WordPress For Free – No Domain or Hosting
Do you want to test WordPress for free without paying for a domain name or hosting?
A domain name and hosting are typically required to create a WordPress website. However, many users prefer to try it out before spending money on it.
You can try WordPress for free without a domain or hosting by using a number of the methods described in this article. Additionally, we'll go over WordPress experimentation and building a live website.
Why Try WordPress for Free without a Domain or Hosting?
A domain name and hosting account are typically required to create a WordPress website.
A domain name typically costs $14.99 per year (often non-refundable), while the monthly cost of web hosting is $7.99 (typically paid yearly).
If all you want to do with WordPress is a test, that is a sizable sum of money.
There isn't a free WordPress trial available on the WordPress.org website, which is unfortunate.
Fortunately, there are many options for trying WordPress without paying for a domain name or opening a hosting account.
Let's look at some of the simplest methods to test-drive self-hosted WordPress.org for nothing (neither a domain name nor a hosting account is required).
- WordPress Online: Try it Risk-Free with a Full Refund (unrestricted, but requires an initial credit card payment)
- Try WordPress for Free on localhost on Your Computer (unlimited free WordPress development)
- Test out WordPress using WordPress.com (modified WordPress experience with fewer features)
- Various Exercises for Your Free WordPress Demo
- Getting Started with Your WordPress Website
1. Try WordPress Online with a Full Refund on Hosting
Using a WordPress hosting company that offers a risk-free money-back guarantee (30 or 90-day refunds, depending on the case) is the simplest way to test WordPress on the internet.
One good thing about this approach is that you can test out WordPress for website creation. If you enjoy it, you can easily create your website online with just one click (no additional work is required).
And if you're unhappy with it, your WordPress hosting provider will grant you a complete refund.
If you choose to use this method, you must pay for WordPress hosting up front with a credit card, but a full refund can be obtained if you are unhappy with it.
Some of the biggest WordPress hosting providers with a full refund policy are listed below:
- Bluehost: provides a free domain, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and web hosting.
- Hostinger: provides a free domain, a 30-day refund policy, and web hosting.
- SiteGround: provides cloud WordPress hosting with a risk-free 30-day refund policy.
- Dreamhost: provides a free domain, a 97-day refund policy, and WordPress hosting.
All of the aforementioned hosting providers either already have WordPress installed or provide a 1-click WordPress setup option.
With any of them, you can quickly start trying WordPress online without any risk.
For this tutorial, we'll walk you through the process step by step using Bluehost, one of the top WordPress-recommended hosting companies.
Visit the Bluehost website first, then click the green "Get Started Now" button.
After that, you'll be required to select a plan.
Considering that you simply want to try WordPress, we advise starting with Basic. If you choose to stick with Bluehost, there is always the option to upgrade your hosting package.
The choice of a domain name is now required of you.
However, if you purchase a domain name, the business will deduct the domain fee from your refund request. To skip this step and be eligible for a full refund, you must select the option "I'll create my domain later" at the bottom.
After that, you'll be required to complete the hosting package by providing personal information.
You must uncheck each and every one of the optional add-ons on this page.
Your only option for a refund is the total amount of your hosting bill; add-on costs are not refundable.
To complete the purchase, you must lastly enter your payment details.
Your hosting account will now be created by Bluehost, and you'll receive an email from them with directions on how to access your hosting control panel.
You can see that WordPress has already been set up on Bluehost from your hosting control panel. You just have to click the WordPress login button to access your website.
Requesting Refund on Bluehost
Upon logging in, go to the dashboard of your Bluehost account and select Support. You then need to start a live chat session by scrolling down to the contact section.
When you are connected to a live chat agent, you can ask them to cancel your account and issue a full refund.
Important: Please read and fully comprehend the refund policy of the hosting provider you choose before purchasing if it isn't mentioned above. Contact the hosting provider if you are unsure by sending them an email.
2. Try WordPress on Your Computer
Installing WordPress on your computer is a popular alternative method of testing it out. For client websites, many seasoned developers perform this action.
