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How is Zeffy free?
How is Zeffy free?
Zeffy relies entirely on optional contributions from donors. At the payment confirmation step - we ask donors to leave an optional contribution to Zeffy.
For most UK registered charities, hosting is a solved problem. Pick whichever provider fits your site, then bolt on a £0-fee donation layer that handles Gift Aid.
Most 'free for nonprofits' hosting programmes are written to US eligibility rules. UK charities should confirm with each provider before applying.
DreamHost and InterServer offer genuinely free tiers; email them with your Charity Commission, OSCR, or CCNI registration number to check eligibility.
Kinsta's free static-site tier is open to any organisation worldwide, no charity status required.
Hosting runs £3 to £8 per month on shared plans. The bigger saving is switching to a £0-fee donation platform: on £50,000 of giving, a 3% to 6% platform fee costs £1,500 to £3,000 a year.
A basic-rate UK donor gives £100; with Gift Aid your charity claims £125 from HMRC. On £50,000 of eligible giving that is £12,500 of additional income, handled automatically by the right fundraising platform.
Most charity web hosting guides get the priorities wrong. Hosting is a fixed cost: a reliable shared plan runs about £3 to £8 per month, and the worst-case difference between the cheapest and the most expensive provider on this list is roughly £80 to £100 a year. That is not where UK charities lose money.
The real silent leak is the fundraising layer that sits on top of your site. Many mainstream donation platforms nudge donors towards a suggested voluntary contribution of around 17% on top of their gift. That prompt has become the single most-criticised pattern in UK fundraising press, and rightly so: donors sometimes assume it has been added without their knowledge. On top of platform fees and card processing, a typical donation tool skims 3% to 6% of every donation. On £50,000 of annual giving, that is £1,500 to £3,000 a year, every year, with no end in sight.
Then there is Gift Aid. A basic-rate UK taxpayer donates £100; your charity claims Gift Aid and receives £125 from HMRC at no extra cost to the donor (HMRC Gift Aid guidance). On £50,000 of Gift Aid-eligible giving, that 25p-per-£1 reclaim adds £12,500 of additional income. The right fundraising platform automates that claim process, so no declarations slip through the cracks.
Zeffy charges £0 in platform fees and £0 in processing. More than 100,000 charities and not-for-profits have raised over £2 billion through Zeffy, with 100% of every donation landing in their account. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee. Ever. The right move is to pick whichever host fits your stack and your budget, then add a £0-fee, Gift Aid-ready donation layer on top of it.
This guide walks through the hosts that offer genuinely free plans, the ones that discount their regular pricing, and which providers include a free first-year domain. All updated for 2026.
Free web hosting for UK charities (what actually qualifies)
Before you apply to any 'free hosting for nonprofits' programme, you need to know a critical fact: almost every such programme on the market was written for US-registered organisations holding an IRS determination letter. UK-registered charities are not automatically eligible.
What UK charities can actually get
Three routes are worth knowing:
TechSoup UK is a charity-technology resource that helps UK-registered charities access discounted (and sometimes donated) software, cloud services, and technology products. It also acts as the validation gateway for Google Ad Grants in the UK. If you are looking for discounted hosting, software, or hardware as a registered charity, TechSoup UK is a neutral starting point. Search for 'TechSoup UK' to find the current programme.
Charity Digital Exchange (formerly known as tt-exchange) is a UK-focused marketplace where registered charities can access discounted and donated technology products, including software licences. Search for 'Charity Digital Exchange' to find the current offering.
Direct eligibility checks are the most reliable route for hosting itself. If you have a registration number from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR (Scotland), or CCNI (Northern Ireland), email the host's support team and ask directly whether a UK charity registration number is accepted in place of a US determination letter. You can look up your charity number on the Register of Charities.
If you have an active charity registration number, three hosts on this list offer a real free plan (not just a discount dressed up as a freebie). Each has trade-offs, so read the fine print before you apply.
DreamHost: free shared hosting for verified charities
DreamHost has the longest-running charity programme of the large shared hosts. The programme was originally built for US-registered organisations, so UK charities should contact DreamHost support directly, with their Charity Commission, OSCR, or CCNI registration number, to confirm eligibility before applying. If approved, the offer is substantive: the same shared hosting plan a paying customer receives, including storage, bandwidth, email, free SSL, and one-click WordPress installation.
