The best static site hosting in 2026, matched to how you publish
NudgeHost is the best static site host when your site is already built and you want it online without Git or a build step. Zip the folder, drop it in, and it serves at its own address. If the project still needs building, or needs code running on a server, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify and Vercel are the hosts for that job, and each card below says which one fits.
What static site hosting is
A static site is a set of files the browser can open as they are: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images and fonts. A static host stores those files and sends them to every visitor unchanged. Nothing runs on the server between the request and the response. That's why static hosting is cheap and fast, and why so many hosts offer it free. The hosts differ mainly in how they take the files from you.
Three ways a host takes your site
Upload the finished files. You build the site, or an AI tool or a site builder hands you the files, and you upload them. NudgeHost, Netlify Drop, Cloudflare Pages' dashboard upload and Static.app work this way. On NudgeHost you zip the files and upload the archive, and the site serves at its own nudgehost.site address.
Connect a repository. The host watches a Git repository and rebuilds the site on every push. GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel and Render all do this. It suits a project that changes often and already lives in Git.
Run a command. You install the host's command-line tool and publish a folder from your terminal. Surge and Firebase Hosting work this way, and Vercel and Netlify offer it too.
If you aren't sure which one you have, start from what you're holding. A folder or a ZIP suits an upload host, and a repository with a build script suits a Git host. If you've already settled on uploading, here is how to host a static site for free on NudgeHost.
Nine static site hosts, ranked for a finished site
Ranked for putting a site online that is already built. Each card names the job that host does best, what its free plan holds, and what to watch for.
1. NudgeHost
That's usBest for a finished site from a ZIP or a single HTML file, with no Git and no build step
Drop a ZIP with an index.html and it serves as a website at its own nudgehost.site address. You can also host a single page app from a React or Vue build, and its routes work, because paths the app handles itself load the app instead of a 404. Signed out, a site stays live for 7 days and you can keep 3 at once. A free account keeps 10 links live with no end date, no banner and no cap on visitors. Replacing the ZIP keeps the same address.
How you publish
Upload a ZIP or a file in the browser, signed in or out
Free plan
10 live links, 25MB a file, 200 files in a ZIP
What it costs
Pro is $12 a month, for a ZIP site of up to 100MB and 1 custom domain
Pick another host when
The site needs a build on the server, a database or code that runs on each request
Figures from the current NudgeHost plan definitions.
2. Cloudflare Pages
Best for a built site that has to serve heavy traffic
Cloudflare Pages takes a site from a Git repository, from its Wrangler command line, or as a ZIP or folder dragged into the dashboard. Cloudflare says all plans come with unlimited sites, requests and bandwidth. The free plan allows 500 builds a month, 20,000 files a site and 25 MiB a file. A project started by direct upload can't switch to Git later.
How you publish
Git, the Wrangler CLI, or a ZIP or folder uploaded in the dashboard
Free plan
Unlimited bandwidth, 500 builds a month, 20,000 files a site
Custom domains
Up to 100 a project on the free plan
Watch for
A direct-upload project can't move to Git; start a new project instead
Read on 14 October 2026 from Cloudflare's own pages, linked below.
3. GitHub Pages
Best for a site that already lives in a public repository
GitHub Pages publishes HTML, CSS and JavaScript straight from a repository, and can run them through a build first. It is free for public repositories on GitHub Free, and private repositories need GitHub Pro, Team or Enterprise. A published site can be up to 1 GB, with a soft bandwidth limit of 100 GB a month and a soft limit of 10 builds an hour. GitHub's own docs say Pages isn't for running an online business, an e-commerce site or SaaS.
How you publish
A GitHub repository
Free plan
Public repositories, 1 GB a site, 100 GB a month of soft bandwidth
Custom domains
Yes
Watch for
GitHub's usage limits rule out commercial transactions and SaaS
Read on 14 October 2026 from GitHub's own pages, linked below.
4. Netlify
Best for a project that needs building, forms or functions
Netlify builds from Git, the command line or its API, and Netlify Drop takes a dragged folder or ZIP with no account. Until you claim a project dropped that way, it sits behind a temporary password. The free plan runs on 300 credits a month. A production deploy costs 15 and each GB of bandwidth costs 20. When the account uses up its credits, every project on it pauses until the next billing cycle starts. Custom domains with SSL come on the free plan.
How you publish
Git, the CLI, the API, or Netlify Drop
Free plan
300 credits a month, 15 a production deploy and 20 per GB served
What it costs
Personal is $9 a month for 1,000 credits
Watch for
When the account's credits run out, every project on it pauses
Read on 14 October 2026 from Netlify's own pages, linked below.
5. Vercel
Best for a Next.js or framework project you aren't selling from
Vercel deploys from Git or its command line and is built around Next.js. The free Hobby plan is for non-commercial, personal use only. It includes the first 100 GB of Fast Data Transfer and 100 deployments a day, and a command-line upload can carry up to 100 MB of source files. Go over a Hobby limit and you usually wait 30 days before using that feature again.
How you publish
Git or the CLI
Free plan
Hobby, personal use, 100 GB of transfer, 100 deployments a day
Custom domains
Up to 50 a project on Hobby
Watch for
Hobby doesn't allow commercial use
Read on 14 October 2026 from Vercel's own pages, linked below.
6. Firebase Hosting
Best for a site that sits beside a Firebase app
Firebase Hosting serves static and single-page apps and deploys with one command, firebase deploy, from the Firebase CLI. GitHub Actions can deploy on every push. The no-cost Spark plan gives 10 GB of storage and 360 MB of data transfer a day, with a custom domain and SSL included.
