NudgeHost vs Linkyhost in 2026, free plan against free plan

A side by side read on the free tier, the API, and what a link can do before any money changes hands.

Updated 30 September 2026
FeatureNudgeHostFree planLinkyhostFree plan
File size25MBa file10MBa file
Links live at once10links1upload in total
Publish before signing upYesup to 25MBNoan account is required
Visitor capNoneon any plan250views a month, then free links stop
Link expiryYeson the free planNofrom Pro
API on the free planYesand an MCP serverNoBusiness only
The two free plans side by side. Linkyhost figures from its pricing and limits pages, verified 8 September 2026.

The short answer

NudgeHost has the stronger free plan. It keeps working after the first file, keeps serving however often a link is opened, and gives you a link before you make an account. On Linkyhost the free plan ends after its first upload, carries a banner, and leaves expiry for Pro and the API for Business.

Summary

NudgeHost and Linkyhost summarised by theme, with the side that comes out ahead on each
ThemeNudgeHostLinkyhostAhead
Banner on a free linkNone on account plansBanner on the free planNudgeHost
ZIP sitesEvery plan, at its own subdomainPro and aboveNudgeHost
Replacing a file at the same linkEvery account plan, link and view count keptPro and BusinessNudgeHost
MCP serverFour tools, on every planNone publishedNudgeHost
Largest file on the top plan1GB on Studio500MB on BusinessNudgeHost
Password protectionPro and StudioPro and BusinessLevel
QR codesEvery account link, free plan includedYes, on the free planLevel
Custom domains1 on Pro, 5 on StudioPaid plansLevel

Linkyhost figures from linkyhost.com, verified 8 September 2026.

The free plan

NudgeHost ahead

Drop the same 14MB pitch deck on both free plans and only one of them takes it.

Six sample files against each free plan's file limit. Four fit on both free plans, and all six fit on NudgeHost's. Sample files, for scale.
The free plan, NudgeHost and Linkyhost
FeatureNudgeHostLinkyhost
File size25MB a file10MB
Links live at once10 links, and deleting one frees the slot1 upload in total, for the life of the account
Visitor capNone on any plan200 views a month included, and free links stop serving at 250 until the month resets
Banner on a free linkNone on the free account planBanner
QR codesEvery account link, free plan includedYes, on the free plan

The upload count decides this section. Linkyhost counts free uploads over the life of the account, so the first file you share is the last one until you pay. NudgeHost counts links live at once, and a slot comes back whenever you delete one.

Views are the other gap. A free Linkyhost link goes dark for the rest of the month once enough people open it, which tends to happen just when a shared file is doing its job. Tiiny.host meters views on every plan it sells, as the Tiiny.host vs Linkyhost comparison sets out.

Hosting and file handling

NudgeHost ahead
Hosting and file handling, NudgeHost and Linkyhost
FeatureNudgeHostLinkyhost
ZIP upload serves as a siteYes, at its own nudgehost.site subdomain, with client-side routing workingPro and above
A single HTML pageYes, uploaded or pasted in as markupYes, on the free plan
Files that open in the browserPDF, Word, CSV and JSONPDF and document viewers
AI outputPer-tool pages, paste HTML and an MCP serverA dedicated page and an AI site builder
Replacing a file at the same linkEvery account plan, keeping the view count, QR code, password and end datePro and Business

A multi-file site is the clearest split. NudgeHost unpacks a ZIP at its own subdomain on the free plan and keeps client-side routing working, so a React build opens its second page instead of a 404. On Linkyhost that waits for Pro.

Both open a PDF in the browser, and both take a single HTML page on the free plan. When a model hands you a folder rather than a file, you can upload a ZIP and it serves as a site.

One limit sits outside the pricing page. Above 100MB a ZIP is not unpacked and a Word file is not converted, so a site archive past that size arrives as a download, on Studio as well.

What the money buys

NudgeHost ahead

Each has two paid plans. What differs is how much of the product the free plan already carries.

The plan where each feature starts. On NudgeHost most of them start on the free plan. On Linkyhost they start on Pro, and the API on Business.

Free

$0

No subscription

  • 25MB a file
  • 10 live links
  • 2 API keys, 20 requests a minute
  • No custom domain

Pro

$12 a month

or $120 a year

  • 250MB a file
  • Unlimited live links
  • 10 API keys, 60 requests a minute
  • 1 custom domain

Studio

$29 a month

or $290 a year

  • 1GB a file
  • Unlimited live links
  • 30 API keys, 150 requests a minute
  • 5 custom domains
What the money buys, NudgeHost and Linkyhost
FeatureNudgeHostLinkyhost
Entry price$12 a month, or $10 a month billed annually$12 a month, or $5 a month billed annually
Top planStudio, $290 a yearBusiness, from $300 a year
Largest file on the top plan1GB on Studio500MB on Business

Linkyhost costs less for a year of Pro. What that year buys is much of what the NudgeHost free plan already carries: more than one upload, link expiry and a site from a ZIP.