It is application-based, so timing matters. Apply before you need the site live, not after. Build in a couple of weeks of lead time.
DreamHost's free charity plan: eligibility at a glance
Who qualifies: charities with an active registration number. UK charities should confirm eligibility with DreamHost before applying, as the programme was originally written to US criteria.
How to apply: contact DreamHost with your UK charity registration number and ask whether it is accepted. Check the current nonprofit programme page for the live application process.
What you get: shared hosting (the same plan as paying customers), free SSL, email, and standard support.
What you do not get: the free tier does not extend to DreamPress (managed WordPress), VPS, or dedicated hosting. Those are separately priced products with their own charity consideration.
Catch: approvals are not instant; build in at least two weeks of lead time.
InterServer: free hosting with a backlink trade-off
InterServer offers free hosting to charities in exchange for a backlink to InterServer from your homepage footer. The programme was written for US-registered organisations; UK charities should confirm directly with InterServer whether a UK charity registration number qualifies before applying.
If you are comfortable with that visible footer link and your eligibility is confirmed, the offer is substantive: the standard shared hosting feature set (unlimited storage and bandwidth, free SSL, email) at no cost. Check the current terms on InterServer's charity hosting page before applying, as the backlink requirement and exact feature set have evolved over time.
Kinsta: free static-site hosting (open to all)
Kinsta is a managed WordPress host built on Google Cloud Platform, and they also run a free static-site hosting tier that any organisation can use, with no charity status required. If your charity's main site is a static brochure built with a tool like Gatsby, Hugo, or Astro, you can host it free on Kinsta and only pay for the managed WordPress side if you add a dynamic site later. Kinsta has historically extended a recurring discount to verified charities on its paid WordPress plans. Confirm the current rate on Kinsta's charity page before assuming a specific percentage.
Quick comparison: charity web hosting at a glance
Here is how the major charity-friendly hosts compare in 2026. Remember: the differences between these providers are measured in single-digit pounds per month. The real fundraising savings come from what you put on top of the site. Add a Zeffy donate button to WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or any charity site and keep 100% of every donation.
Provider
Free tier for verified UK charities?
Starting price (shared hosting)
Free first-year domain?
Managed WordPress?
DreamHost
Programme is US-first. Confirm UK eligibility with the provider before applying.
Free (shared, if approved)
Not bundled with free tier
Yes (DreamPress, separate paid product)
InterServer
Programme is US-first. Confirm UK eligibility with the provider before applying.
Free (shared, if approved, with footer backlink)
No
No
Kinsta
Free static-site tier is open globally (no charity status required)
Varies by WordPress plan; confirm charity discount direct
No
Yes (Google Cloud Platform)
SiteGround
No nonprofit-specific free plan
From approx. £3 to £5/month (introductory)
Varies by plan
Yes (managed WordPress)
Hostinger
No nonprofit-specific free plan
From approx. £2 to £4/month (introductory)
Yes (first year, most shared plans)
Available on higher plans
GreenGeeks
No nonprofit-specific free plan
From approx. £3 to £5/month (introductory)
Yes (first year, most shared plans)
Available as add-on
Bluehost
No nonprofit-specific free plan
From approx. £3 to £5/month (introductory)
Yes (1 Free Domain, 1st Year)
Available on higher plans
Wix
Application-based; check current UK terms
From approx. £8 to £12/month (introductory)
Bundled with paid plans
Not applicable (website builder)
Most paid plans on this list come in between £3 and £8 per month at introductory pricing. Standard renewal pricing is usually higher. Always check the renewal rate before you commit to a 24-month or 36-month term.
A note on the US-first pattern: DreamHost and InterServer built their free charity programmes around the US 501(c)(3) classification. UK charities registered with the Charity Commission, OSCR, or CCNI should contact each provider directly to confirm whether a UK registration number is accepted before investing time in an application.
Free (first-year) domain names for UK charities
There is no such thing as a permanently free domain. All accredited registrars charge a renewal fee, and no top-level domain is subsidised for charities by default. What you can get is a free first-year registration bundled with a hosting plan: a real saving, but a time-limited one.
UK domain extensions worth knowing
Choosing the right domain extension signals trust to UK donors and supporters.