How you publish
The Firebase CLI, or GitHub Actions
Free plan
10 GB stored, 360 MB a day served
Custom domains
Included
Watch for
The daily transfer quota, which one busy day can use up
Read on 14 October 2026 from Firebase's own pages, linked below.
7. Render
Best for a static site that ships beside a backend on the same platform
Render builds a static site from a linked Git repository on every push and serves it at an onrender.com address. Static sites deploy free on the Hobby workspace, which includes 5 GB of bandwidth a month, then $0.15 a GB, and two custom domains, then $0.25 a domain a month.
How you publish
A Git repository
Free plan
Hobby, 5 GB of bandwidth a month
Custom domains
2 included
Watch for
Bandwidth past 5 GB is billed
Read on 14 October 2026 from Render's own pages, linked below.
8. Static.app
Best for a paid drag-and-drop site with forms built in
Static.app takes an uploaded site in the browser and adds forms and analytics on paid plans. A 7-day free trial with no card publishes one website on 50 MB of storage. After that, a site needs a plan. Starter is $6 a month, or $5 a month billed yearly at $60, for two websites, 500 MB and custom domains.
How you publish
Upload in the browser
Free plan
A 7-day trial, one website, 50 MB
What it costs
Starter is $6 a month, or $5 a month billed yearly
Watch for
After the trial, every site needs a plan
Read on 14 October 2026 from Static.app's own pages, linked below.
9. Surge
Best for publishing a folder from the command line
Surge publishes HTML, CSS and JavaScript from your terminal. You install it with npm, on Node 18 or later, and run one command in the folder. The free plan includes unlimited publishing, a custom domain and basic SSL. Surge Professional, at $30 a month, adds password protection, custom redirects and forced HTTPS.
How you publish
The surge CLI
Free plan
Unlimited publishing
Custom domains
Yes, on the free plan
Watch for
There is no upload page, so you need Node and a terminal
Read on 14 October 2026 from Surge's own pages, linked below.
All nine hosts, same questions
| Host | How you publish | Git or a build step needed | Free plan holds | Custom domain on the free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NudgeHost | Upload a ZIP or file, even signed out | No | 10 live links, 25MB a file, no visitor cap | No; Pro adds one for $12 a month |
| Cloudflare Pages | Git, CLI or dashboard upload | No, for a direct upload | Unlimited bandwidth, 500 builds a month | Yes, up to 100 a project |
| GitHub Pages | A repository | A repository, yes | Public repositories, 1 GB a site | Yes |
| Netlify | Git, CLI, API or Drop | No, with Drop | 300 credits a month | Yes |
| Vercel | Git or CLI | The CLI at least | Hobby, personal use, 100 GB of transfer | Yes, up to 50 a project |
| Firebase Hosting | The Firebase CLI | The CLI | 10 GB stored, 360 MB a day served | Yes |
| Render | A Git repository | Yes | 5 GB of bandwidth a month | Yes, 2 included |
| Static.app | Upload in the browser | No | A 7-day trial | On paid plans |
| Surge | The surge CLI | The CLI | Unlimited publishing | Yes |
Read from each vendor's own pages on 14 October 2026. Vendors change plans, so check before you buy.
Each cell states the limit in the unit that host publishes, whether that's links, credits, bandwidth or storage.
When a static host isn't the right kind of host
A static host serves files. If your site needs code that runs on each request, such as a login, a database or a form that writes somewhere, you want a host with functions. Netlify, Vercel and Cloudflare Pages run functions beside the static files. A site written in PHP, Node or Python needs an application host or shared hosting, which is a different category from everything on this page.
Sites on nudgehost.site addresses ask search engines not to list them, which suits a draft for a client or a class project. To have the site found in Google, use your own domain on the Pro plan.
How this list was put together
Every host is measured on the same questions: how you publish, what the free plan holds and when you need Git or a build step. Each competitor figure comes from that vendor's own pages, read on 14 October 2026, and each card links them. Mark Boreland wrote this page. If a figure has gone out of date, write to support@nudgehost.com.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers on cost, Git, business use and server code. The cards above carry the detail.
What is the best static site hosting?
For a site that's already built, NudgeHost, because you zip the folder and upload it with no Git and no build step. For a project that builds from a repository on every push, Cloudflare Pages has no bandwidth cap on its free plan, and Netlify adds forms and functions.
What is the cheapest way to host a static site?
Several hosts here cost nothing for a small site. NudgeHost's free plan keeps 10 links live with no visitor cap, Cloudflare Pages doesn't meter bandwidth, and GitHub Pages is free for public repositories.
Can I host a static site without GitHub?
Yes. NudgeHost, Netlify Drop, Cloudflare Pages' direct upload and Static.app all take the files directly. On NudgeHost you can do it without an account, and the site stays live for 7 days, or with no end date on a free account.
Can I use a static host for a business site?
Check the free plan's terms. GitHub's docs say Pages isn't for running an online business, an e-commerce site or SaaS, and Vercel's Hobby plan is for non-commercial, personal use only.
Do static hosts run PHP or a database?
No. A static host serves files as they are. For a login, a database or server code, pick a host with functions, such as Netlify, Vercel or Cloudflare Pages, or an application host.
Does a single page app work on static hosting?
Yes, if the host sends the app for paths it doesn't have as files. NudgeHost does this for any zipped site with an index.html, so routes in a React or Vue build load instead of returning a 404.
Keep researching
Put a finished site online in a minute
Zip the folder, drop it in and get a live address, with no account needed to start.