Which is the most affordable or cost-less way of web hosting?
Go to a web host who have a free web hosting package. They do this kind of things to hope that you will become a paying customer or at least pay for the additional things (domain(s) and SSL(s)). It may be on cheaper hardware but it my best thing that I can think of for getting your "feet in the door" without shelling out for running a full time site when it just out on the internet for the first time.
Did you (or anyone else) start out in a free hosting environment and upgrade? Just curious. Looking for some real life experiences here.
Everyone who I've ever talked to that was successful with web hosting has always paid for their accounts. For what it might be worth.
Easy answer, free hosting is cost-less. but it is difficult to run a commercial project in free hosting platform.