If you’ve ever built a static website, you know the feeling of getting it ready to go live and then asking yourself, “Where do I host this… without paying a dime?” The good news is that there are plenty of platforms today that let you publish static websites for free. Whether it’s a personal portfolio, a side project, or an MVP you’re testing, free static site hosting has become the default way to get started fast.
But with so many hosting services available, choosing the right one can get confusing. So instead of leaving you to dig through multiple docs and pricing pages, we put together this simple comparison of the 6 best free static hosting providers.
Here’s a quick table to give you the overview before we dive into each service:
| Hosting Service | Free Plan | Deployments | Rendering support | Custom Domains | Auth, DB, storage integration | Best feature |
Vercel | Hobby (free) | Auto from Git, instant previews | Static + SSR | Yes | No (external required) | Optimized for modern frameworks (Next.js) |
Render | Free static sites | Git-based | Static only | Yes | No (external required) | Simple, reliable global CDN |
Netlify | Starter (free forever) | Git deploys, preview builds | Static (SSR via edge functions) | Yes | No (external required) | Built-in serverless functions + extras |
GitHub Pages | Free for public repos | Push to repo, auto-build with Jekyll | Static only | Yes | No (external required) | Zero-cost hosting tied to GitHub |
Clouflare Pages | Yes | Git-based auto-deploys, CLI | Static + SSR | Yes | No (external required) | Deep integration with Cloudflare’s global edge network |
Appwrite Sites | Free | Git-based auto-deploys, CLI, manual upload | Static + SSR | Yes | Yes | All-in-one: hosting + backend services |
Appwrite Sites
Appwrite Sites is designed to go beyond traditional free static site hosting. Alongside static and server-side rendering, it integrates backend services such as databases, authentication, storage, and serverless functions. This makes it more than just an HTML hosting service, it’s an all-in-one developer platform that allows you to build, deploy, and scale full-stack applications without juggling multiple providers.
Key features of Appwrite Sites
- Supports static and server-side rendering (Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, Remix, etc.)
- Git-based deployments with previews
- Global CDN with SSL and DDoS protection
- Built-in backend services: auth, database, functions, storage
Pricing of Appwrite Sites
- Open source and self-hostable
- Cloud option: Free tier available, with paid Pro plan starting at $25/month.
Pros and cons of Appwrite Sites
| Pros | Cons |
All-in-one: frontend + backend in one ecosystem | Ecosystem still newer compared to incumbents |
Flexible support for static and SSR | Pricing model for scaling still maturing |
Open source foundation with no vendor lock-in | Fewer third-party integrations so far |
Vercel
Vercel is a favourite among frontend developers because it makes it simple to host a static website connected to your Git workflow. Every push triggers an instant deploy, and every pull request gets its own preview URL.
Key features of Vercel
- Git integration with auto-deploys and preview URLs
- Global CDN and edge network
- Serverless functions support
- Edge and Node runtime support
- Framework-optimized especially for Next.js.
Pricing of Vercel
- Hobby (Free): 1M requests/month, 100 GB bandwidth, limited serverless usage
- Pro: starts at $20 per user/month with higher limits
Pros and cons of Vercel
| Pros | Cons |
Excellent developer experience | Quite costly when compared to other competitors |
Great for modern frontend frameworks | Limited backend support |
Instant previews and rollbacks | Overages can get costly |
Render
Render is often overlooked, but it’s a clean option for static site hosting, free of complexity. You connect your repo, and every commit deploys automatically to a global CDN.
Key features of Render
- Git-based deployments with auto-builds
- Global CDN with caching and HTTPS
- Custom domains with automatic SSL
- Preview builds for pull requests
Pricing of Render
- Free static sites: 100 GB/month bandwidth, 750 build minutes/month
- Paid plans scale with bandwidth and build usage
Pros and cons of Render
| Pros | Cons |
Straightforward and reliable for static hosting | Bandwidth and build limits on free plan |
Easy Git workflow | No guarantees of “always-on” behaviour for dynamic/web services on the free tier |
Custom domains included even on free plan | Lacks advanced serverless features |
Netlify
Netlify set the standard for modern free hosting static website platforms. It goes beyond simple HTML hosting with useful extras like form handling, functions, and identity.