.org.uk is open to any organisation with a UK presence, requires no formal validation, and carries strong sector convention. Most small UK charities use .org.uk as their primary domain. Nominet operates the .uk registry (visit nominet.uk for registrar and pricing information).
.charity is a restricted top-level domain available only to verified charitable organisations. Launched in 2015 by the Donuts registry, it signals your charitable status clearly and is worth considering if your .org.uk is already taken or if you want the domain itself to reinforce trust. You will need to demonstrate your charitable status to the registrar.
.co.uk is the default UK business extension and is understood everywhere. Many charities hold a .co.uk alongside their .org.uk to prevent brand confusion.
Hosts that have historically bundled a free first-year domain
Bluehost: '1 Free Domain - 1st Year' is listed on Bluehost's hosting plans (bluehost.com/pricing).
Hostinger: most shared and cloud plans include a free first-year domain registration. Not charity-specific.
GreenGeeks: historically includes a free domain registration or transfer for the first year on shared plans. Confirm current terms on the provider's pricing page before committing.
A word on terminology so you do not overpay: domain registration (the yearly fee for owning yourcharity.org.uk) and web hosting (the server that delivers your site) are two separate products. Most hosts sell both, but you can buy them from different providers. If a host's 'free domain' offer ends after year one and the renewal price is high, you can transfer the domain to a cheaper registrar at renewal time.
DreamHost: free shared hosting, no footer link required
DreamHost is the default recommendation for any UK charity that wants free, reliable hosting without giving up footer space to a vendor link, provided the provider confirms your UK registration number qualifies. The shared hosting plan you receive is the same plan paying customers get, including the same support channels. For most small to mid-sized charities, it is enough.
DreamHost features that matter for charities
One-click WordPress installation and free site migration.
Free SSL certificate and automated daily backups.
24/7 live chat and ticket support; phone callbacks on paid tiers.
Free email hosting on the shared plan.
Plans and pricing
For qualifying charities, the shared hosting plan is the free tier. Paid tiers exist for organisations that need more: DreamPress managed WordPress, VPS, and dedicated servers. Pricing on those tiers changes regularly; check DreamHost's current pricing page for the live rate, and look for a charity discount on DreamPress if managed WordPress matters to you.
Performance, security, and UK data residency
DreamHost operates US-based data centres. If your charity collects and stores donor personal data (names, home addresses, email addresses, Gift Aid declaration details), you have obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. Charities transferring personal data to servers outside the UK or EEA may require additional international-transfer safeguards. Review the Information Commissioner's Office guidance (ico.org.uk) before choosing a host whose data centres sit outside the UK or EEA. The security baseline includes free SSL, daily backups, a web application firewall, and two-factor authentication. Server-level malware scanning (DreamShield) is a paid add-on.
InterServer: free hosting in exchange for a homepage backlink
InterServer's offer to charities is straightforward: free hosting in return for a link to InterServer from your homepage footer. If your UK charity registration is accepted and you are comfortable with that visible footer link, the offer is substantive: the standard shared hosting feature set, not a stripped-down tier.
InterServer features
Unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts on the shared plan.
Free SSL certificate.
Weekly backups.
30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans.
24/7 support via ticket, email, live chat, and phone.
The backlink trade-off
The footer backlink is visible to every visitor on every page. For most small charities this is a minor consideration. For organisations where presentation matters (grant-funded trusts, arts charities, church-linked charities where a visible commercial backlink may look out of place to trustees, major donors, or grant committees), weigh it carefully. If you decide later you do not want the link, you can move to InterServer's paid shared plan, which starts at a few pounds per month.
SiteGround: managed WordPress with staging and strong support
SiteGround is the WordPress-specialist choice on this list. There is no charity-specific free plan, but their managed WordPress hosting is well-regarded for support response times, built-in staging environments (so you can test plugin updates before pushing them live), and uptime. For charities running a WordPress site with custom plugins, a staging environment is what prevents the panicked 'the donation page is broken during the Christmas appeal' call.
What SiteGround does well
Managed WordPress hosting with automatic updates and built-in caching.
Free staging environments on mid and top-tier plans.
Daily backups included.
Strong, fast support: historically one of the differentiators versus cheaper shared hosts.
