...And the latest update...
Wordpress ran fine on 000webhost after the parameters were set up right for SEF URLs
Then it seemed a good idea to change the site over to a CMS to see if that worked OK. I installed Joomla 1.0 which I prefer to J1.5. However you can't manually install it on this host, there are too many issues - wrong Apache file ownership settings etc. The files aren't writeable for this reason and others. Too many problems.
Anyway, there's a Fantastico installer there, so no problem (I thought) - I'll use that. Tried that, but it's offline. They're "fixing it soon". In the meantime - "Upgrade to our paid service". Sure. That would put you on another server I reckon, as the script installer won't work with those faulty server settings.
So I thought hmm, let's try another host, then. Heard about another that should be better: 5quidhost.co.uk
They have a full commercial hosting service at £5 a year ($7.50), or a free version, or various upgrades of course. I got an account to try the free version. Stunned - absolutely perfect server settings, full-on cPanel and email, all the latest PHP and Apache versions, all the server settings absolutely right, the full monty. Exactly the same as if you were paying £70 / $100 a year, no difference. And obviously run by capable server techs as servers like this, that are set up absolutely right, are about 25% of the total in my experience.
The catch is a tiny webspace and bandwidth allowance of course - just 20MB disk space and 2GB traffic. It's actually not possible to install Joomla correctly in a space that small, but luckily they give you the same space again for the database, which makes it just possible. Very tight though. Anyway - you can see what you're getting, this way, and can then upgrade if you like it. And that's what I'll do. £5 won't kill me
So here's the state of play:
Use 000webhost for an HTML site or a blog / micro-cms install like WordPress. It works 100% and there is a big resource allowance. You can upgrade once your site takes off, to get better email (which is the worst part of this service, just 5 accounts and v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. Messages can take 24 hours to appear in your inbox
Use 5quidhost if you want to run a real cms, but you'll only get a skinny install in there. Then you'll hit the wall and need to upgrade. Not a fortune though -- and well worth it. A really excellent server set-up that you will have trouble beating at under £100 / $150 a year. Haven't checked how many sites on the server yet but it doesn't seem slow, unlike many of the others I looked at.
They have servers in the UK and US (and elsewhere I think), and I believe you can request where to be hosted. If you have a commercial site that offers a service based in a particular country, you must be hosted in that country. If you're selling in South Africa you must be hosted in SA.
But to start a site out, it may not matter too much. And if you want max initial traffic, and the site is not country-specific, then host in the US.
And if you want the most sensible legal situation, in an EN language country, with no restrictions, loony laws, or litigation culture, then host in the UK. Don't know how long that will last though.
[update]
Unfortunately the 5quidhost account upgrade to £5 / $7.50 a year doesn't include MySQL, in other words no DB. Hmm. Next upgrade is £24 / $36 per year. Still very good value for what you get though, a perfectly set up server.