Where should you host a static website for free?

There are plenty of services that are willing to host your static website. All you need to do is to find the best one. Here, we have narrowed down some of the best platforms where you can host static websites for free.

Where should you host a static website for free?

The most significant advantage of static websites is that they don't require server-side programming and there are several free or cheap static website hosting to host them.

Check these out and make the right choice.

GitHub Pages - [Hosted directly from your GitHub repository]

Github Pages website screenshot
Github Pages website screenshot

First and the best static hosting service is the GitHub Pages. It is straightforward to use and provides a highly intuitive interface.

The added advantage is, webpages are hosted directly from the GitHub repository. It takes CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files from your GitHub repository, and you only need to edit and push, and your changes will be updated.

Below are the pros and cons of GitHub Pages.

Pros

  • Easy to set up
  • User-friendly interface
  • Supports Jekyll
  • Supports custom domains

Cons

  • No support for HTTPs for the custom domains
  • Requires paid plan for a private repository
  • Jekyll plug-in support can be problematic.

Surge.sh - [Publish HTML, CSS, and JS for free, without leaving the command line]

Surge.sh website screenshot
Surge.sh website screenshot

Surge is another convenient tool to host static websites. It is incredibly easy to use; you can publish your site in just a few clicks.

It only requires a few commands, and your pages will be issued.

The best part is, it doesn't require any investment. You can easily add your private domains to your projects, share projects with others, and can easily create 404 error pages to redirect the clients.

Although it is available for free, you can get the paid version for additional benefits like custom SSL, unlimited projects, etc.

Pros

  • Available for free
  • Easy to use
  • Flexibility to add private domains
  • Easy sharing

Cons

  • Although you will get a free plan, it offers limited features.
  • The paid plan is a bit expensive.

Netlify - [The fastest way to build the fastest sites]

Netlify website screenshot
Netlify website screenshot

Netlify is one of the most popular platforms after GitHub Pages for hosting static websites.

It smartly processes your website by optimising every element and presents it very professionally.

Moreover, it is a hosting service with continuous integrated deployment. The major limitation of Netlify is, it is complex to set up.

Pros

  • Creating a website is very easy.
  • Highly intuitive interface
  • It offers both command line and web-based interfaces.
  • Supports custom domains
  • Automatically managed DNS configuration
  • Supports HTTPs
  • Supports many static site generators including Jekyll

Cons

  • Complex set up
  • Requires good knowledge of React
  • Complex APIs can confuse a beginner
  • Backward compatibility of APIs can be an issue.

Firebase Hosting - [fast and secure hosting for your web app]

Firebase website screenshot
Firebase website screenshot

Firebase hosting is a cloud-based service that provides hosting for static websites. You can host your website created using some static site generators and even CMS platforms.

You can host any website as long as it is not dynamic. For example, you can host your WordPress blog with great ease.

Further, it delivers files via HTTPs, CDN and also provides an automatic SSL certificate.

It also comes with custom domain support. Coming to its pricing, it offers a generous free plan, and prepaid plans are also affordable.

Pros

  • The first and foremost advantage is its recognition and reputation being hosted by Google.
  • It offers a real-time database that can store up to 1 GB of data.
  • Supports HTTPs
  • Offers an automatic SSL certificate
  • Supports custom domains

Cons

  • Imposes data transfer limit - you can only transfer 10 GB data per month
  • Offers oy command-line interface
  • Lacks in-built support for static site generators

Vercel - [Static and Jamstack deployment, Serverless Functions, and Global CDN]

Vercel website screenshot
Vercel website screenshot

Finally, we have Vercel, which is also known as Zeit Now. It is another cloud-based service specifically designed to host static websites, Docker containers, and Node.js applications with ease.

It is incredibly easy to use; you can host your websites using simple commands from the command line in just a few minutes.

Although it is available for free, the free plan makes your code public. Hence, it is recommended to go for the paid ones if you want added privacy and security.

Pros

  • Comes with custom domain support
  • Can be used easily with simple commands from the command line interface
  • Provides good technical support
  • Provides in-depth documentation

Cons

  • Free plans make your site public, so you need to grow with the paid plans.
  • Paid plans are not very affordable
  • A little bit complicated to use
  • Can be confusing for the beginners

Conclusion

So, these were some of the best hosting services you can go for.

Are you excited about Ai Website Builders? Check out our list of the 7 best Ai Website Creators.

We hope it helps you.

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