This seems to good to be true, but I came across a new site that offers offers ad-free, free hosting with 40 MB of disk space and 3 MySQL databases (thanks to infOpinions? for the heads up). This site, JustFree.com, says that the disk space is likely to increase over time, and they offer one-click installations for the following applications:

  • osCommerce
  • MyBB, sBlog
  • MyLittleForum
  • Mambo
  • Xoops
  • gallery
  • SMF
  • WordPress
  • Joomla
  • wikiwig
  • ZenCart
  • tikiwiki
  • cutenews
  • Nucleus
  • bBlog
  • 4images
  • phpBB2
  • UseBB

They say that more one-click installs are becoming available all the time. You can put ads on your site, and even use your own domain name by changing the name servers at your domain registrar.

One issue: their privacy policy is a little iffy. Here’s what they say:

Pursuant to Justfree’s privacy policy, we may disclose to third parties certain aggregate information contained in your Registration Information or related data, provided that, such information will NOT include personally identifying information, except as specifically authorized by you or in the good faith belief that such action is reasonably necessary to comply with the law, legal process, to enforce the TOS, or under any of the other circumstances set forth in our privacy policy, as may be amended from time to time.

So spam-wise, it seems that they are saying that they can give your email address to third parties – correct me if I’m wrong. In the meantime, I’m going to sign up with a web email address. But this site is still useful because you can use it for quickly setting up WordPress sites and testing your themes out, and you can also use it to show clients how work is progressing on their sites.

Added March 13, 2007: I installed WordPress on JustFree to see how it works. There were a few problems:

  1. It was not a one-click install. It unpacks the WordPress files in the directory that you designated, but did not install it. I had to rename wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php, and then I tried to edit it in the control panel so that I could enter the database name, user name and password that I had created. It opened up an FCDeditor type of editor, but I couldn’t do any editing, even when I clicked on Source. I had to download the file, edit it on my desktop, and then upload it again. But I could only upload it once I deleted the online version of the file, otherwise I would get an error message telling me that it already existed.
  2. I finally got everything installed, only to discover that the version of WordPress installed is 2.0.5. That’s not very useful if you want to use it as a testing server for themes you intend to use with version 2.1.

JustFree.com>>