FrontPage into the list as it paved the way for future website builders. FrontPage is SharePoint’s predecessor. 

# 7 |Microsoft Website Builder SharePoint

DepositFiles has servers in 9 countries, which is great for uploading and downloading. They also offer 10GB for free. With DepositFiles there are a few catches. One is that you’ll have to endure advertisements on your FREE account. Their site and user interface is also a bit dated and not very intuitive. You can upgrade to the gold membership which gets you faster upload and download speeds and you can pay with credit card or Bitcoin. DepositFiles pricing is a bit steep  at £9.52 per month, and with this you don’t get extra file storage.

One thing that is great about DepositFiles is the fact that you can send a link with password protection – even on the free plan. I also like the fact that they store your files for free for an unlimited time. 

Click Here To Visit Sharepoint

Domain names can be hosted by themselves, or you can have your domain hosting, email hosting and web hosting in one place. The domain hosting space has become quite competitive, which is good news for you as the buyer. This means that you can get some completely free domain hosting providers and some great bundle deals. Most web hosts also offer domain hosting as part of their service. People often ask, can you get a domain name for free? I’ve written a detailed article on how to get a 100% free domain name, you can read it here. However, if you are simply looking for domain hosting for a domain name you already own, or multiple for that matter, then this article is for you. 

Domain Name Registration

It’s important to note that all domain name registrars have access to the same domain name URLs. Therefore, when we are looking for a good domain host, then we are looking for the FREE/ cheap aspect and also the additional domain management features. Automatic features like auto domain renewal or bulk domain buying tools are handy.

Domain Name Management

A domain name is a critical part of your online brand presence. Domain management is essential to ensure that your domain name stays stable, secure and always available. Renewing domain names or terminating them are the main actions that people want to perform on a domain name. However, domain transfer, domain auctions and domain investing are also activities that more advanced domain name owners might want to take part in.

Keeping your WHOIS information up to date is also an essential part of managing your domain name. According to ICANN regulation, you need to provide accurate contact information for your domain. Having the ability to directly update these details from your domain manager is a bonus. 

Without further ado, let’s dive into 9 best FREE domain name hosting providers. 

1. Hostinger

BEST FOR – Cheap, reliable domain hosting and web hosting – for growing your online presence.

Hostinger is a MASSIVE web host that you can trust. Hostinger powers websites for over 2 million users all around the world. With that many users, you know they are a name you can trust. If you are looking for a free domain name with cheap hosting, then look no further than Hostinger. 

You’ll also get a professional domain name when you sign up with Hostinger. From £2.59 per month, you can get hosting with a free domain name from Hostinger. If you want to transfer domains from another provider then you can do it quickly and easily. That way you can manage all of your domain names in one place.

It’s easy to manage your domain names, you simply hit “My Domain Names” inside the Network Solutions Account Manager and you can then set the DNS, and manage all of your domain names. You can also use hPanel to set subdomains. You’ll be able to register domain easily in the onboarding process and manage them inside the hPanel with no hassle.

Hostinger is great for providing comprehensive tutorials for you to manage your account easily.

Click Here To Visit Hostinger

Pros

✔ 99.9% uptime guarantee

✔ Easy to manage

✔ Great customer support

✔ Free domain name

Cons

✘ Need to buy hosting to get free domain hosting

Get an additional 10% by using our code UKWEBHOST.

2. 000WebHost

BEST FOR – Small websites, clubs, and personal projects

000WebHost offers 100% free domain hosting services. Additionally, you can get free subdomains if you are simply looking for a domain name to point at a server. They accept international domains. Additionally, they offer free hosting, but what’s the catch? 

000WebHost offers a completely free domain and web hosting service as well as offering some great features, like a website builder. They also don’t show any ads on the free hosting plan as many others do. What’s more, you can administer your domain names and hosting with cPanel. This is great news for creating sub-domains and setting up email addresses. 

The only real catch with the free domain hosting from 000WebHost is that they don’t offer email accounts with the free plan. So if you want to take advantage of their free domain or website hosting, then you won’t be able to make professional email addresses. Paid plans and contributions make the 000WebHost a viable option (business-wise). When you upgrade to paid you get more disk space, an email account, backups, free domain name, SSL certificates, and 24/7 support.

With 000WebHost you can upload your files via FTP, use WordPress or their free “Easy Website Builder”. They give you 1 GB disk space & 10GB bandwidth plus domain hosting – all for no money down.

Click Here To Visit 000webhost

Pros

✔ No Adverts

✔ Free domain host

✔ Free web host

✔ Website builder

✔ cPanel

Cons

✘ Email accounts not available on the free plan

✘ Limited support on free plan

3. Names.co.uk

BEST FOR – Beginners who would like free.uk and .co.uk domain name and hosting

Names.co.uk was founded nearly two decades ago, and are a great domain hosting provider. Names.co.uk is part of the European conglomerate Dada Group.Names.co.uk offers a great deal where you can get two .uk and two .co.uk domain names for free. They also provide a free email account via their LiteMail option, this gives you 100MB storage as well as decent features such as anti-virus and spam protection. Names. co.uk offers a free website builder and great customer support. 

If you are also looking to host your website with names.co.uk then they have some great features for those of us who are not tech experts. For example, you can get cPanel and loads of 1-click installation tools that allow you to install WordPress with the click of a button. One major downside of Names.co.uk is that their customer support is only open during office hours (eg. No 24/7 support). They also have no live chat feature. 

Click Here To Visit Names.co.uk

Pros

✔ FREE email account

✔ Feature rich

✔ Great Customer support

✔ Free domain names

✔ 99.9% uptime

✔ FREE SSL

✔ Free Fotolia credits

Cons

✘ No live chat

✘ Limited Support

4. Wix (FREE .com)

Best for – Novice that has just one domain/ website name that they want to host.

Wix is an Israeli cloud-hosting company famous for their easy to use website builder. You can get a free .com domain name with a paid plan from Wix, otherwise, you can get a subdomain with your free account. The only downside is that you can’t park unlimited domain names on Wix. When I think of domain hosting, I think of hosting multiple domain names. However, you might only have one domain name, and if this is the case – Wix is a brilliant option. 

The website builder from Wix comes with some slick templates and a drag and drop interface that is extremely easy to use. Wix also has a logo maker and a great support center. Wix is a fantastic option for the complete beginner and currently hosts over 110 million websites.

Click Here To Visit Wix

Pros

✔ Great for beginners 

✔ FREE .com domain name for 1 year

✔ Easy to use web builder

Cons

✘ Free domain name only with paid plan

✘ Lacks domain management tools

5. Godaddy

BEST FOR – Domain Name Enthusiasts as they offer some great domain name tools

Godaddy are the largest domain name registrar in the world, so it’s no wonder that Godaddy offers some special domain hosting features, that no other provider offers. They boast 17 million customers from all over the world. You can also add as many domain names as you want to your web hosting account for FREE. Additionally, transferring domain names is also free.

