Hosting & Deployment

Updated September 2026 · Curated resources

Publishing a project means putting files on a server other people can reach. For HTML/CSS/JS sites that do not need a custom backend, static hosts are usually free and simple.

Platforms that run servers (Python, Node, databases) often give a free or trial tier with sleep-after-idle limits, bandwidth caps, or credit that expires. Read the current free-tier rules before relying on them for something important.

Start with GitHub Pages or Netlify for a portfolio site. Move to Render, Railway, or PythonAnywhere when you need a real process listening for HTTP requests.

Static sites

GitHub Pages

https://pages.github.com/

Hosts static sites directly from a GitHub repository—HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and built output from static site generators. Free for public repos; custom domains are supported.

Ideal first deploy if your project already lives on GitHub.

Netlify

https://www.netlify.com/

Connect a Git repo and Netlify builds and hosts your static site (or JAMstack app) with HTTPS, previews on pull requests, and a generous free starter tier for personal projects.

Nice when you want automatic deploys on every push without managing a server.

Cloudflare Pages

https://pages.cloudflare.com/

Static and JAMstack hosting on Cloudflare’s network with Git integration, preview deployments, and a free plan aimed at personal and hobby projects.

A solid alternative to Netlify if you already use Cloudflare DNS.

Vercel

https://vercel.com/

Optimized for front-end frameworks (especially Next.js) with Git-based deploys, preview URLs, and a free hobby tier. Can also host many static sites.

Free tier is great for learning; watch for commercial-use and bandwidth limits if a project grows.

Full-stack / backends

Render

https://render.com/

Hosts web services, static sites, and databases. Free web services typically sleep after inactivity; paid plans stay always-on.

Common choice for deploying a small Flask or Node API while learning.

Railway

https://railway.app/

Deploys apps from Git or a Dockerfile with a credit-based free/trial allowance that changes over time—check the dashboard before assuming unlimited free hosting.

Convenient for experiments; set spending limits so a forgotten project cannot surprise you.

PythonAnywhere

https://www.pythonanywhere.com/

Browser-based Python hosting and a console in the cloud. The free tier can run a simple web app with constraints on outbound networking and always-on processes.

Especially friendly if you are learning Flask and want to avoid configuring your own VPS.

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