The top of the ladder goes the other way. Studio costs less than Business and takes files twice the size.

Access control and link management

NudgeHost ahead
Access control and link management, NudgeHost and Linkyhost
FeatureNudgeHostLinkyhost
Password protectionPro and StudioPro and Business
Link expiryEvery account plan, free includedPro and Business
Custom domains1 on Pro, 5 on Studio, for zipped sitesPaid plans
AnalyticsOpen counts on every plan, time and country on Pro and StudioView tracking on free, analytics export on Business

Most of the NudgeHost column works on the free plan, and on Linkyhost the same controls start on Pro. The one that matters most for a document leaving your hands is expiry, because a link that stops on a date you choose is how a shared file stops being shared.

Passwords sit on the first paid plan of both. The glossary has more on self-destructing links.

For developers and agents

NudgeHost ahead
For developers and agents, NudgeHost and Linkyhost
FeatureNudgeHostLinkyhost
API accessEvery plan, free includedBusiness only, from $300 a year
API keys2 on Free, 10 on Pro, 30 on StudioNo allowance published
Rate limit20 requests a minute on Free, 60 on Pro, 150 on StudioNone published
MCP serverFour tools, on every planNone published

A NudgeHost free account can call the v1 REST API, so a script runs before any money changes hands.

bash
curl -X POST https://www.nudgehost.com/api/v1/uploads \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer nh_sk_REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_OWN_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "filename": "report.pdf",
    "contentType": "application/pdf",
    "fileSize": 182734
  }'

The first call returns the slug, the address and a URL to PUT the file to. A second call to /api/v1/uploads/{id}/complete finishes the upload.

The MCP server gives an AI client these tools against your account: share_text, create_upload_url, complete_upload and list_links. A model can upload a file and hand back the link inside one conversation.

Publishing without an account

The whole sequence runs signed out, and nothing in it asks for an email address.

  1. Drop the file in

    On the home page, signed out. A quick browser check runs first and asks you nothing, and a file over 25MB is refused before the upload starts.

  2. Take the link

    It is live as soon as the file lands. A ZIP with an index.html gets its own nudgehost.site subdomain instead.

  3. Send it

    You can keep 3 links like this at once, each live for 7 days. HTML pages, sites and Word files carry a small NudgeHost bar, and PDFs, images and media carry nothing extra.

  4. Sign up to keep it

    A free account takes over the files from your browser, clears the 7-day end date and drops the bar. The links stay the same.

Moving from Linkyhost to NudgeHost

Moving from Linkyhost is a file job rather than a migration. Start from the file on your own machine and drop it into NudgeHost, the same way you would make a shareable link for a PDF from scratch.

Plan the address before you switch. A NudgeHost link gets a new slug, so if the old address is printed somewhere and what you are moving is a site, you can put a hosted site on a custom domain and point that subdomain at NudgeHost. Custom domains are on Pro. Keep the old link running until the new one answers.

Which one to choose

Choose NudgeHost if

  • You want a free plan that keeps working after the first upload.
  • You need a link now, before you make an account.
  • You expect a link to be opened a lot and want it to keep serving.
  • You want expiry and a site from a ZIP without paying.
  • You want to publish from a script or an AI client on the free plan.

Choose Linkyhost if

  • You are paying for a year up front and want the lowest price for it. A year of Linkyhost's Pro costs less than a year of NudgeHost's.
  • You need more than one person on the same account. Linkyhost's Business includes a five-seat workspace, and a NudgeHost account belongs to one person.

The verdict

NudgeHost is the pick for sharing files and pages. Its free plan keeps working after the first file, keeps serving however often a link is opened, and includes expiry and API access. Linkyhost suits someone paying for a year of Pro up front, or a group that wants a shared workspace on Business.

Try it with a real file. Put up the PDF you would have sent through Linkyhost and see how far the free plan goes before it asks you for anything. When you need more, a paid plan adds bigger files, passwords and custom domains.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does a free Linkyhost link stay online?

    Yes. Linkyhost calls the free upload permanent, and its monthly view limit can still pause it until the month resets. On NudgeHost a link made with an account has no end date unless you set one.

  • Does moving down from NudgeHost Pro delete my links?

    No. They stay up on the free plan. New uploads wait while the account holds 10 links or more, and a custom domain stops serving and is released 30 days later.

  • Can I bring my Linkyhost QR code across to NudgeHost?

    Not the code itself. A QR code points at one address, and the file gets a new address on NudgeHost. Every NudgeHost account link has its own QR code from the free plan up, so print that one instead.

Try the free plan with a real file

25MB a file, 10 live links and no banner. The first upload needs no account.

Upload a file free