Bluehost allows you to transfer standard domain names to your hosting account for free. Such as com, net, org, us, co, info, and biz. The domain name tools available from Godaddy are extensive, for that reason alone, they are a great company to use as your domain host. They offer tools like – bulk domain search, cash parking, domain investing, domain value appraisal, domain auction, domain name generators and much much more.

Click Here To Visit Godaddy

Pros

✔ Largest Domain Name Registrar

✔ 99.9% uptime

✔ Great web builder with over 300 themes

✔ 24/7 Support

✔ cPanel

Cons

✘ Live chat only available during office hours

6. 123 Reg

BEST FOR – UK companies that want to host unlimited domain names and websites.

123 Reg is a UK website and domain host that focuses on the customer experience. All of their plans come with one or more free domain names, which is nice. They also offer unlimited bandwidth – meaning you don’t need to worry about how many users come to your site, 123 Reg has you covered. You can transfer the vast majority of standard domain names to 123 Reg for free however if you want to transfer a premium domain name, then this comes with a sizable fee of £19.99+.

You can host as many domain names as you like on 123 reg and also upgrade your plan as and when you want to expand your business. The fact that they offer truly unlimited bandwidth is an attractive proposition. 

Click Here To Visit 123 Reg

Pros

✔ Great customer service

✔ Transfer standard domains for FREE

✔ Unlimited bandwidth

✔ You need to buy one of their hosting plans to get free domain hosting

✔ UK Company

Cons

 ✘ Transferring premium domains is expensive

7. Bluehost

BEST FOR – Great domain management features

Another thing to look out for is whether or not your domain name is will be locked if you don’t pay for your hosting. The good thing about Bluehost is that you can login to their “Bluehost Domain Manager” even if you don’t have an active hosting account. This is a great feature of Bluehost, making them a very reliable option. 

You’ll also get a free standard domain name if you sign up for a hosting package with Bluehost. If you don’t know what domain name to choose then they’ll give you a domain credit to use at a later date. Update WHOIS information directly from your domain manager dashboard. You can add, edit and manage your domain names from the Bluehost domain manager.

Click Here To Bluehost

Pros

✔ 24/7 Support

✔ Bluehost Domain Manager

✔ Transfer standard domain names for free

Cons

✘ Expensive host

8. 1&1 IONOS (FREE .co.uk)

BEST FOR – FREE .co.uk with optional hosting

You can get a completely free domain name or transfer your domain names to 1&1 IONOS for free. 1&1’s domain name servers can be used or you can use your own name servers when you host your domain with 1&1 Ionos. It is easy and free to transfer your domain name from another provider to 1&1 ionos. They also offer some great tutorials. You can purchase Microsoft Office 365 from 1&1. This makes creating and using professional email addresses easy with 1&1 IONOS

Click Here To Visit 1&1 IONOS

Pros

✔ Get free .co.uk domain name

✔ 1 email account

✔ SSL included

Cons

✘ Offer only available for .co.uk domain names

✘ Not for beginners

9. One.com (.co.uk, .com, .uk, .org)

BEST FOR –  Lots of FREE domain name extensions, enhanced domain security features

If you are looking for unlimited subdomains, then One.com could be the domain host for you. They also provide a wide range of credible domain name extensions like .com, .co, .co.uk, .org and .uk for FREE. Watch out for the cheeky monthly £0.98 DNS fee that is applied. 

They also offer additional security features like ownership protection and privacy. For example, they will protect your email from hijacking or losing your domain name when it accidentally expires. One great thing about One.com is that you can create as many professional email addresses as you want for your domain names hosted with them. This is quite unusual as often hosts restrict the number of email addresses that you can have. One.com allows you to manage all areas of your domain name from an easy to use interface. Inside the domain manager, you can manage DNS, forward emails

Click Here To Visit One.com

Pros

✔ 15 Day money-back guarantee

✔ 24/7 support

✔ Unlimited email aliases

✔ Wide range of “free” domain names

✔ Website builder can be added

Cons

✘ Monthly DNS fee of £0.98

In Conclusion

When looking for domain hosting, admin features are extremely important. Additionally, the number of subdomains, hosting prices and the availability of email addresses also come up top on my list. Hostinger is probably my favorite, because they offer such great deals and power 29 million websites as well as offering a free domain name. Managing domain names is also really easy with Hostinger. 

Cloud-based storage solutions are becoming increasingly popular. Businesses and their customers now rely heavily on cloud services as opposed to physical storage and hardware. I’m sure many of you can relate to this, perhaps without even realising it. For example, when you take a photo on your phone, these can be uploaded straight to the cloud. An example of this is Apple iOS users who use iCloud.

Cloud storage is used for a variety of reasons. According to Statista, the most popular use of cloud service storage is to protect against the loss of data (backups). Let’s look at the B2B and B2C revenues, the hosting, storage and computing cloud services market revenue in the United Kingdom for 2018. The turnover was around £6.6m and this is expected to rise to £7.7m.

There are absolutely loads of cloud storage services available. However, it’s not just a case of picking one and running with it as there are many factors to consider. If you’re running a business, you’ll need to choose wisely, taking into account storage, bandwidth, and security – finding the most secure cloud storage is often a priority for businesses.

 

What Is Cloud Storage?

Before we jump in, it’s important to understand what cloud storage actually is. The so-called ‘traditional’ methods of storing data relate to the use of hard drives, USB drives, etc. Whilst they are handy, if your data gets corrupted or is lost, it’s almost impossible to retrieve the data again.

Cloud storage replicates what traditional storage does, but it does so on what’s known as the virtual cloud (or the cloud). At first it was quite a challenge to get businesses to move over to cloud storage. As with any new technology, the unknown risks associated with it can be scary. However, cloud storage is much safer and far more reliable.

 

Advantages Of Cloud Storage

Increased accessibility: Files stored on the cloud can be retrieved from anywhere with an internet connection. You can use your PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone etc. to access your files on the go.

Scalability: With cloud storage, you only pay for what you need. Most cloud services will allow you to upgrade as and when you need it. So if your business is small, you may only require a small amount of storage. However, as it grows, you’ll want your storage to grow too.

Data Redundancy: Many cloud service providers will use data redundancy which means there will be multiple copies of your data. In the unlikely event of your data being corrupted or lost, there will be backups of your data. There are also options to replicate your data across regions. If this is of interest to you, you’ll want to consider a cloud service that offers geo replication.

