Laravel is one of the most popular PHP frameworks today, known for its elegant syntax, robust tools, and ease of use. Whether you're building a small app or a large-scale system, Laravel can handle it all. But here’s the catch: choosing the right hosting for Laravel can make or break your project.
Thankfully, some hosting providers offer free or trial-based Laravel hosting that lets you build and deploy Laravel apps without spending a fortune. In this detailed blog post, we’ll cover the best free Laravel hosting providers in 2025, their features, benefits, and what makes them stand out.
Let’s explore the 5 best free or trial-based Laravel hosting services:
Best for: Developers looking for full control, scalability, and high-performance cloud infrastructure.
✅ Key Features:
30-day free trial with $100 cloud credit
SSD-powered virtual machines (VPS)
Choose your server location (Asia, Europe, US)
Custom Laravel environments
99.95% uptime SLA
Full root access
Support for PHP 8, MySQL, NGINX/Apache
🔍 Why Kamatera is Ideal for Laravel:
Kamatera allows you to deploy Laravel on a cloud VPS, meaning you have total freedom to install any software or configuration you need. Their intuitive control panel makes it easy to spin up instances, and you can scale your server up or down as required.
If you’re comfortable managing your server or using Laravel Forge, Kamatera is unbeatable for flexibility and performance.
💸 Pricing:
After trial: starts from $4/month
💡 Tip:
Use the $100 free credit to experiment with multiple configurations, test performance, or deploy staging/production environments.
Best for: Beginners and budget-conscious developers who want to learn Laravel.
✅ Key Features:
PHP 8.1 support
MySQL & FTP access
Free subdomain (e.g., yoursite.googiehost.com)
1-Click Softaculous Installer
Cloudflare CDN & SSL included
DirectAdmin control panel
🔍 Why GoogieHost is Ideal for Laravel:
GoogieHost offers free shared hosting with support for Laravel. It’s not the most powerful option, but it’s great for learning and testing Laravel applications. Their free hosting plan gives you everything you need to run a basic Laravel site.
They also offer a paid upgrade if you outgrow the free plan, making it a good entry-level option.
💸 Pricing:
100% Free
Premium plans start at just $1/month
⚠️ Limitation:
Limited server resources
No root access or advanced deployment tools
💡 Tip:
Use GoogieHost to build prototypes or small-scale Laravel projects. Ideal for students or beginners exploring Laravel.
Best for: Developers who want affordable, scalable cloud hosting with Laravel.
✅ Key Features:
$200 free credit for 60 days (for new users)
Pre-configured Laravel Droplets
One-click deployment from Marketplace
SSD-backed virtual machines
Datacenters in 12 global locations
Full root access
Easy integration with Laravel Forge
🔍 Why DigitalOcean is Ideal for Laravel:
DigitalOcean is one of the most developer-friendly cloud platforms. You can launch a Laravel app using their one-click Laravel droplet, which sets up PHP, MySQL, Apache, and Laravel instantly.
You get full control over your environment, and the generous $200 trial credit gives you plenty of room to test and scale.
💸 Pricing:
Free trial: $200 for 60 days
Paid plans start at $4/month
⚠️ Limitation:
Not free forever
Requires server management knowledge
💡 Tip:
Use Laravel Forge to automate deployments and manage your Laravel apps on DigitalOcean with ease.
Best for: Agencies, startups, and developers looking for hassle-free Laravel deployment.
✅ Key Features:
3-day free trial (no credit card required)
Managed hosting on top cloud providers (DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud)
One-click Laravel installation
24/7 expert support
Free SSL, backups, and staging environment
Built-in Git integration
Optimized stack (Nginx, Apache, PHP-FPM, Redis)
🔍 Why Cloudways is Ideal for Laravel:
Cloudways makes deploying Laravel effortless. You don't need to configure servers or worry about patches. With a single click, you can launch a Laravel app on DigitalOcean, AWS, or Vultr – all managed by Cloudways.
They handle server security, speed optimization, and backups, so you can focus on coding.
💸 Pricing:
Free 3-day trial
Paid plans from $11/month (on DigitalOcean)
⚠️ Limitation:
Free trial is short (3 days)
No email hosting included
💡 Tip:
Use Cloudways to test Laravel in a managed environment and decide whether you need DevOps skills or prefer a managed workflow.
Best for: Developers seeking high-performance VPS for Laravel at low cost.
✅ Key Features:
$100 credit for 30 days (new users)
High-speed SSD storage
Worldwide datacenter locations
Full root access
One-click Laravel app on Vultr Marketplace
Supports PHP, MySQL, Apache, NGINX
🔍 Why Vultr is Ideal for Laravel:
Vultr is known for its performance and global reach. Their Laravel One-Click App simplifies deployment while giving you complete control of the server.
Whether you're testing a new Laravel project or hosting a production app, Vultr offers a perfect balance between cost, power, and customization.
💸 Pricing:
Free trial: $100 for 30 days
Paid plans from $5/month
💡 Tip:
Choose a server region close to your target audience for the best performance.
Here are the key factors to consider when choosing the best free Laravel hosting:
Ensure the hosting supports:
PHP 8.0 or higher
MySQL or MariaDB
Composer
Laravel Artisan CLI
Laravel-specific features like one-click installation or pre-configured environments are a bonus.
Look for SSD storage, good CPU, and sufficient RAM.
Free hosts may have limited performance, so ensure it’s fast enough for your project.
Choose a host that offers 99.9% uptime or better, even on a free plan.
Downtime can hurt your development or live app.
Some providers offer 30 to 60-day free trials (e.g., Kamatera, DigitalOcean).
Others like GoogieHost provide forever-free shared hosting.
Check if the host has:
A beginner-friendly control panel (like cPanel or DirectAdmin)
One-click installers for Laravel
Simple server setup options
Developers may prefer VPS or cloud hosts (e.g., Kamatera, Vultr) for full root access.
Shared hosting (like GoogieHost) may not offer full access.
Ensure the host provides:
Free SSL certificates
DDoS protection
Regular backups (even better if automated)
Secure SSH or FTP access
Free plans may not offer priority support.
Look for a host with at least:
Knowledge base or documentation
Community support or ticket system
Live chat on paid plans (if you plan to upgrade)
You might start with a free plan, but check if:
The host allows easy upgrades to paid plans
You can scale resources like CPU, RAM, and storage
It supports staging environments and CI/CD integrations
Watch out for:
Storage or bandwidth limits
Ads on your site
Limited number of domains or email accounts
Inactive account deletion policies
By considering these factors, you can pick the best free Laravel hosting that matches your needs — whether you're learning, testing, or building a production-ready Laravel application.
Before we dive into the list, let's understand why Laravel-specific hosting is important.
Laravel has certain dependencies and requirements like:
PHP 8.0+
Composer (dependency manager)
MySQL or MariaDB support
SSH access
Laravel Artisan CLI
Not all hosting providers support these features out of the box. Laravel hosting solutions are optimized for these needs and often come pre-configured with everything you need to get started.
🧠 Conclusion: Which Free Laravel Host is Right for You?
Choosing the best free Laravel hosting depends on your experience level, project requirements, and whether you need a managed or unmanaged solution.
Kamatera – Best overall for developers seeking power and flexibility
GoogieHost – Best truly free option for beginners
DigitalOcean – Best affordable hosting with a large free trial
Cloudways – Best for managed Laravel hosting without server headaches
Vultr – Great VPS performance with Laravel-optimized options