atspace.com

ATSPACE's free plan gives you 1GB of disk space, 5GB of monthly traffic, one hosted domain with up to three subdomains, one email account with 50MB of storage, and one MySQL database (30MB, MySQL 5.7) — with no ads placed on your site. It's a reasonable fit for a first website, a personal project, or a small site with light traffic. It is not enough for a media-heavy site, a busy blog, or anything that needs more than one database.

Free plan resources at a glance

The traffic figure is the one to watch. ATSPACE states the 5GB monthly allowance resets at the beginning of the month, or when you upgrade to a paid plan. So if you hit the cap mid-month, upgrading is the way to lift it before the reset.

What you can build with it

The free plan is aimed at getting a first project online rather than running a production business site. Two paths are available:

• One-click installer. ATSPACE provides the Zacky App Installer, which it says can install WordPress or Joomla within about five minutes. Additional software packages are reserved for paid hosting plans.
• Website builder. The Zacky Website Builder offers templates and drag-and-drop editing if you'd rather not run a CMS.

Both routes fit inside the 1GB / 1 database limits for a small site. A WordPress install with a lightweight theme and a handful of pages sits comfortably; a plugin-heavy build or a large media library will run into the disk and database ceilings.

When the free plan is enough — and when it isn't

Choose the free plan if:

• You're publishing a first website, portfolio, or personal project.
• You expect low, steady traffic rather than spikes.
• You need one site, one email address, and a single small database.
• You want to avoid ads on your pages without paying.

Move to a paid plan if:

• You need more than 5GB of traffic per month, or you don't want to wait for the monthly reset.
• You're running a business site or a blog/news site with meaningful visitor numbers.
• You need more than one database, more email accounts, or extra software packages.
• You want a free domain — ATSPACE ties free domains to its premium plans.

ATSPACE lists three paid tiers for comparison: Shared (positioned for startups or medium sites around 1,000 monthly visitors), Semi-Dedicated (for business sites above 1,000 monthly visitors, plus medium blogs and news sites), and Virtual Private Server (a dedicated server you configure yourself). Published starting prices are $0.08/mo for Shared, $12.99/mo for Semi-Dedicated, and $120.00/year for VPS, with equivalent figures in euros and pounds. Check the current pricing page before deciding, since these are starting prices and plan details can change.

Getting started

1. Sign up from the ATSPACE homepage.
2. Choose your path: run the Zacky App Installer for WordPress or Joomla, or open the Zacky Website Builder.
3. Point your hosted domain (or a subdomain) at the site you build.
4. Set up the included email account if you want a contact address on your own domain.
5. Keep an eye on disk and traffic usage in your control panel — those are the two limits you'll hit first.

One thing worth knowing before you commit: the free plan's 30MB database and 5GB traffic are the constraints most likely to force an upgrade, not the 1GB of disk space. If your project depends on a growing content library or steady visitor growth, plan for a paid tier from the start rather than migrating later.

An IDX website pulls live listings from your local MLS and displays them on your own domain, so visitors can search homes without leaving your site. That single capability changes what a website does for your business: instead of a static brochure that describes who you are, it becomes a working search tool that captures leads at the moment they're actively looking. A built-in CRM then takes those inquiries and turns them into an ongoing contact record rather than a message buried in your inbox.

The Core Difference: Brochure Site vs. IDX Site

A generic agent website typically has a homepage, an "About Me" page, a few testimonials, and a contact form. Visitors read, maybe click "Contact," and leave. There's little reason to return.

An IDX-enabled site adds a searchable listing database. Visitors filter by price, bedrooms, neighborhood, or property type, save favorites, and come back to check for new matches. The practical difference shows up in behavior:

Neither type is useless. But if your goal is capturing buyers who are in the market right now, the search experience is what keeps them on your domain instead of sending them to a national portal where you're one of many agents competing for the same click.

What "IDX" Actually Means in Plain Terms

IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It's a reciprocal arrangement among MLS participants: brokers agree to let their listings appear on each other's websites in exchange for the same courtesy. Your MLS governs the rules — what data can display, how often it refreshes, how listings must be attributed, and which fields can be shown.