Cost: Cloud storage is very affordable compared to hardware. In some cases, this can cost nothing at all. Because the cloud doesn’t face issues of becoming outdated technology, it will also save you money in the long run.

Disadvantages Of Cloud Storage

Internet Speed: If you decide to run a backup during business hours, your internet utilisation could be affected. You may need to setup some bandwidth controls in order to assign only a certain amount of bandwidth to your backups.

Compliance Issues: Depending on which sector you work within, cloud storage may not be an option. Certain industries like Healthcare and Financial Services need to carefully consider their options before using the cloud.

Vulnerability: Although any business or individual can be vulnerable to security attacks, we do have to mention this. As with any technology, it is not completely flawless and hackers may find a way to access your data or information, although it is unlikely.

1: Google Drive

Google Drive allows any user to have 15GB worth of storage for free. All you need is a Google account (also free), and you can start storing your photos, videos, documents etc. In my opinion, Google Drive is the best free cloud backup service of 2019. Whilst many cloud services are very similar, I feel Google Drive has a much more personal touch to it.

If you need to access your data offline, Google Drive can help you view your files without any issues. If you have documents to scan, all you need to do is upload them and Google will do the rest. You can also share your documents with others, allowing for easier access and collaboration should you need it.

Access anywhere (from multiple devices)
Share files with others easily (and collaborate)
15GB free

Visit Google Drive

2: MediaFire

MediaFire allows you to store up to 10GB of data for free. If you refer your friends or complete certain bonuses, you may be able to increase your storage up to 50GB. MediaFire also offers premium services £2.98 per month which includes a whopping 1TB of space.

Similar to Google Drive, MediaFire will give you access to share your files and folders with other people. You can share what you like and allow others to collaboratively work with you. There’s also a mobile app to make the process easier, available to download on iPhone, iPad, Android, or Apple TV.

Large file uploads
No bandwidth limitations
10GB free (option to upgrade to 50GB)

Visit MediaFire

3: Dropbox

Dropbox doesn’t offer as much storage space as other cloud services. You’ll start off with 2GB of free space, but this can easily be increased to 18GB by completing a few simple tasks. Whether you’re using a desktop or mobile, you can use the Dropbox app to upload your files from anywhere.

If you want to share your files with others, you can do so, and they don’t need a Dropbox account. For those of you who store Microsoft Office documents on Dropbox, you may be pleased to know that you can edit your documents for free using Microsoft Office Online.

Earn free storage
File and folder sharing
Retrieve deleted files

Visit Dropbox

4: MEGA

Although many of you may not have heard of MEGA before, they’re certainly worth considering. With a massive 50GB free cloud storage, you’ll enjoy end-to-end encryption with fast transfers. They also have a mobile app which can be downloaded on iOS, Windows, Android and many more.

Visit MEGA

5: pCloud

pCloud offers 10GB free online storage. Like many cloud services, you can increase this to 20GB by completing bonuses like friend referrals. pCloud have a mobile app as well as a desktop client. They also support remote URL file adding, where you can upload single files or whole folders through your browser.

You can send and share your files with anyone you choose. When you sign up to pCloud you’ll be given your own unique email address so you can receive files directly from others to your pCloud account. If you share a lot of images on your social media accounts, you can backup these with pCloud for free.

Multimedia streaming
No file limits
Earn additional storage

Visit pCloud

6: Box

Box (formerly known as Box.net) offer 10GB of free online cloud storage. Their mobile app can be downloaded on iOS and Android and allows you to upload (as well as share) your content. They also have a desktop app for Windows and Mac; the client is really easy to use and makes uploading files very simple.

If you require your cloud storage to be able to share files and folders with people, Box won’t let you down. Simply choose the files or folders you want to share and Box will present you with a shareable link. Box’s security tools are second to none, regardless of the type of compliance you need to meet.

Bulk file downloads
Spreadsheet integration
10GB free storage

Visit Box

7: FlipDrive

If you’re new to FlipDrive, you can bag yourself 10GB free cloud storage. Like many other free cloud storage services, you can earn more storage for every friend you refer to FlipDrive. You can choose whether to use FlipDrive’s website or app to upload files. If you use their website, you can upload entire folders at any given time which is very handy.

Sharing files and folders with others is easy too. Your friends/family don’t need a FlipDrive account to be able to access files, but they will need one to view folders. Similar to other services, you can give people access to write, edit, and delete files and folders should you wish. There’s a limit of 25MB for shared files, and overall it’s not as easy to use as other services we’ve tested.

Plenty of free storage
Cross-platform apps
File sharing permissions

Visit FlipDrive

8: Yandex Disk

I’d never heard of Yandex Disk before now. Yandex is a Russian company who provide multiple helpful tools like Yandex Search and Yandex Email. Customers choosing Yandex Disk will get 10GB free cloud storage once you’ve created an account with them.

Yandex have similar features to other cloud storage services like public and private file/folder sharing. They also offer some unique features like social network photo imports, bulk downloads, and automatic mobile uploads. Whilst they may not be as well known as other services, they certainly don’t scrimp on useful tools. There’s a mobile app available to download for Android and iOS.

Unique features
Automatically upload mobile images
10GB free storage

Visit Yandex.Disk

9: Sync

Sync offers free cloud storage of up to 5GB when you sign up for free. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any offers to increase the storage through referrals etc. unless you sign up to their pro version. However, when you upload files with Sync, you’re reassured they are 100% secure and private.

You can share files and folders with others; they don’t have to be a Sync user. They also offer a feature called vault which is a folder on Sync which isn’t shared across your devices. This is handy if you need to store files away for a rainy day but don’t necessarily need access on all your devices. Sync is available on Windows, iOS, and Android with both free and pro versions.

Upload via web
Collaborate with others
Vault storage for archived files

Visit Sync

10: iCloud

iCloud is a cloud storage solution suited to Apple users. You’ll get 5GB of iCloud storage for free, allowing you to store your documents, files, contacts, etc. safely and securely. It’s a very simple application to use and you can share your photos and videos with others, and even across your devices (e.g. iPhone, iPad).

The useful thing about iCloud is that you can free up your device’s storage by automatically uploading your files to the cloud. For Apple users, this can often be very handy as you can’t upgrade iOS storage like you can with other devices like Samsung phones. More storage can be purchased at a small cost of 79p per month for up to 50GB storage.

Easy to use
Automatically upload photos from your device
Share with family and friends

Visit iCloud

When it comes to businesses, first impressions go a long way. I’m sure you can relate to meeting someone new and judging them on their firm handshake or crisp suit. Well, online businesses aren’t really too different. When consumers see your email address, they pass judgement and assess how much they think they can trust your brand.