Pair SiteGround with a free, Gift Aid-ready donation layer
Kinsta: premium performance for high-traffic campaigns
Kinsta is the premium-tier option on this list. Managed WordPress hosting built on Google Cloud Platform, with a fast global edge network, daily backups, free CDN, and free SSL. Where it matters: if your charity runs an annual giving campaign, a Christmas appeal, or a Big Give Christmas Challenge week that drives traffic spikes, Kinsta's infrastructure handles those spikes more gracefully than a £3 per month shared plan.
Free static-site tier versus paid WordPress tier
Kinsta runs two distinct products. The static-site hosting tier is free for any user worldwide (not gated by charity status) and suits static brochure sites. The managed WordPress tier is paid, with plans aimed at small organisations up through enterprise. Kinsta has historically extended a recurring discount to verified charities on the paid WordPress side. Confirm the live rate on Kinsta's charity page before assuming a specific percentage.
Performance and security
Kinsta runs on Google Cloud Platform's premium tier network, includes Cloudflare-powered DDoS protection, and offers automated daily backups with one-click restore. For charities that handle donor personal data directly on their WordPress site, the security baseline is meaningfully stronger than entry-level shared hosting.
Hostinger: competitive pricing with a free first-year domain
Hostinger does not offer a charity-specific discount, but their introductory pricing is competitive enough that a budget-conscious organisation can run a reliable site for a few pounds per month, and most plans include a free first-year domain registration. That makes it a straightforward choice for a charity that wants to control its own host and registrar without going through a discount application process.
Low introductory pricing on shared hosting plans.
Free first-year domain bundled with most shared and cloud plans.
Free SSL on all plans, 30-day money-back guarantee.
One-click WordPress installation and free migrations from another host.
Two things to check before signing: the renewal rate (introductory pricing usually steps up on renewal), and whether the contract length you are committing to (often 12, 24, or 48 months) matches your organisation's runway.
GreenGeeks: carbon-conscious hosting for environmental missions
GreenGeeks pitches itself as a carbon-conscious host: the company says it purchases wind energy credits to offset its grid consumption. That is a genuine differentiator for conservation, climate, and environmental charities whose values would clash with hosting on a generic fossil-powered data centre. Check the current energy-credit policy on GreenGeeks' site for the specific multiplier before citing it in your own materials.
Beyond the environmental story, GreenGeeks is a competent mid-market shared host: LiteSpeed-powered, free CDN, free daily backups, free SSL, and a free first-year domain registration on most plans. For most small environmental charities, it is a clean fit.
Bluehost and other options
Bluehost is a well-established WordPress host and a reasonable choice for first-time site builders. It does not offer a charity-specific discount, but Bluehost's pricing page lists '1 Free Domain - 1st Year' as an included feature on its hosting plans (bluehost.com/pricing), placing it in the same first-year-free-domain category as Hostinger and GreenGeeks.
HostGator is one of the older shared hosts. If you are evaluating it for a charity site, check the current state of their charity programme directly with HostGator before assuming terms that may have been advertised in past years.
Wix is a website builder with hosting bundled in. It runs a not-for-profit discount programme (terms set by Wix directly). It is the right pick only if you also want the drag-and-drop builder and do not need WordPress.
How to choose web hosting for your charity
A simple decision framework:
You are a UK registered charity (Charity Commission / OSCR / CCNI number) and want free hosting: Contact DreamHost or InterServer with your registration number to confirm UK eligibility. If confirmed, DreamHost offers a clean free plan with no footer link; InterServer offers a free plan with a footer backlink.
You are a CIC, PTA, village hall, or unincorporated community group without charity status: The free charity-programme route is almost certainly not available to you. Budget paid hosting (Hostinger, Bluehost, or GreenGeeks at £3 to £8 per month) is the honest starting point. Your fundraising layer question is also different: Gift Aid does not apply until you are an HMRC-recognised charity.
You are running WordPress and want managed hosting: SiteGround for support quality and staging environments; Kinsta if you expect high-traffic campaigns such as your Christmas appeal or a Big Give Christmas Challenge week.
You are budget-conscious but need a paid plan with a free first-year domain: Hostinger, Bluehost, or GreenGeeks.
Your mission is environmental and you want your host to align with your values: GreenGeeks.
