WordPress is the most used CMS in the world, with millions of active websites using the system. Usually, to understand the system and set up a website, one would need to spend at least $75 to $100 a year for the website hosting and the domain name. But what if you do not want to spend that money at this point in time? One of the common questions asked is, “Is it possible to create a WordPress site without using any hosting services?”
The short answer is yes. WordPress’s immense and helpful community has developed a few methods to use the platform without any paid hosting services, such as a local installation on a computer or the WordPress.com Free plan.
The focus of this guide is to familiarize you with these methods and to understand which one of them you might need to use.
What is WordPress.org?
WordPress.org and the corresponding files are a platform and set of tools that are freely available to the public. However, one needs to purchase hosting and a domain to link a website online from the WordPress CMS.
The phrase ‘no hosting’ in WordPress means no paid hosting; however, a free version of WordPress offers paid hosting with a subdomain like yoursite.wordpress.com and full server support.
1. Using WordPress.com for free (No Hosting, No Problems)
This is the best option for those who want to quickly set up a blog and don’t want to handle much of the technical stuff:
- Get a free subdomain (yoursite.wordpress.com) with hosting, automated backups, basic security, and a few basic features at no extra charge.
- The domain features WordPress.com branding, and the user is limited in customization (no CSS, no plugins, etc.); a few ads are shown.
- We recommend this option for users who are new to blogging and want to publish their content without much hassle.
2. Building On Your PC/Mac For Local Development Without Hosting
If you still want to build and test offline, local dev tools can help you:
- XAMPP, MAMP, and LocalWP are tools that you can use for installing WordPress on a desktop, even in the absence of an internet connection and a host.
- You can build a complete local site and deploy it on a live host later.
3. For Demonstrating Something On WordPress Without Paying For Hosting
For testing WordPress in a way that is more convenient than having to set up a host:
- WordPress Playground gives you a browser-based WordPress, which is temporary and will close once the browser is shut down.
- Useful for short demonstrations or testing use cases, particularly those that do not require hosting or complex installation steps.
Summary Table: Which Option Fits Your Needs?
| Scenario | Best Option | Pros | Cons |
| Want a live site, no payment/setup | WordPress.com Free | Fully hosted, easy setup, backups/security handled | No custom domain, limited customization, ads, branding |
| Build or test offline | Local tools (XAMPP, MAMP, LocalWP) | Full control, no internet needed, private development | Not accessible publicly until moved to a host |
| Just experimenting online | WordPress Playground or similar tools | No installation, instant demo | Temporary, not suitable for long-term use |
| Fully control and scale your site | Self-hosting via WordPress.org + hosting | Custom domains, plugins, full customization | Requires technical setup and paid hosting |
Joining a website with a domain is a terrific way to advance your website; however, if you want to create a website without hosting, you can use WordPress.com and their free plan, along with local development setups and temporary demos. These options do require a certain level of accessibility and a professional touch.
In the future, as your website grows, you will need trustworthy customizable domains and advanced plugins with enhanced speed and 24/7 accessibility. For these options, you can use a reliable hosting provider. MilesWeb is a smart choice, with their low-price and high-security WordPress hosting plans