Put it this way, would you have more confidence in a brand that had an email address like contact@yourwebsitename.com or yourname@gmail.com – probably the latter! In fact, 75% of consumers believe having a custom email address that relates to your website is a defining factor when it comes to brand confidence.

Custom email domains take your website’s URL and uses it as part of the email address. If we look at my own website as an example, my email address is hello@ukwebhostreview.com which gives a professional brand image. It may seem like a small detail, but I can assure you it makes a big difference.

If you’re wondering how to get a free custom domain email I’ll show you how below.

Best Free Domain with Email Hosting

Regardless of the type of business you run, customers expect you to have a custom domain. It doesn’t matter if your business is solely online or you operate a craft stand in a market hall. A website and custom email domain are essential tools to running your own business. Simply put, if your email address uses your domain name, it’s going to look professional. Nobody wants to see a Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo email address.

Custom domain emails show that you mean business (and you’re serious about it). If customers don’t believe or trust in your brand, they’re never going to buy from you. According to a study conducted by Boston Consulting Group, for millennials, brand authenticity is second only to loyalty discounts in importance when choosing companies to support.

Buying a domain name doesn’t have to be expensive. On average, they cost anywhere between 99p to £9.99 per year. If you’re not ready to fork out any money on a domain name, you can actually get a domain for free in just a few minutes. However, I’d highly recommend getting a domain with your hosting provider. Why? Because most of them offer a domain name for free as part of their hosting packages. Either way, you’ll need web hosting, so you might as well get one for free!

My personal recommendation is BlueHost. They offer the best of both worlds in terms of email hosting and free domains. They hold a solid reputation in the web hosting world and boast stable performance results for WordPress websites. Not only that, they give their customers unlimited email accounts and forwarding accounts. You’ll get to choose between three webmail solutions (or you can use your own) as well as POP3 and IMAP for security.

Visit BlueHost.com (£2.43/Month)

Find a Domain Name

Before securing your custom email domain, you’re going to need to find a domain name (if you haven’t already). As we’ve already discussed, your domain name is one of the most important steps to getting your free custom email domain. It’s going to represent your online presence and determine how people see your brand.

Choosing the best domain name can be difficult, as often they’re already taken. However, there are a few tips and tricks that I have up my sleeve that I’d like to share with you. If you’re finding it tough coming up with a domain name, you can use a tool that will generate a unique domain name that might help to get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s take a look at some tips for coming up with a domain name:

• TLD .com: Customers tend to trust .com domains because they’re familiar with them. If you’re able to get a .com TLD then it’s worth nabbing it whilst you can.
• Keywords: When coming up with a domain name it’s worth trying to include some keywords. Not only does this make your site more memorable to people, it can also make a difference to your Google search ranking.
• Prefix or Suffix: It’s quite common for your chosen domain name to be unavailable. You could try adding a prefix or suffix to your business name, for example cakestore.com could become thecakestore.com and still be recognisable by your customers.

Register Your Domain

Once you’ve chosen your domain name and have confirmed it’s available, you’ll need to register it. If you’re purchasing or obtaining your domain name through your web host, like BlueHost, there are a few features you can add. One of those features that I recommend is called domain privacy.

When you register a domain name, your name and address become public access. Someone can perform a lookup on your domain and it will tell them where it’s been registered and display your details. If you don’t want this to be accessible, you can opt for domain privacy. This masks your own information and uses your web host or domain registrar as the contact.

Setup an Email Account

As I mentioned earlier, if you get web hosting with BlueHost, you’ll get a free domain email. When you log into BlueHost’s dashboard, you’ll see the email section on the left. All you’ll need to do is enter your desired email and password and your email account is created. It’s really as simple as that.

Your email name represents what’s seen before the @ symbol, for example, hello@ukwebhostreview.com. If you’ve signed up to BlueHost’s basic plan, you’ll get up to 5 email accounts. People create multiple accounts for several reasons such as, a mailbox for general contact, sales, support, etc.

Visit BlueHost.com (£2.43/Month)

Best Cheap Hosting with Free Custom Email Domain

Starting a new business can get expensive pretty quickly. It’s hard to get a good balance of decent quality and affordable prices. However, if you’re on a budget, you don’t have to settle for poor products just because they’re cheap. When it comes to email services, you are going to need something stable and secure so it’s not worth sacrificing.

As I’ve already mentioned, many web hosts offer free custom email domains with their packages. This saves both time and money with the ability to combine three features under one roof. If you choose to go down the web hosting route, make sure you check out the best web hosting providers so you don’t compromise on quality.

There’s a few things to consider when you’re looking for the best budget hosting with a free custom email domain. It’s not all about the cost, so let’s take a look at what you’ll need:

• Spam filters
• Number of email accounts (this will depend entirely on your own business’ needs)
• Storage space
• Forwarding accounts
• POP and IMAP support

Web hosts tend to offer their own webmail access so you can check your emails. However, many of them are now compatible with third-party email services like Office, G Suite, etc. If you’re more familiar with one of these programs, definitely check with your web host that you can use them.

Companies like iPage offer excellent support, so you can check with them before proceeding. iPage is extremely affordable starting at only £1.50 per month. You’ll get unlimited storage, bandwidth and a free domain name. iPage essentials email account offer 500MB storage per account, webmail access, POP3/IMAP, autoresponder, spam filter and virus protection.

Want more information? Read our case study on the best email hosting services.

How to Host Your Own Website

Thinking about hosting your website? If you’ve created your website and would like to make it public on the World Wide Web, then you’ll need hosting. Website hosting can either be done from your PC or by a hosting provider. However, there are many things that you’ll need to know before you decide on what option is best for you. 

You’ll need a domain name for starters. You can get a domain name for free, however, it might not be the sort of domain name you are looking for. A professional domain name can cost anything from £0.99 to tens of thousands. 

The easiest and cheapest way to get your website online is by buying shared hosting from a hosting provider. Shared hosting is when you rent out a portion of a server. The amount of space you need will vary from one website to the next. For example, a website with a large database and a lot of data going in and out is best placed on a Virtual Private Server or a Dedicated Server. On the other hand, if you’re just starting then you could get away with shared hosting until you know what your bandwidth usage will be. 

Why Would You Want to Host Your Own Website?

Let’s address this question for a start. You need hosting to make your website public, however during web development then it is easy to create and host your local machine. That way you don’t need to upload and download files to an external server until you are happy with your website. 

There are several pros and cons to hosting a website on your machine vs hosting with an actual website hosting company.  Hosting your website yourself can be very rewarding, however, it can be a daunting procedure. In this article, we’ll go over how to self- host your website, as well as the pros and cons of each approach to website hosting. 