For you as an agent, the practical takeaway is:

• The feed comes from your MLS, not from the website provider. The provider builds the display; the MLS supplies the data.
• Coverage depends on your MLS. If you belong to one MLS, you typically get that MLS's listings. If you belong to several, you may need multiple feeds.
• Rules vary by region. Some MLSs require specific disclaimers, refresh intervals, or restrictions on certain fields.

This is why "does it have IDX?" is the wrong first question. The better question is "does it support my MLS, and what does the display look like?"

How the CRM Connects the Dots

A listing search without follow-up is just a nicer brochure. The CRM is what closes the loop.

Here's the flow in a well-integrated setup:

1. A visitor searches listings and clicks "Request a showing" or "Ask a question" on a specific property.
2. The inquiry lands in the CRM with the property address attached, not just a name and email.
3. The agent sees what the lead was looking at, which makes the first reply specific instead of generic.
4. The lead enters a follow-up sequence — new listings matching their criteria, price-change alerts, or a simple check-in.
5. Over time, the contact record accumulates: saved searches, past inquiries, showing history.

The alternative — leads arriving as raw emails — means you're reconstructing context from memory and hoping you remember to follow up. Most agents don't, not because they're careless, but because there's no system prompting them.

What to Expect During Setup

Setup is usually more about approvals than technical work. A realistic sequence:

1. Choose a domain

Use your name or brand (for example, yourname.com). Many providers include a free domain with a paid plan; confirm whether it renews free or at standard rate after year one.

2. Select a template and connect your branding

Logo, colors, headshot, service areas, and a short bio. This is the part you control fully.

3. Submit your MLS IDX approval

This is the step that catches people off guard. Your MLS must approve you as a participant authorized to display IDX data. You'll typically need your license number and MLS credentials. Approval can take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks depending on the MLS.

4. Verify the feed and listing display

Once approved, confirm that listings actually appear, that search filters work, and that required disclaimers show. Check a handful of known addresses to make sure the data is current.

5. Set up lead capture and CRM routing

Decide where inquiries go, who gets notified, and what the first automated response says. Test it yourself with a fake inquiry before going live.

6. Publish and review on mobile

Most real estate searches happen on phones. Check the search flow on your own device before announcing the site.

Limitations Worth Knowing Before You Commit

IDX is powerful but not unlimited. Ask a provider these questions directly:

• Which MLSs do you support? Get a specific answer for your MLS, not a general "we support many."
• How often does the feed refresh? Some MLSs mandate near-real-time; others allow delays.
• Can I display sold and pending data? Rules differ, and sold data is often restricted.
• What happens if I switch brokers or MLSs? Can the feed be transferred or re-approved?
• Is the CRM included or an add-on? Some providers bundle it; others charge separately.
• What are the limits on contacts or emails? A CRM that caps out at 500 contacts may not fit a growing database.
• Who owns the lead data if I leave? Export rights matter more than most agents realize until it's too late.

Pricing structures in this category commonly start in the range of a few tens of dollars per month for a basic plan, with higher tiers adding features like advanced CRM, additional MLS feeds, or expanded marketing tools. Confirm current pricing and what each tier includes directly with the provider, since plan contents change.

A Reasonable Way to Decide

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Do buyers in my market search online before contacting an agent? In most markets, yes — which means a searchable site meets them where they already are.
2. Do I have a follow-up system I actually use? If not, the CRM half of an IDX site is arguably more valuable than the listings half.
3. Is my MLS supported? Without this, nothing else matters.

If the answer to all three is yes, an IDX site with integrated CRM is a reasonable infrastructure investment. If your MLS isn't supported, or you won't use the follow-up tools, a simpler site plus a standalone CRM may serve you better.

The honest framing: an IDX website doesn't generate leads by itself, and no provider can promise rankings or sales. What it does is give interested visitors a reason to stay on your domain and give you a structured way to follow up when they raise their hand. Whether that translates into business depends on how consistently you work the leads it captures.

ATSPACE.com is a web hosting provider that has offered free web hosting since 2003, and it also sells paid hosting plans. It is a fit if you want to put a first website online at no cost, with a hosted domain, email, and a MySQL database included. Choose a paid plan instead if you need more disk space, traffic, or additional software packages beyond the free one-click installer.

