Free MySQL hosting for your website
Every Traxio account comes with a MySQL database, managed in your browser with phpMyAdmin. Use it for WordPress, a forum or your own code. Your first 30 days are free with no card. Then it’s £0.99 a month if you keep it.
- First 30 days: £0
- Then £0.99 a month if you continue
- No card needed to start
- Bring your own domain
In short: your hosting includes one MySQL database (MariaDB, which works the same way), plus phpMyAdmin to look after it. It works from day one of your free 30 days. After that, the database stays as long as you keep your hosting, at £0.99 a month. Traxio isn’t free for good, and this page says where a free-for-good database might suit you better.
What a MySQL database does
A database is where a website keeps information that changes. Think of it as a set of tidy spreadsheets that your website reads and writes.
- WordPress keeps your posts, pages, comments and settings in it.
- A forum keeps its members, topics and replies in it.
- A shop keeps its products and orders in it.
- Your own PHP code can store anything: a guestbook, a booking list, form entries.
A plain HTML website doesn’t need a database. If you install WordPress, a forum or a shop, it does. What is MySQL, and why do I need it?
What you get
| Databases | 1 MySQL database, with its own user and password |
|---|---|
| Database software | MariaDB, which is compatible with MySQL |
| Manage it with | phpMyAdmin, opened from DirectAdmin in your browser |
| Size | Counts towards your 3GB of storage, shared with your files and email |
| Connect from | Your website’s code on the same account, using localhost |
| Backups | Download a copy any time, plus daily offsite backups (a courtesy, not a guarantee) |
| Works with | WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, SMF, phpBB, MyBB, WooCommerce and most PHP apps |
Is 3GB enough? Almost always. Most website databases are measured in megabytes, not gigabytes. A WordPress blog with a few hundred posts usually has a database of well under 100MB. Photos and uploads are stored as files, not in the database. How much hosting do I need?
One database, more than one app? Many PHP apps can share a database by using a different table prefix (a short label at the start of each table name, such as wp_ or smf_). Softaculous lets you set one when it installs an app.
Create your database in five steps
- Log in to DirectAdmin. Your login details are in your welcome email.
- Open MySQL Management and choose Create new Database.
- Type a short name, such as
blog. DirectAdmin adds your account name in front, so you get something likeyourname_blog. - Set a strong password for the database user, and save it in your password manager.
- Open phpMyAdmin to see your new, empty database. You’re ready.
If you install WordPress or a forum with Softaculous’s one-click installer, it creates the database for you, so you can skip these steps. Create a MySQL database, with screenshots.
Connecting your code
Use localhost as the host name, with the database name, user and password you just set. Traxio databases are meant for websites on your own hosting account, not for connecting from your computer or another server. Connect PHP to MySQL.
Things free database hosting often leaves out
Free MySQL hosting is fine for practising. If your site matters, check these before you choose:
Questions to ask any host
- Can I download a full copy of my database whenever I like?
- Is phpMyAdmin included, so I can see and fix my data?
- Can I import a big database when I move my site?
- What happens if my site is quiet? Some free hosts suspend inactive accounts.
- Will adverts appear on my pages?
On Traxio
- Export any time from phpMyAdmin, or download a full backup from DirectAdmin.
- phpMyAdmin is included with every account.
- Large imports are possible through phpMyAdmin or over SSH: import a large database.
- No inactivity rules while your account is paid.
- No adverts, ever, on your site.
When a free-for-good database is the better choice
Traxio is cheap, but it isn’t free after the first 30 days. Some free hosts, such as InfinityFree and ByetHost, include MySQL databases with no end date. Their plans have other limits, such as their own control panels, and they change from time to time. If your budget is exactly £0, they’re worth a look. The InfinityFree and ByetHost comparisons show where each one beats Traxio.
Traxio makes sense when you want a database on hosting that also gives you your own domain, email, free SSL, DirectAdmin and daily offsite backups, for £0.99 a month.
Look after your data
- Back up before big changes. Export the database before you update WordPress, a forum or a plugin. How to export a database.
- Keep a copy off the server. Save your exports somewhere else, such as your computer or cloud storage.
- Use a strong, unique password for each database user. Keeping your database secure.
- Fix slow or broken tables with phpMyAdmin’s repair and optimise tools. Repair and optimise a database.
Learn more
Tutorials
- Create a database and connect an application to itCreate a MySQL database and user, confirm the login in phpMyAdmin, and connect a PHP script with PDO.
- Set up SFTP and manage your site from your computerConfigure FileZilla for SFTP, save the connection, and use folder comparison to upload only what’s changed.
- Export a database and import it somewhere elseMove a MySQL database between hosts or into a new database with phpMyAdmin, handling the errors imports commonly hit.
Guides
- Connecting a PHP application to your databaseThe connection details for Traxio databases and working examples with PDO and mysqli, including safe queries and keeping credentials private.
- How to create a MySQL database in DirectAdminCreate a MySQL/MariaDB database and user in DirectAdmin, understand the account prefix, and note the details your application needs.
- What is MySQL (and MariaDB)?Databases explained simply: what MySQL and MariaDB store, how tables, users and privileges work, and how a website uses them.
- How to access and use phpMyAdminOpen phpMyAdmin from DirectAdmin, find your way around, browse and edit data safely, and run SQL queries.
- How to change a database user’s passwordReset a MySQL user’s password in DirectAdmin and update your application’s configuration so the site doesn’t go down.
MySQL hosting questions
Is the MySQL database really free?
Yes, for your first 30 days, with no card needed. After that it’s part of your hosting at £0.99 a month. There’s no separate charge for the database.
How many databases do I get?
One. Several apps can share it by using different table prefixes, or you can pair one database app (such as WordPress) with a plain HTML site that doesn’t need a database.
Is it MySQL or MariaDB?
MariaDB, which was built as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. WordPress, forums and PHP code that work with MySQL work with it. MySQL or MariaDB?
Can I connect to my database from my own computer?
No. Traxio databases are meant for websites on your own hosting account, so connect with localhost from your site’s code. Use phpMyAdmin in your browser to manage the data.
How do I move my database from another host?
Export it from your old host as a .sql file, create a database on Traxio, then import the file in phpMyAdmin. Import a database.
What does “Error establishing a database connection” mean?
Your website can’t log in to its database. Usually the database name, user or password in your site’s settings file is wrong. Fix the database connection error.
Your first 30 days are free.
Then it’s £0.99 a month for the same hosting. No card to start, no setup fee, and the same price next year.
- £0 today
- No card required
- No automatic charges
- £0.99 a month afterwards
- Cancel any time