Think of your web hosting is the home for your website. It needs an (IP) address, enough space for your business to grow, somewhere to store all of your files, to be online 24/7 and security measures to keep your online presence safe. Additionally, you need the functionality of various types of software to ensure that everything is running smoothly. 

Without further ado, let’s dive into how to make your hosting server from home or your office. 

How to host a Website using a Windows PC

Hosting a website on your computer can be rewarding, especially if you’ve made your website from scratch. Watching a website develop from idea to reality is always a thrill. You’ll need a WAMP server to host your website on your WindowsOS.

What is a WAMP Server?

WAMP is fairly straight forward and easy to understand. WAMP stands for Windows, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. This type of server environment is perfect as it installs all of the required software in one go. The “W” is the Windows part of WAMP, therefore if you’re looking to create a website in Linux then you’ll need to go for a LAMP server environment, where the “L” stands for Linux. Lets’ look a bit deeper at the “AMP” piece in the WAMP server environment. 

Apache – the “A” in WAMP is the apache piece. Apache is the core program that performs the hosting services. The full name is the “Apache HTTP server”. Apache is a free open-source web server software that is maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. Apache powers around 46% of all websites globally. Apache is cross-platform and works on both Unix and Windows. Apache is responsible for a smooth secure connection between the two machines.

MySQL– MySQL is the type of database used to house your web files. There are many uses of a database, basically, the database stores all of the web content, making the website dynamic (and hopefully) faster to access. Membership sites that need a login or eCommerce store require a database to function. 

PHP– PHP is the programing language that will be used on this server. PHP is a server-side programming language that can be used to produce both static and dynamic websites. You need to install PHP for your server to recognize the PHP programming language.

Awesome, you now know all about WAMP and why it is 100% required before you can host your website on your PC. Let’s now get started with the practical aspects of getting your PC to host your website. Firstly you need to install the WAMP software. 

Step 1 – Install WAMP Software

Go to this link and download the WAMP Software. 

Step 2 – Run WAMP Software

Double-tap on the downloaded WAMP software and run the .exe file. Simply select next and keep the default settings.  Choose your browser selection or select open to open your default PC browser (in my case that would be Google Chrome)

PRO TIP: Your PC’s firewall settings may reject some of the security aspects of the WAMP environment. You’ll need to make an exception to bypass the security alerts. 

Once WAMP has fully installed – fill in Start “WampServer 2 now” checkbox and then hit “Finish”. 

Step 3 – Managing your WAMP Server

You can change pages and create subdirectories by going to the local disk C “c:\\wamp\\www”. To check if your changes are live, refresh your browser. 

Step 4 – Create an HTML or PHP Page

To create an HTML or PHP page you can write the code in a notepad or syntax editor like Sublime. Using a syntax editor is much easier as you can color-code your text. When you save your document, go to “save as” and then give it a .php extension (eg. Projectname.php). Your saved file should be in

c:\\wamp\\www file location. 

Step 5 – Test Your Code

Check that you’re code is working and all changes have been made by going to http://localhost/Projectname.php – hit refresh to push changes through to your browser. 

Step 6 – Configure your MySQL Databases

When you open WAMP you can go to the menu and open the phpMyAdmin panel. In phpMyAdmin, you can open a new window and you’ll need to input a root password. If you want you can leave the field empty or set a password.  I use XAMP with phpMyAdmin rather than WAMP, when I open the admin it looks like this.

If you have WordPress then you’ll automatically be allocated a database. 

Step 7 – Setting Your Website to be Public

It is regarded as bad practice to use your home PC as a hosting server, mainly due to safety concerns. Using your local machine as a dev environment, on the other hand, is best practice. If you want to go for it an make your website publicly visible then double-tap the WampServer icon and then a dropdown will appear – select “Put Online”.

The second part of setting your website to be public is fixing a few lines of code in the Apache settings. If you don’t do this part then your website will show a “403 Forbidden” warning message. 

Find the httpd.conf file in the WampServer menu inside your Apache folder. Scroll down and you should see the following:

[code type="bash"]

Order Deny, Allow

Deny from all

Order Deny, Allow

Deny from all

[/code]

You need to delete this text and replace it with:

[code type="bash"]

Order Allow, Deny

Allow from all

Order Allow, Deny

Allow from all

[/code]

Step 8 – Change Security Settings 

Change your firewall settings as they will block web requests. You also need to forward port 80 to your PC router. Check the manual that you got with your router if you need more information on this section.  

 Step 9 – Restart Services in WebServer

Once you have completed Step 7 then it’s time to restart your services and see your website online. 

How to host a Website using a Linux PC

If you are looking to set up your website hosting on a Linux PC then you’ll need to set up a LAMP environment, as I mentioned above. This is how to set up your hosting on a Linux PC. 

Step 1 – Install Software Using the Terminal/ Command Prompt

First, open a new terminal/ command prompt and enter the following:

sudo apt install apache2 MySQL-server PHP libapache2-mod-php7.0

You’ll be asked to enter your password for MySQL. To check – restart the Apache server. Every time you change global configurations execute the following command (using .htaccess files)

[code type="bash"]

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

[/code]

Step 2 – Check Your PHP Server is working

It’s a good idea at this stage to make sure that you’re PHP server is working by adding a file in the PHP web server root directory. The file is simply a text file, that should have the following code, and should be added to (/var/www/html/):

sudo echo “” > /var/www/html/info.php

Go to your browser and paste the following URL – http://localhost/info.php

When you do this you should see a screen that shows you information about the PHP instance you are running as follows:

This will show you all of the modules that you are running, so you can go back here in the future if you want to find out more information about your PHP instance. 

Step 3 – Check Your MySQL Database is working MySQL

MySQL databases are required for the majority of sites out there. You can get static sites that don’t dynamically update, but these sites are almost unheard of these days. Some landing page software like Clickfunnels doesn’t use MySQL – but for this example, let’s go in and check that your MySQL databases are running. 

Open a new terminal window and add the following code:

[code type="bash"]

$ service mysql status

mysql.service – MySQL Community Server

[…]

mrt 15 13:24:09 host1 systemd[1]: Started MySQL Server.
[/code]

You should see that the MySQL server has started. You can manage your MySQL in the command line to manage your databases. 

To restart your MySQL server enter the following:

sudo service mysql restart

You’ll need to use the admin details that you set up when you installed MySQL. You can get to the login screen by typing the following:

[code type="bash"]

$ mysql -u root -p

[/code]

PRO TIP: A lot of CMS software (like WordPress) auto-installs a MySQL database for you. 

Step 4 – Manually Create Databases

You can use PHPMyAdmin to create and manage your databases.  To install PHPMyAdmin enter

sudo apt install phpmyadmin

Finally, configure the /etc/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php file using the steps described here.

