NearlyFreeSpeech Web Hosting: Pay Only for What You Use

NearlyFreeSpeech (NearlyFreeSpeech.NET) is a web host with no fixed monthly plan: you add money to an account and pay only for what your sites actually use. We first covered it in 2006, and it is still running today. Here is how its pay-as-you-go model works and who it suits.

Quick answer: NearlyFreeSpeech.NET is deposit-based hosting. You prepay a small amount, and charges for each site, its storage, bandwidth and server resources are deducted as they happen, with no contracts and no required monthly fee. It suits small, low-traffic sites and technical users. If your balance runs out, your sites are suspended until you add funds.

How NearlyFreeSpeech pricing works

Most hosts sell a monthly package of storage, bandwidth and features that you may never fully use. NearlyFreeSpeech.NET turned that around back in 2006 with a simple idea: charge only for what your sites actually use, deducted from a prepaid balance. That is still the core of the model today, though the details have grown:

• Deposit-based account: you add funds and usage is deducted as it happens. There are no long-term contracts.
• Per-site charge: each website is billed daily, at a level that depends on whether it is a non-production, production or critical site.
• Usage charges: bandwidth, disk storage and server resources (CPU and memory) are billed by use.
• Extras: MariaDB database processes, DNS, email forwarding and domain registrations have their own charges.
• Optional subscription: a paid membership adds services and discounts, but the basic account has no monthly minimum.

Prices change over time, so check the official pricing page before signing up.

What happens when your balance runs low

You are notified when your balance gets low. If it runs out, your hosting is suspended rather than billed to a card, and it comes back when you add funds. Back in 2006 any unused balance could also be refunded, which made it low-risk to try.

Is NearlyFreeSpeech hosting right for you?

When I first wrote about it I had no personal experience with the service, but the idea made sense: why pay for features, bandwidth and storage you might never use? It still fits some people better than others.

Good fit

• Small personal sites, portfolios and static pages with little traffic.
• Developers comfortable with SSH, command-line tools and configuring things themselves.
• People who want to avoid long contracts and pay strictly for use.

Less suitable

• Beginners who want one-click installers, a cPanel-style dashboard and phone support.
• Busy sites, where usage-based bills can add up and a flat plan may be cheaper and more predictable.
• Anyone who would rather not watch an account balance.

If you are comparing hosting types, read our guide to shared vs VPS vs dedicated hosting. Whatever host you choose, keep regular backups; here is how to back up websites on your hosting server. We also looked at lifetime web hosting deals.

FAQ

Is NearlyFreeSpeech really free?

No. It is not free hosting, but there is no fixed monthly plan, so a tiny, low-traffic site can cost very little.

Is NearlyFreeSpeech still in business?

Yes. NearlyFreeSpeech.NET still offers usage-based hosting, domain registration and related services.

Does NearlyFreeSpeech support databases?

Yes. It offers MariaDB database processes, billed separately from website hosting.

What happens if I run out of funds?

Your hosting is suspended until you add money to your account.