Key features of Netlify
- Git-based continuous deployment
- Serverless functions and edge functions
- Previews, rollbacks, and global CDN
- Built-in extras: form handling, identity, analytics
Pricing of Netlify
- Starter (Free forever): 100 GB bandwidth, 300 build minutes, 125k serverless function calls
- Pro: $19 per user/month with larger limits and team features
Pros and cons of Netlify
| Pros | Cons |
Very generous free tier | Build minutes and bandwidth can run out fast |
Built-in extras reduce need for third-party tools | Sites may pause when limits are exceeded |
One of the most popular and battle-tested platforms | Pricing can get complex at scale |
Deploy in seconds, scale globally
Host your websites and web apps with zero infrastructure headaches.
Open source and no vendor lock-in- Built-in security and DDoS protection
- Fully managed cloud solution
- Global CDN for improved performance
GitHub Pages
If all you need is free static webpage hosting, GitHub Pages is the simplest choice. You push your site to a repository and it’s live. It’s great for documentation, blogs, and personal projects.
Key features of GitHub Pages
- Free hosting directly from GitHub repos
- Built-in Jekyll support for static site builds
- Free HTTPS and custom domains
- Simple workflow tied to commits
Pricing of GitHub Pages
- Free for public repositories
- Requires a paid GitHub plan for private repos
Pros and cons of GitHub Pages
| Pros | Cons |
Truly free and reliable | Static-only, no backend support |
Easy to use for docs and portfolios | Public repo requirement on free plan |
Integrated into GitHub’s workflow | No request logging, analytics, rollbacks, or deployment management. |
Cloudflare Pages
Cloudflare Pages is a relatively newer option, but has grown fast thanks to Cloudflare’s global infrastructure. It provides free, globally distributed static hosting with Git integration and the ability to run dynamic code through Cloudflare Workers.
Key features of Cloudflare Pages
- Git-based deployments with preview builds
- Global CDN with Cloudflare’s edge network
- Custom domains with free SSL
- Integration with Cloudflare Workers for SSR and dynamic functionality
- Edge Functions for APIs and personalization
Pricing of Cloudflare Pages
- Free: 500 builds/month, unlimited requests, 100 custom domains
- Paid Pro plan: $20/month for 5k builds/month, higher concurrency, and Workers KV/Durable Objects access
Pros and cons of Cloudflare Pages
| Pros | Cons |
Global edge network ensures fast performance worldwide | Build concurrency and Workers limits on free plan |
Deep integration with Cloudflare services (DNS, Workers, KV, R2, etc.) | Requires familiarity with Cloudflare ecosystem |
Generous free tier with unlimited requests | More setup needed compared to plug-and-play hosts like Netlify |
FAQ
1. What is the best open source alternative to Vercel?
Appwrite Sites is a strong open source alternative to Vercel. Unlike most static site hosts, it combines static and server-side rendering with built-in backend services such as authentication, databases, and serverless functions. This makes it ideal for developers who want more control without vendor lock-in.
2. Can I host a static website with a secure custom domain using Appwrite?
Yes. Appwrite Sites supports custom domains with free SSL certificates. You can deploy your static or SSR site and serve it securely over HTTPS, all managed through the Appwrite dashboard.
3. Does Appwrite offer enterprise support plans?
Yes. Appwrite provides enterprise-grade support, including SLAs, security compliance, and dedicated assistance for larger teams and organizations building critical applications.
4. What makes Appwrite different from Firebase or Netlify?
While Firebase and Netlify focus either on backend services or frontend hosting, Appwrite combines both. You get static site hosting, server-side rendering, databases, authentication, storage, and functions in one open source platform.
5. Can I deploy a React app with backend services in Appwrite?
Absolutely. You can deploy your React frontend with Appwrite Sites and connect it directly to Appwrite’s backend services, such as database, authentication, and storage. This gives you a full-stack setup without relying on multiple providers.
6. How does Appwrite compare to Render, Netlify, and Vercel?
Render and Netlify provide solid free static site hosting, while Vercel is optimized for frontend frameworks like Next.js. Appwrite Sites goes further by combining hosting with backend services, making it more versatile for teams building full-stack applications.
7. Can I use GitHub Actions to deploy to Appwrite Sites?
Not directly. While Appwrite integrates with GitHub repositories for automatic deployments, GitHub Actions do not work with Sites out of the box today. Instead, you can connect your GitHub repo directly in the Appwrite console, and every push will trigger a deployment automatically. This gives you the benefits of continuous deployment without having to manually configure GitHub Actions.
8. Does Appwrite Sites support preview deployments like Vercel and Netlify?
Yes. Appwrite Sites offers preview deployments for every pull request or branch. This means that whenever you push a new feature or bug fix, Appwrite automatically creates a live preview URL. Your team can test the changes in a production-like environment before merging, making collaboration faster and safer.
