Guides · HTML hosting
Free HTML hosting: 8 options, compared honestly
Short answer: there's no single best free host. It depends on what you're putting online:
- A website you keep in Git: GitHub Pages or Cloudflare Pages. Both are free, with your own domain.
- A hobby site you edit in the browser: Neocities.
- A project with a build step (React, Vite, Astro): Cloudflare Pages or Netlify.
- A page or file to send to someone: DocPin or Tiiny Host. Drop the file in, get a link.
- PHP or a database: InfinityFree. The others only serve static files.
Find your host in three questions
Answer these and you'll get a pick, plus the runner-up and why.
1. What are you putting online?
2. How do you want to publish?
3. Anything it must have?
What "free" usually costs you
None of these hosts asks for a card on the free plan. But every free plan has a catch, and it's worth knowing which one you're signing up for.
you.github.io or something.netlify.app unless you bring a domain.What your free link looks like
Type a name to see the address each host gives you before you add your own domain.
Netlify, Cloudflare and Vercel let you rename the project, so the first part is yours to choose if it isn't taken.
The free plans side by side
| How you publish | Free limits | Own domain free | Private pages | The catch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Pages | Git | 1 GB site, about 100 GB traffic a month | Yes | NoEnterprise Cloud only | Needs Git; not for running a business |
| Cloudflare Pages | Git or upload | Unlimited static traffic, 20,000 files, 500 builds a month | Yes | Set up Cloudflare Access | More to set up; new projects are steered to Workers |
| Netlify | Drag and drop, Git or CLI | 300 credits a month (each deploy uses 15, each GB of traffic 20) | Yes | Paid plans | Sites pause when credits run out |
| Vercel Hobby | Git or CLI | 100 GB transfer a month | Yes | Paid plans | Non-commercial use only |
| Neocities | Browser editor or upload | 1 GB storage, 200 GB traffic | $5/mo supporter | No | Some file types blocked on free |
| Tiiny Host | Upload a file or .zip | 1 site, 3 MB, 5,000 visits a month | From $13/mo | From $13/mo | Banner on free sites |
| InfinityFree | File manager or FTP | 5 GB disk, PHP and MySQL | Yes | No | No commercial use without permission |
| DocPin | Drop a file, folder or .zip, or publish from Claude or ChatGPT | 3 pages, up to 25 MB each | Pro, $8/mo | Pro, $8/moPassword, emails or @company.com | 3 pages on free; small badge |
From each provider's own pricing and limits pages on 6 November 2026. Plans change often, so check before you commit. Sources are at the bottom of this page.
Each option in a minute
GitHub Pages
- Free, reliable, and your own domain with HTTPS
- Every change is a commit, so you get history for free
- You need to be comfortable with Git and a repository
- Pages are public; GitHub's terms rule out using it to run a business or shop
Cloudflare Pages
- Static traffic is unlimited on the free plan
- Git or direct upload, your own domains, fast everywhere
- The dashboard is built for developers
- Cloudflare now points new projects to Workers, so the docs are in flux
Netlify
- Drop a folder on Netlify Drop and it's live
- Your own domain on the free plan
- Free plan is 300 credits a month: roughly 15 GB of traffic if you rarely deploy
- When credits run out, every site on the account pauses until next month
Vercel
- Generous traffic and great for framework projects
- Hobby is for non-commercial personal use only: no ads, selling, or client work
- Password protection is a paid feature
Neocities
- Edit pages right in the browser; no ads, ever
- A friendly community of handmade sites
- Your own domain needs the $5 a month supporter plan
- Free sites can only upload certain file types
Tiiny Host
- Upload a file or .zip and get a link, PDFs too
- Free: 1 site, 3 MB, 5,000 visits a month, with a Tiiny Host banner
- Passwords and your own domain start at Solo, $13 a month
InfinityFree
- PHP and MySQL, 5 GB disk, no ads on your site
- Classic shared hosting: a control panel and FTP rather than drag and drop
- Its terms rule out commercial use without permission, and idle accounts can be suspended
DocPin
- Drop a file, folder or .zip and get a link like
acme.docpin.it/proposal - Publish straight from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor; update it and the link stays the same
- See how many times each page was opened
- Free is 3 pages; it's built for sharing pages, not hosting a big site for free
- Passwords, people-only pages and your own domain need Pro, $8 a month
Two you might see elsewhere: static.app no longer has a lasting free plan, only a 7-day trial, and Tencent EdgeOne Pages is free during what its own docs call a time-limited free phase, so its limits may change.
Hosting a page to share, not a whole site?
Most free hosts are built for websites: you set up a project, connect a repository, and think about builds. If you just have one HTML page, like a proposal, a report or something Claude made for you, that's a lot of ceremony.
DocPin is built for that case. Drop the file in and the page is live on your own link straight away. Drop a new version later and the same link shows it, with older versions kept. When you're ready, keep it public, add a password, or let in only the people you name.
The step by step is in our guide to turning an HTML file into a link. If an AI wrote the page, see publishing from Claude or from ChatGPT.
Questions
Can I host an HTML website for free with my own domain?
Yes. GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify and Vercel all allow your own domain on their free plans, with HTTPS. You still pay for the domain itself, usually $10 to $20 a year.
Can I password protect a free HTML site?
Not on most free plans. Netlify, Vercel, Tiiny Host and DocPin all keep passwords on paid plans. DocPin Pro is $8 a month and can also limit a page to certain email addresses or everyone at a company, so nobody has to share a password.
Can free static hosting run PHP?
No. GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel, Neocities, Tiiny Host and DocPin serve HTML, CSS, JavaScript and images, which covers most pages, including interactive ones. For PHP and MySQL on a free plan, InfinityFree is the usual choice.
Which free host is fastest?
For a static page, they're all quick: GitHub, Cloudflare, Netlify, Vercel and DocPin serve pages from networks spread around the world. The size of your page and its images matter far more than the host.
Will my free site have ads?
Not on any of these. Tiiny Host adds a banner to free sites and DocPin adds a small badge; Neocities and InfinityFree say they never put ads on your site.
Got a page to share?
Put it on your own link in a minute. Free for 3 pages, no credit card.
Start freeSources, checked 6 November 2026:
- GitHub Docs: GitHub Pages limits, changing the visibility of a Pages site
- Cloudflare Docs: Pages limits, static assets billing
- Netlify: Pricing, How credits work
- Vercel Docs: Hobby plan, Fair use guidelines
- Neocities: Supporter plan
- Tiiny Host: Pricing
- InfinityFree: Home, Terms
- static.app: Pricing; EdgeOne Pages: FAQ