Step 5 – Using Your Domain Name

If you want to use your domain name for your website, then you’ll need to configure the DNS. Visit the domain name registrar that you bought your domain name from. 

You can buy a static IP to map your domain name or use dynamic with dnydns. As long as you have a static IP address on your local server, then you should be able to map your domain name DNS to your home IP address if you have configured your router. 

Step 6 – Configure Apache

You need to let Apache know where to find the directory to show to your website visitors. For this example, we’ll use yoursite.com as the domain name. Firstly, create a directory and create index.html. Then set up file system permissions as follows: 

[code type="bash"]

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html/yoursite.com

sudo sh -c 'echo 

<h1>This is my self-hosted site yoursite.com</h1>
/var/www/html/ yoursite.com/index.html sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/ yoursite.com

[/code]

You’ll now need to set up a Virtual Host file so that you can see your webpage. 

[code type="bash"]

sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/ yoursite.com.conf

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/ yoursite.com.conf

[/code]

Edit the file so that it looks like this:

[code type="bash"]

ServerAdmin admin@ yoursite.com
ServerName yoursite.com
ServerAlias www. yoursite.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/ yoursite.com
ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
[/code]

Reload Apache to view the changes that you have made:

[code type="bash"]

sudo a2ensite yoursite.com.conf

sudo service apache2 reload

[/code]

Edit your local /etc/hosts file by adding a line with your IP address and domain name. Be sure to change the “100.100.100.100” to match the IP address of your domain:

[code type="bash"]

100.100.100.100 yoursite.com

[/code]

Brilliant, that is everything now set up – go to your domain name http://www. yoursite.com (where yoursite.com is replaced with your domain name) and your site should be live.

PRO TIP: Your DNS can take up to 24 hours to configure, to make your domain name work. 

Pros and Cons of Hosting Your Own Website at Home

Pros

• Rewarding experience
• Great to create your website locally and check how it appears online
• Educational, giving you an in-depth knowledge of server environments and code

Cons

• Dynamic IP Addresses
• Bandwidth constraints
• Electricity costs
• Security issues
• Slower than professional hosting
• You need to deal with your dynamic IP address or buy a static one. 
• Power outages could mean downtime
• You are responsible for maintenance

Pros

You are in complete control

Get started straight away

Cheap and easy way to host Minecraft

Allow as many people as you like to join your world

Cons

Your home network will be exposed publicly

Somewhat of a security risk

Very technical

Using a Hosting Provider to Host Minecraft

If you choose a hosting provider for your Minecraft server then you’ll need to choose a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or dedicated server. Shared hosting is not up to the task. This is a more costly option however you could get your friends to help pay for the monthly fee that you’ll incur.

Without further ado, let’s dive into how to set up your Minecraft server on your PC.  Firstly, we’ll start with a Windows PC…

How to Make a Minecraft server with a Windows PC

• Check that you’re using the latest version of Java

If you have a very old PC then you probably don’t need to check and you can go straight to Java and download the latest version of Java. 

To check what version your PC is using the latest version of Java go to your windows control panel. You can access it by selecting the windows icon on the far bottom left of your screen. The windows icon looks something like this:

Open a command prompt and then type in java – version and then you should be presented with the Java version number that you are currently using. The latest version at the time of writing this article is “Java SE 8”.

Compare this against the latest Java version on the official Java website. If yours is out of date then download the latest version of Java onto the PC that you are going to use as a server.

How to Open a Command Prompt in Windows

Using the command prompt makes me feel like a real coder. It’s basically how the computer works behind Windows – the old Disk Operating System (DOS) system. 

Use the Windows key and X key to open the command prompt. Select command prompt on menu

Et. Voila! The command prompt should magically appear on your screen. 

2. Create a dedicated folder for your Minecraft server files.

Create a dedicated folder on your PC for you to run your Minecraft server.  Store the folder in a place that you’ll remember – I’d advise your programs folder or desktop. 

3. Download Minecraft server software

Visit the official Minecraft website and download the server software. It’s the same one no matter whether you’re using a Mac or Windows OS.

The software comes as a Java .jar file that you should save in your dedicated Minecraft folder. 

Once downloaded, locate the .jar file and double click to open. This will create configuration files that you’ll need to modify.

IMPORTANT: Next you’ll need to accept the End-user license agreement (EULA).  This step is required before using your Minecraft server. 

To accept the EULA open the text file that should be located inside your Minecraft folder called “eula.txt”. Then change the text on the document from eula=false to eula=true.

4. Public Servers/ Multiplayer Servers

If you want to share your Minecraft server with the world, so that other people outside your home can play with you then you’ll need to enable port forwarding on your server. 

PRO TIP: Only enable port forwarding if you are ok with the security risk. Otherwise, you can still use your Minecraft server locally.

Find out more about port forwarding here

Each router has its instructions on how to configure port forwarding, so look out the instruction manual for the router side. On the Minecraft side, you’ll need to forward TCP port 25565.

Open another command prompt to find out the local IP address of your server (PC) and type ipconfig in the prompt. 

5. Starting your Minecraft Server

Step 1 – Open a new Windows command prompt.

Step 2– Under the Microsoft logo and info you should see C:\Users\yourpcname> where “yourpcname” is replaced for the actual name of your PC. My PC is called Ranna, as you can see in the screenshot above. Type in cd and the location of your server file. If you saved it in your desktop folder then you can find it by typing cd desktop. Find your Minecraft server. 

Step 3 – Start your server using the following command:

[code type="bash"]

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar {server file name} nogui
Replace {server file name} with your server file name.

[/code]

Inviting people over to your new Minecraft World

Once you’ve set everything up you can invite people to connect with your server via your public IP, or if you are playing with people in your home you can use your local IP address.  To find your public IP address simply type “my IP address” into Google. 

Minecraft Server Status Checker

You can check if your Minecraft server is online or offline by pasting your server address into this free Minecraft Server checker service. This will work for any type of public Minecraft server. 

How to Make a Minecraft server on a Mac

• Check if you have Java installed

If you have a new Mac then you’ll probably have Java pre-installed and you’ll be good to go.  However, if you have an old Mac machine then you’ll need to go to the official Apple website and download the legacy version of Java. 

2. Create a dedicated folder for your Minecraft server files.

Create a dedicated folder on your Mac to run your Minecraft server.  Store the folder in a place that you’ll remember – I’d advise your programs folder or desktop. 

3. Download Minecraft server software

Visit the official Minecraft website and download the server software. It’s the same software for both Windows and Mac OS. 

The software comes as a Java .jar file that you should save in your dedicated Minecraft folder. 

Once downloaded, locate the .jar file and double click to open. This will create configuration files that you’ll need to modify.

