Is there anyone who can recommend a reliable and free hosting provider that supports C# ASP.NET technology? I'm not looking for a VPS, just straightforward WINDOWS hosting.
I came across this website, https://somee.com/FreeAspNetHosting.aspx, and have signed up for it to give it a try. However, it's important to note that the monthly traffic allowance of 5GB is quite small on this platform. If the server hosting your site is temporarily down, there will be no remote connection to the database, resulting in your website not loading without any error messages.
For testing purposes, I would suggest checking out https://smarterasp.net, as they offer a 60-day trial period. If you want to avoid typing in a long domain address, you can also get a free short domain at http://www.dot.tk.
When selecting a hosting provider, it's essential to consider the capacity of the server, its uptime, and the level of customer support provided. It's always better to invest in a reliable and secure hosting service, even if it comes at a higher cost.
The advantages of a Windows server are only in the alleged possibility of faster access to its functions, but this is not essential. In any case, there are providers that provide this type of hosting freely. I advise you to pay attention to this: https://freeasphosting.net/ - full support for ASP.NET core, 5GB of disk space and MS SQL database.
I have discovered two free hosting services for ASP.net MVC site, but I am certain that there are more available. Nonetheless, I believe that the ones I found should suffice: https://somee.com/ and https://appharbor.com/.
Although both of these hosting services are in English, developers should have no trouble navigating them, as they are intuitive and easy to use.
Somee.com offers the following terms:
Free Asp.net web hosting
150 megabytes of disk space and 5 gigabytes for traffic
Support ASP.net versions from 1.0 to 4.5
15 megabytes for the MSSQL database 2005, 2008, and 2019
A free third-level domain of the type *.somee.com
Access to the site via FTP
These features are sufficient for a simple test site or example, but may not be suitable for larger or more serious projects.
One can utilize this hosting service to showcase their projects, but it may not be able to handle high traffic loads.
Microsoft's own Azure Free Account, which offers a limited free plan that includes 1GB of storage, 10GB of bandwidth, and supports ASP.NET. It's not a bad option, but it's not entirely free, you'll have to pay for some services, and it's more like a trial than a full-fledged free hosting plan.
Another option is SmarterASP.NET, they offer a free plan that includes 1GB of storage, 10GB of bandwidth, and supports ASP.NET. It's a decent option, but they'll display ads on your site, and you'll have limited control over the server.
You can also try 000webhost, they offer a free plan that includes 1GB of storage, 10GB of bandwidth, and supports ASP.NET. But, be warned, their free plan is limited, and they'll display ads on your site.
I'll also mention that some hosting providers offer free trials or limited free plans, but these are usually not suitable for production environments.
I would never recommend using a free hosting provider for a production site. It's just not worth the risk, you'll have limited control over the server, and you'll have to deal with ads, slow speeds, and limited storage. If you're serious about your website, you should consider paying for a decent hosting plan.
Many free providers, like FreeASP.NET, might seem appealing, but they often lack reliability and customer support. You don't want your site crashing during peak hours due to shared resources. If you're serious about your web presence, investing in a low-cost paid hosting solution could save you from future headaches.