You expect heavy campaign traffic spikes: Kinsta on a paid WordPress plan.
The Gift Aid maths that changes everything
Once you have chosen a host, the highest-leverage decision left is the fundraising layer. A basic-rate UK taxpayer donates £100. Your charity claims Gift Aid and receives £125 from HMRC at no extra cost to the donor (HMRC Gift Aid guidance). On £50,000 of Gift Aid-eligible giving, that 25p-per-£1 reclaim adds £12,500 of additional income per year.
Contrast that with what the typical donation platform costs. A platform skimming 3% to 6% per donation in platform fees and card processing costs a charity doing £50,000 a year between £1,500 and £3,000, every year, compounding quietly. The single most-criticised version of this in the UK press is the suggested voluntary contribution prompt used by mainstream fundraising platforms: donors sometimes assume it has been added without their knowledge, and charities carry the reputational damage.
Zeffy charges £0 in platform fees and £0 in processing. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee. Ever. Donors cover an optional voluntary contribution if they choose, but 100% of every donation goes to your charity.
Many community groups searching for charity web hosting are not yet registered charities: village halls, PTAs, Neighbourhood Watch groups, CICs, and unincorporated associations often reach this question before they have a Charity Commission number. Your hosting decision is the same as any small organisation: budget paid hosting at a few pounds per month from Hostinger, Bluehost, or GreenGeeks is the pragmatic choice. Your fundraising options are different, however: Gift Aid does not apply until you are HMRC-recognised, and most free-for-charities hosting programmes will not be available to you. If you are weighing whether to formalise your charitable status, the Charity Commission for England and Wales (gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission) is the right starting point for England and Wales. OSCR covers Scotland; CCNI covers Northern Ireland.
Yes, but with an important caveat. Almost every 'free hosting for nonprofits' programme on the market was built for US-registered organisations holding a US determination letter. DreamHost, InterServer, and Kinsta all run free tiers; UK charities should contact each provider directly with their Charity Commission, OSCR, or CCNI registration number to confirm whether UK registration is accepted before investing time in an application. Kinsta's free static-site tier is open to any organisation worldwide with no charity status required. TechSoup UK and Charity Digital Exchange are the UK-first routes into discounted (not free) hosting and software for registered charities.
For most small to mid-sized charities (£10k to £500k income), shared hosting in the £3 to £8 per month range is more than adequate. Managed WordPress hosting (SiteGround, Kinsta) runs roughly £20 to £50 per month and is worth it if your site has active campaigns or volunteer editors who need a staging environment. The bigger cost question is your fundraising layer. A platform charging 3% to 6% per donation costs a charity doing £50,000 a year between £1,500 and £3,000 annually, recurring. By contrast, hosting the same charity's site costs well under £100 a year. Focus your attention on the fundraising layer, not the hosting plan.
SiteGround is a strong choice for charities that want managed WordPress with reliable support and built-in staging environments. Staging lets your team (or your volunteers) test plugin updates and new functionality before pushing changes live, which matters when your donation page cannot afford downtime during a Christmas appeal or Giving Tuesday (UK) campaign. Kinsta is the premium-tier option for charities expecting high-traffic spikes. Both can be paired with Zeffy's free WordPress plugin for a £0-fee, Gift Aid-ready donation layer on top.
No, you do not need a .charity domain, but it is worth considering. The .charity top-level domain is restricted to verified charitable organisations and signals your status clearly to donors and grant-makers. However, .org.uk is the established UK convention, widely trusted, and used by the vast majority of UK charities. If your preferred .org.uk address is available, start there. If it is taken, .charity is a strong alternative. Nominet operates the .uk registry; visit nominet.uk for registrar options. Avoid buying a domain solely from your hosting provider if their renewal pricing is high: you can always transfer to a cheaper registrar after the first year.
Gift Aid applies to genuine donations from UK taxpayers who have signed a Gift Aid declaration. It does not apply to payments for goods or services, including event ticket purchases, raffle entries, or auction lots at fair value. For eligible online donations, your charity must be HMRC-recognised (a separate step from Charity Commission registration) and collect a valid Gift Aid declaration from the donor. The charity then reclaims 25p from HMRC for every £1 donated: a £100 gift becomes £125 at no extra cost to the donor. See the official guidance at gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid.
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