4. Open TextEdit

Open TextEdit (Mac’s version of Notepad). 

Hit “format” and set it to plain text. Copy and paste the following:

[code type="bash"]

#!/bin/bash

cd "$(dirname "$0")"

exec java -Xms1G -Xmx1G -jar {server file name} nogui

[/code]

(Replace {server file name} with your server file name.)

Name the file start.command and save it in your dedicated Minecraft folder.

5. Run start. command File

To run the start.command file then you need to open a new terminal. Type the following

chmod a+x

Leave a space after the above command and then drag your start.command file into the terminal window. Hit “Enter”.

What is a MacOS Terminal?

Terminal is the Macs’ version of command prompt. It opens the DOS screen. Use “Control + Option + Shift + T” open a new terminal window.

6. Public Servers/ Multiplayer Servers

If you want to share your Minecraft server with the world, so that other people outside your home can play with you then you’ll need to enable port forwarding on your server. 

PRO TIP: Only enable port forwarding if you are ok with the security risk. Otherwise, you can still use your Minecraft server locally.

Find out more about port forwarding here

Each router has its instructions on how to configure port forwarding, so look out the instruction manual for the router side of port forwarding. On the Minecraft side, you’ll need to forward TCP port 25565.

Open another terminal to find out the local IP address of your server (PC) and type ipconfig in the prompt. 

You’ll also need to enter your server’s local IP address as the Output IP or Server IP for the forwarded port. This tells the router which device to point at. To find your server’s local IP, open the Terminal and enter ifconfig.

5. Starting your Minecraft Server

Step 1 – Double-tap the “start.command” file in your dedicated Minecraft folder. A new terminal window should then open. If there are errors, that’s quite normal at this stage. 

Step 2 – Under the Microsoft logo and info you should see C:\Users\yourpcname> where “yourpcname” is replaced for the actual name of your PC. Type in cd and the location of your server file. If you saved it in your desktop folder then you can find it by typing cd desktop. Find your Minecraft server. 

Step 3 – Start your server using the following command:

[code type="bash"]

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar {server file name} nogui

Replace {server file name} with your server file name.

[/code]

Inviting people over to your new Minecraft World

Once you’ve set everything up you can invite people to connect with your server via your public IP or if you are playing with people in your home you can use your local IP address.  To find your public IP address simply type “my IP address” into Google. 

Check That Minecraft Server is Working

You can check if your Minecraft server is online or offline by pasting your server address into this free Minecraft Server checker service. This will work for any type of public Minecraft server. 

Make a Minecraft Server With Linux hosting Provider

The security risks that are involved in setting up a public Minecraft server might leave you feeling a bit uneasy. But don’t fret – you can always set up your Minecraft server with an external host such as 1&1 IONOS or Hostinger. We’d suggest using a VPS at first unless you are looking to host the game with a lot of players, then a dedicated server would be your best option.

PRO TIP: Setting up a Minecraft server with a host is quite technical. The easiest way to set a Minecraft server up is with Minehut. However, if you’re confident that you understand server environments, then using a Linux hosting provider is a great idea. 

HIPAA compliance is no joke – unsecured health information can seriously damage an individual and also the healthcare provider. The sensitive information held on healthcare records must be stored securely otherwise there can be some serious consequences. Shockingly surveys have found that 59% of doctors have written an offensive remark on someone’s medical records. You have a legal right to access your own medical records to check whether this has happened to you. Surprisingly, the researchers also found that:

Most patients don’t care unless it affects them, like a diagnosis that has a social stigma or has do with insurance coverage

That being said, it’s one thing to access your own health records, but a hacker gaining access is another story. For that reason an assigned Medical Technician must take extra measures to ensure that medical records are kept secure. That includes using cloud storage solutions that comply with HIPAA and cannot be hacked.

Finding an HIPAA compliant cloud storage facility is not easy. That is why I’ve created this article, so that you can find out more about HIPAA cloud storage and easily access / compare HIPAA cloud hosting options. 

What Is The Purpose of HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This bill was signed back in 1996 by Bill Clinton when he was president of the US. HIPAA is designed to offer protection to workers when they change or lose their jobs and also to protect health data, integrity, confidentiality, and availability.

The data protection (accountability) aspect of HIPAA is relevant to cloud storage, especially for healthcare companies. Violations of this bill come at serious costs to the healthcare provider. 

Privacy8 Cloud Storage Solutions Covering HIPAA Compliance & Privacy #law #cloudstorage #HIPAA Share on X

How Much Does a HIPAA Violation Cost?

While you could get a small fine for a violation of HIPAA records, the fee is generally upwards of £80 per record to £40,000. The maximum fine that you can get for an HIPAA violation is £1.2 million. What’s more once a federal investigator has found an HIPAA breach the name of the practice is listed on the “Wall of Shame” and cannot be removed. Even companies who are under investigation for a breach of HIPAA appear on this page.  

Medical Technicians should get training for HIPAA compliance and also the development of a Risk Analysis and Management Plan. The cost for this is in the region of £1.6-£7.9k however, that’s a small price when you consider the cost of HIPAA violation fines.

In reality there is no true HIPAA-compliant cloud storage provider. The responsibility for setting up the tools required always falls in the lap of the healthcare provider. While the cloud storage provider can provide the tools, the healthcare provider must set them up. With that in mind let’s look at the best HIPAA-compliant cloud storage solutions and see what they can offer you.

HIPAA-Compliant Cloud Storage Providers

1. Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most famous cloud storage solutions on the planet right now, but Dropbox it truly HPAA compliant? And can you share protected health information (PHI) with Dropbox?

Dropbox openly states that they support HIPAA and HITECH Act compliance. To make their product truly HPAA compliant, the healthcare provider must set up and use the platform in the correct way. Dropbox will need to sign a business associate agreement with HIPAA-covered entities, which they are prepared to do. Thankfully, it’s really easy to sign the BAA with an electronic signature.

Dropbox Business Service is really cheap, at just £10 for up to five users. They also provide unlimited storage, which is a great bonus and also document recovery services. However, you must also set up your account so as no files can be deleted. 

One thing to note is that Dropbox allows you to use third party apps, and these apps will not be covered by the BAA that they’ve signed with you – so that is one to look out for. In saying that JotForm’s HIPAA-compliant form-building service is covered by the BAA, and is extremely useful for Healthcare Providers. There are certain aspects of HIPAA that require the correct configuration of Dropbox. For example you must disable permanent deletions of files, which is pretty easy to do in the admin console.