What the free hosting plan includes

The free plan is the core of the offer. According to the site, it provides:

• 1GB disk space — described as enough for a first website.
• 5GB monthly traffic — resets at the start of each month, or when you upgrade to a paid plan.
• 1 domain — one hosted domain plus up to three subdomains.
• 1 email account — with 50MB of storage for messages.
• 1 database — 30MB of storage, MySQL version 5.7.
• No ads — the site states it will not place advertising on your website.

ATSPACE also says it has hosted more than 2,000,000 websites, which is the basis for its reliability claim.

Building a site: installer and website builder

Two tools are available for getting a site online without manual setup:

• Zacky App Installer — the site says you can install WordPress or Joomla within about 5 minutes. Additional software packages are available on paid hosting plans, not the free one.
• Zacky Website Builder — for people who prefer not to use a CMS. It includes templates and supports drag-and-drop editing.

If your goal is a blog or a small business site, the WordPress route through the installer is the more common starting point. If you want to assemble pages visually without managing a CMS, the website builder fits that case.

Paid upgrades and when they make sense

The site lists three paid tiers, with starting prices as shown:

The free plan's 5GB monthly traffic is the practical ceiling to watch. Once a site regularly approaches that, or you need more than one database or extra software packages, the paid tiers are the intended next step. Free domains are tied to premium plans, so a free domain is not part of the free hosting offer itself.

Practical notes before signing up

• Email sending is enabled on the free hosting, per the site's description.
• The free plan is limited to one domain and one database, so it suits a single project rather than multiple sites.
• Support is cited positively in customer comments, including one user who reported a problem resolved within about two hours on the free plan. Treat individual testimonials as anecdotal rather than a guaranteed response time.
• Check current pricing and plan limits on the site before committing, since the figures above reflect what the page states at the time of writing.

Upgrade when your site outgrows the free plan's hard limits — 1GB disk space, 5GB monthly traffic, one domain, one 30MB MySQL database, and one 50MB email account. If you are running a first website or a low-traffic project, the free plan is enough. If you need more software packages, more resources, or you are approaching those caps, ATSPACE's paid tiers (Shared, Semi-Dedicated, VPS) are the next step.

What the free plan actually gives you

ATSPACE has offered free web hosting since 2003 and hosts more than 2,000,000 websites on it. The free tier includes:

Two things to note before you decide. First, the free plan's 5GB traffic resets monthly, so a traffic spike does not permanently consume your allowance — but it can still take your site offline for the rest of the month if you exceed it. Second, additional software packages beyond the one-click installer are only available on paid hosting plans, so if you need a specific application that is not WordPress or Joomla, that alone can force an upgrade.

When the free plan is still the right choice

Stay on free hosting if all of the following apply:

• This is your first website, or a personal project with no commercial pressure.
• You expect well under 5GB of monthly traffic (roughly a few thousand page views, depending on page weight).
• Your files fit inside 1GB and your database inside 30MB.
• One domain and one mailbox are enough.
• You only need WordPress, Joomla, or a site built with the Zacky Website Builder.

The free plan is also a reasonable way to test whether a project is worth investing in before paying for anything.

When to upgrade, and to which plan

ATSPACE lists three paid tiers. Match the tier to your situation rather than to the price:

Shared hosting — around 1,000 monthly visitors

ATSPACE positions Shared as the best fit for a startup business or a medium-sized website with around 1,000 visitors per month. Choose this if you have outgrown the free caps but your traffic is still modest — for example, a small business site, a portfolio you are now promoting, or a blog that has started to attract regular readers. Listed prices start from $0.08–$0.10 / £0.08–£0.10 / €0.08–€0.10 per month.

Semi-dedicated hosting — more than 1,000 monthly visitors

ATSPACE recommends Semi-Dedicated for business websites with more than 1,000 visitors per month, and for medium-sized blogs or news sites. Upgrade here when consistent traffic — not just an occasional spike — is pushing against the free plan's 5GB monthly limit, or when you need the extra software packages that paid plans unlock. Listed prices start from $12.99–$15.59 / £9.99–£11.99 / €9.99–€11.99 per month.

VPS hosting — you want the server to yourself

ATSPACE describes VPS as the point where you are alone on the server and can set it up and optimize it as you wish. Choose VPS if you need full control over configuration, expect substantial or unpredictable traffic, or are running applications that cannot share an environment. Listed prices start from $120.00–$144.00 / £120.00–£144.00 / €120.00–€144.00 per year.

