Hosting choices
Free PHP hosting: what to check before publishing a demo
Check runtime support, HTTPS, databases, PHPMailer delivery, and your export path before relying on a free PHP account.
Free PHP hosting can work for a small learning project or a temporary demonstration if the runtime, database, HTTPS, and outbound connections fit your application. Start with those requirements. A free static-hosting account cannot run an ordinary PHP application just because it accepts an uploaded .php file.
For a one-week demo, reliable form delivery and the ability to export afterward may matter more than generous-looking storage. For a business application, support and recovery limitations deserve more weight.
Two offers worth checking carefully
InfinityFree’s current feature page advertises PHP, MySQL-compatible databases, custom domains, and free SSL. Confirm that your application’s extensions, execution limits, file sizes, and database requirements fit the actual account.
AwardSpace also advertises a free PHP and database service, but its public FAQ still lists older runtime versions. Verify a currently supported PHP version and the required HTTPS setup before choosing it. Do not downgrade an application to an unsupported runtime just to fit a free account.
These are candidates to evaluate from their own documentation, not measured recommendations for production availability. No successful deployment or uptime comparison is implied.
Use a requirements checklist
| Requirement | Question |
|---|---|
| Runtime | Is the PHP version supported, and are the required extensions enabled? |
| Deployment | Can you install dependencies and use the application’s intended public document root? |
| Persistence | Are uploads and database data retained under the account’s inactivity and suspension rules? |
| Connectivity | Can the application reach its SMTP service and required APIs? |
| Operations | Are scheduled jobs, logs, exports, and recovery available? |
A basic PHP contact form and a framework application with queue workers have different needs. If your deployment requires a long-running process, SSH, or a particular database feature, verify it directly instead of assuming “PHP supported” covers it.
Check email before the demonstration
PHPMailer is a library; it is not an email-delivery service. You still need a supported transport and valid sending credentials. On InfinityFree, the provider administrator’s guidance says to use an external SMTP provider rather than PHP’s local mail function or an included SMTP server.
Confirm port access, authentication, sender verification, and the mail provider’s own allowance. Use a verified sender address and put a visitor’s address in a suitable reply-to field rather than impersonating it as the sender.
Submit the actual form from the deployed site and verify arrival in the intended inbox. A successful page response or a local development run does not establish delivery from the free host.
Make the demo easy to leave
Keep source code, configuration instructions, and a database export outside the account. Use disposable demonstration data where possible. Remove debug pages and do not expose secrets through a public configuration file.
Before handing over the link, confirm HTTPS, key pages, form handling, and an export of both files and database. Record any inactivity policy and set an owner for cleanup after the demonstration.
Know when a small paid plan is simpler
If the free tier blocks a required API, cannot supply a supported runtime, or lacks a dependable recovery path, a short paid subscription may cost less than adapting the application around those limits. Compare the final term and cancellation conditions, not only the monthly headline.
If the project can be published entirely as HTML, use static website hosting instead. If it is WordPress, preserve a complete file-and-database backup before relying on any free account as the only copy.