Using this technique, you can test WordPress without purchasing a domain or hosting. You can create a complete website and install plugins and themes on your computer.
The disadvantage is that your website is only accessible from your computer and cannot be viewed by anyone else online. Still, you can always use our tutorial to make your local website accessible online.
You can configure all of this on your computer using a variety of fantastic free programs that are available.
Local is the most straightforward of them all. On your computer, it enables you to set up a local WordPress development environment quickly. Windows, Linux, and MacOS are all compatible.
You can easily download it for your operating system by going to the Local website.
The installation wizard may differ slightly from operating system to operating system. Simply click on the downloaded package on MacOS, drag the Local.app to the Applications folder, and then release your mouse button.
Open the app on your computer after Local has been installed.
Once you've done that, click the "Create a new site" button.
After that, a title for your website will be requested from you.
Simply type any name you desire for the domain name of your demo site, then click the Continue button.
Then, you will be prompted to select your local environment. For instance, you can choose the version of MySQL or PHP you want to use as your server software.
If you're unsure, just select one of the Preferred choices and press Continue.
You can select a username and password on the following screen to gain access to the WordPress admin area of your local site.
In the event that you need to retrieve your login details, you can also change the WordPress admin email.
The setup wizard can be finished by selecting the Continue button.
Local will now download the most recent version of WordPress; when installed, a brand-new local website will be created for you.
After that, you'll see information about your local website. You can access the WordPress dashboard by selecting the WP Admin button.
You should take a look at MAMP (for MacOS) or WAMP (for Windows) if Local doesn't work on your computer for some reason or if you simply want to try an alternative.
3. Try WordPress.com For Free (No Domain Required)
WordPress.com is a different choice you'll frequently find if you want to try WordPress.
Before you proceed, you must comprehend the distinctions between a self-hosted WordPress.org website and WordPress.com.
WordPress.com serves as both a publishing platform and a web host. You don't need to set up WordPress or handle website maintenance.
The drawback is that the background-running software is partially under your control. This takes away flexibility and freedom.
You can test out the limited free plan on WordPress.com. However, many of the features of a self-hosted WordPress.org website will be absent.
For more information on this subject, visit our comprehensive comparison of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.
The Pro plan on WordPress.com, which allows you to install plugins and themes, was recently added, but it is significantly more expensive than the other WordPress hosting options that we have already discussed.
WordPress Tips You May Want to Try
You might be curious about the things you should try now that you have created a free WordPress website.
1. Creating Content in WordPress
Making a few essential pages for your website and starting a blog are the first things we advise you to do.
2. Choosing a Website Design
WordPress themes are available in a vast variety, both free and paid. We advise selecting a free theme that you can personalize to make it your own. After that, a website design should then be chosen.
To experience designing your website with a drag-and-drop interface, you can install a free page builder plugin like SeedProd.
3. Exploring WordPress Plugins
The WordPress plugin ecosystem gives the platform its true power. With these, you can add new features and extend the functionality of your WordPress website much like you would with apps.
There are more than 60,000 free WordPress plugins to choose from.
The WordPress plugins listed below are a few that you absolutely must use.
1. WPForms - You can try the WPForms Lite version for free. This plugin lets you add a lovely contact form or survey to your website.
2. All-in-One SEO - The best WordPress SEO plugin available. It aids in search engine optimization for your website. Additionally, you can test out the AIOSEO free version.
3. SmashBalloon is the best social media plugin for WordPress that enables you to show content from your social media accounts in lovely galleries and layouts. For Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube feeds, Smash Ballon is available in a free version.
Want some more plugin recommendations? Check out our comprehensive list of necessary WordPress plugins to try out on your free WordPress demo.
Launching Your WordPress Website
After experimenting with WordPress, you should launch a live WordPress website formally.
A domain name and hosting account are required for that. Follow our comprehensive guide on Doman and Hosting.
Following your registration, you can use our step-by-step instructions to create a website.
Hopefully, this article helped you learn and understand how to try out WordPress for free without a domain name. Keep following hubtolearn.com for more content.