How to decide in practice

1. Check your current usage. Look at disk space, monthly traffic, and database size in your hosting panel. If any figure is close to the free cap, you are a candidate for an upgrade.
2. Identify the binding constraint. Traffic near 5GB points to Shared or Semi-Dedicated. A database near 30MB or files near 1GB points to needing more storage. A need for software beyond WordPress/Joomla points to any paid plan.
3. Match traffic to tier. Around 1,000 monthly visitors → Shared. Consistently above 1,000 → Semi-Dedicated. Need isolation and full server control → VPS.
4. Verify before committing. Prices above are the "from" figures shown on ATSPACE's site and vary by currency and billing period; confirm the current price and what each plan includes at signup. The page does not state whether paid plans include a free domain — it only says free domains come with premium plans, so check that detail during checkout if a domain matters to you.

Common sticking points

• Traffic resets, so a spike is temporary. Exceeding 5GB does not permanently cost you the allowance, but it can still interrupt service until the month rolls over or you upgrade.
• The free plan has no ads, and paid plans do not remove ads — there are none to remove. Do not upgrade for that reason.
• Support quality is not a reason to upgrade. One customer review on the site describes a problem resolved in under two hours on the free plan, so support is not gated behind payment.
• The installer is not the only path. If you would rather not code, the Zacky Website Builder with drag-and-drop templates is available without upgrading.

ATSPACE's free hosting plan includes one hosted domain and up to three subdomains, so you can point your own domain at the free plan. A free domain, however, is not part of the free plan — the site states that free domains come with premium (paid) plans. If you already own a domain, you can host it on the free plan; if you want ATSPACE to give you a domain at no cost, you need a paid plan.

What the free plan includes for domains

The free hosting feature list on ATSPACE's site specifies:

The "1 Domain" line is the key one for this question: the plan supports hosting a single domain. It does not say the domain is provided for free — it says one domain can be hosted. The three subdomains are additional addresses under a domain you control.

Can you use your own domain?

Yes, based on the plan description. Because the free plan allows one hosted domain, you can bring a domain you already registered elsewhere and host it here. The practical steps are:

1. Register or own a domain through any registrar.
2. Sign up for the ATSPACE free plan.
3. Add that domain as your hosted domain in the hosting account.
4. Point the domain's DNS (nameservers or DNS records) to ATSPACE, as directed in your account.
5. Wait for DNS propagation, then verify the site loads on your domain.

Expected result: your own domain resolves to the site hosted on the free plan, with up to three subdomains available under it.

A common snag is DNS: if the domain still points to your registrar's default nameservers or an old host, the site won't appear on your domain until the records are updated and propagated. Also note the free plan's 1GB disk and 5GB monthly traffic limits — fine for a first site, tight if you add large media.

How to get a free domain

ATSPACE states that free domains are offered with premium plans. The site has a dedicated Domains section with pages for "What is a Domain," "Get Free Domain," "Domain Services," and "Domain Pricing," so the exact terms and eligible plans are described there rather than on the free hosting page.

If a free domain is your main goal, compare the paid tiers:

• Shared — positioned for a startup business or medium site with around 1,000 monthly visitors; listed from about $0.08–$0.10/mo (promotional vs. regular pricing shown).
• Semi-Dedicated — for business sites over 1,000 monthly visitors, or medium blogs and news sites; listed from about $12.99–$15.59/mo.
• VPS — a dedicated server you configure yourself; listed from about $120–$144/year.

Prices are shown in USD, GBP, and EUR on the site and may change, so check the current pricing pages before deciding.

Choosing between the free plan and a paid plan

Use the free plan if you already own a domain, want a no-cost home for a first site, and can live with 1GB disk space, 5GB monthly traffic, one email account, and one small database.

Move to a paid plan if you need ATSPACE to provide the domain for free, want more disk space, traffic, email accounts, or databases, or expect more than roughly 1,000 monthly visitors. The site also notes that additional software packages beyond the one-click installer are available on paid plans, and that monthly traffic resets at the start of the month or when you upgrade.

One point worth verifying before you commit: the free plan's domain allowance is described as "1 Domain" without stating whether that domain must be registered through ATSPACE or can be external. If you plan to use an existing domain, confirm the DNS requirements in your account or with support — customer reviews on the site highlight responsive support even on the free plan.