Click Here To Visit Dropbox

Pros

• Share/ store PHI files within HIPAA rules
• Easy to sign BAA and be covered against HIPAA
• Need to configure account to be covered with BAA
• Cost effective

Cons

• Third party apps not covered with BAA

2. Atlantic.net

Atlantic.net is an award winning HIPAA cloud storage solution. They won the “Best HIPAA Platform Provider in 2018″ award and the “Best Patient Data Security Solution” award in 2019. Atlantic.net  also offer HIPAA hosting. Atlantic.net are fully HIPAA compliant and audited by HIPAA. To find out the cost you need to get in touch to discuss your individual needs. 

Atlantic.net has also implemented a robust hosting solution, including management services for Healthcare companies. Including the following features: Firewall, Encrypted VPN – for secure file transfer, Offsite backups – to ensure that medical records can always be retrieved, Multifactor authentication – via mobile phone to ensure that each user that accesses the account is who they say they are. 

All files are stored in a private hosted environment – Atlantic.net has secured the resources by privatizing the infrastructure.  They also implement SSL certificates site wide – for security and credibility. They have SSAE 18 certification and will sign a Business associate agreement (BAA).

Click Here To Visit Atlantic.net

Pros

• HIPAA Audited
• HIPAA Compliant
• Multifactor authentication
• Offsite backups
• Advanced Encryption Standard 256-bit (AES-256)
• 24x7x365 Security, Support, & Monitoring

Cons

• Price not displayed
• You need to contact their sales dept to set up your cloud storage account

3. Box

Box has some nice features for healthcare users, for example they offer access monitoring and audit trails which allows you to verify what data was accessed, when and by whom. Box is extremely straightforward to use and integrates with Salesforce, JotForm and Google, while respecting PHI security. I love the fact that you can securely view Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files, like x-rays, ultrasounds, and CTs. 

With Box you pay by user and the minimum amount of users for their business account is 3 users. It’s about £12 per user, so the minimum you’ll be paying is £36 per month, which is expensive compared to other cloud storage platforms. 

Box has created their HIPAA offering with the healthcare business in mind. They say that they offer “HIPAA-compliant access to critical documents in the exam room or on-the-go”. You have peace of mind when you use Box, as they have been HIPAA compliant since 2012. Box offers a “Box for Healthcare service” that allows you to integrate seamlessly with IBM, Microsoft, Apple, TigerText, eHealth Technologies, and EDCO Health apps. As always you’ll need to obtain a BAA from Box before you can consider their service HIPAA compliant. 

Click Here To Visit Box

4. Tresorit

Tresorit is a European cloud storage solution. They offer end-to end encryption and Swiss privacy and say that they are the most secure place for your files on the cloud – but are they? 

Tresorit are HIPAA compliant and allow secure file storage and sharing. They encrypt data using 256-bit keys on your device. Tresorit has a secure file transfer method that has the benefit of looking professional. That way, healthcare providers can send sensitive medical files securely via secure branded folder links. 

They also have some nice features, for example you can track activity on shared files and add your institution’s branding. Tresorit offers a 1TB Business account that can be used with up to 10 people in your organization for just £8 per month. You can give them a go for FREE for 14 days.

Click Here To Visit Tresorit

5. Carbonite

You might not have heard of Carbonite, but in fact they are a popular cloud storage company with a particular affinity for security. Plus they’ve been around since 2005 and now have over 1.5 million users, which is reassuring. You’ll need to get a “Carbonite Safe Backup Pro” or “Carbonite Safe Server Backup” plan to take advantage of Carbonite’s HIPAA compliance. 

Carbonite is abides by the Massachusetts Data Security Regulation (201 CMR 17) as well as taking all of the necessary steps to help their customers comply with HIPAA. You’ll need to a BAA from their sales team via phone or email to get that set up.

Payment for Carbonite is done on an organizational size basis. So you’ll pay more if you have a larger organization, but not for each individual user, like you have to do with Box. Access to Carbonite starts at £200 per year and goes up to around £1,000 for large companies.  This could work out well if you have a tonne of users who you want to add to the cloud storage plan. 

Click Here To Visit Carbonite

6. Rackspace

Rackspace offer cloud storage solutions for a wide range of risk and compliance issues, due to the cost of non-compliance, it’s always good to get that aspect of your business organized. Rackspace make you feel like they take the stress out of stringent audits as they offer products for just about every regulation and certification. 

However, the approach to handling the data at the institution level is still important. Rackspace do have certified security experts that you can speak to and get help with compliance issues. Rackspace encourages customers to get in touch with them to “start the conversation”. Rackspace is great for people who are looking for more guidance in the area of HIPAA.

Click Here To Visit Rackspace

7. Google Drive

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know about Google and their product Google Drive. Google Drive is a cloud hosting service that comes bundled with your Gmail account. If you have a Gmail account, you have access to Google Drive. You’ll also automatically get up to 15MB storage free of charge. 

Bear in mind – not all of the features on Google Drive suite are HIPAA compliant. However, the basic Google cloud software programs like sheets, docs and slides can be fully compliant. To make your Google Drive account HIPAA compliant you’ll need to request a BAA from Google. 

PHI security can be managed by changing file permissions.  Google drive is really easy to use and cheap too! You get 30GB for just £4. The only real concern I would have with using Google Drive would be the fact that Google employees have the right to take a peek at your data, which might not sit well with patients, if they found out.

Click Here To Visit Google Drive

8. Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive is HIPAA compliant and is a good choice for healthcare organizations. Microsoft states that despite there being no official certification for HIPAA or HITECH Act compliance (at present) – “Microsoft services covered under the BAA have undergone audits conducted by accredited independent auditors for the Microsoft ISO/IEC 27001 certification”, which is certainly reassuring. 

To make your OneDrive account HIPAA compliant you’ll need to request a BAA from Microsoft.  Microsoft encourages healthcare providers to deploy Azure PaaS solution to securely ingest, store, analyze, and interact with health data. They provide a HIPAA/HITRUST Blueprint  as well as comprehensive documents on HIPAA data and their platform’s AI capabilities.

Make sure to choose the OneDrive for business solution rather than their consumer package, because the consumer package isn’t HIPAA compliant. Again, you’ll need to sign a BAA with Microsoft to make OneDrive HIPAA compliant. 

Click Here To Visit Microsoft OneDrive

In Conclusion

In all instances you’ll need to get a Business Associates Agreement (BAA) signed by the cloud storage company as part of your HIPAA compliance. I particularly like companies who have a healthcare focus or a compliance focus, when looking for an HIPAA compliant cloud storage provider. 

Box is a good option if you don’t mind the cost. Dropbox is great as they offer unlimited storage and they are cheap as chips. Atlantic.net is also good as they know all about compliance issues. Drive and Microsoft reserve the right to view your files, so you might not want to go with them if security is your focus.