Buying a domain name but not hosting?

[3DModelerMan]

Is there any way to buy a domain but not hosting? I can usually get by with the space on free hosting sites, and I want to buy a domain and set up a website, but without the monthly hosting fee. Just the yearly domain fee. Does anybody know how?

[hendu]

Easily, just go to any domain reseller. Godaddy seems popular, though wouldn't use them myself.

Or, do you want help with how to config such?

[kazymjir]

Yeah, Godaddy is very popular domain registration service.
I never used it personally (I use local domain seller), but I know lot of people who use their services.

Btw, I don't know if free hosting offers using own domains

[hendu]

The ones I've used do (000webhost), they have clear options in their control panel to use your own domain.

[andrei25ni]

I use goDaddy domains with http://www.serversfree.com hosting.
They have no ads, that's the main reason I chose them. Had no problems with them.

[Cube_]

for domain names a simple google search should help you.
for free hosting I have tried multiple different...
best ones: *personal opinion!*
X10hosting
orangeserve
squareserve
000webhost
**and some more, no point in listing all of em' **

[Virion]

i'm using name.com now. not bad.

[rubenwardy]

Don't use 000webhost, it is a scam!

http://000webhost-scam.blogspot.com/:

If they simply don't like you, they will not only close your account, and take down the site without any warning, but also DESTROY ALL YOUR DATA, so that you can't get anything back from your site. Backups do not work either. So, do not think, you'll just backup periodically and be all set.
If you sign up with this hosting, you should GIVE UP ANY HOPE OF EVER GETTING THE DATA YOUR WEBSITE COLLECTS back from them.

/////

I just could not believe my eyes when I read their reply. I figured, there must be something I am missing, misunderstood, it just cannot be true. So, I write back, and ask for a clarification. Here is the exact reply I got back from their "suport":

--- QUOTE
Hello,

Your account is gone. Nothing can be recovered. All backups are removed. Any or all data is gone. I don't see why you are nit picking at everything.

Regards,
Damien | I hate signatures
--- END QUOTE

Now THIS left me speechless. Just WOW.

Perhaps you are thinking something along the lines of "well, this will never happen to me, because I always make backups". Think again! If you have more then 10M of data, the db backups won't work with this hoster either. They crash in the middle of the download. I tried many times and not once was able to download successfully. And when I asked "support" about it, I got a reply to the effect that "yeah, we know, it does not work".

Well, enough said. I hope, I was clear enough to persuade you to stay as far away from this "service" or from any other "service" ran by these fraudsters (notably, hosting24.com is their creature too - I urge you to stay even father away from it!) for your own sake.
There are plenty of hosting choices around the net, and this one is BY FAR THE WORST ONE!

Just search '000webhost scam' and you will see

[serengeor]

@rubenwardy
You might be saying truth as my accounts were wiped clean, but it was due to inactivity afaik. I found 000webhost pretty good for testing purposes. Though then again, installing l.a.m.p on my linux wasn't that hard either.