Introduction
When starting as a web developer, choosing where to host your site can be challenging. While deploying a server on DigitalOcean offers the most flexibility, there are several free options available for simpler needs.
Free Hosting Options
1. Netlify
- Free tier offers unlimited websites
- 300 build minutes and 100GB bandwidth per month
- Supports static site generators (Next.js, Gatsby.js, Jekyll) and HTML/CSS/JS files
- Netlify Drop tool for easy deployment without Git knowledge
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2. Vercel
- Free tier with some limitations (1GB file size, 100 hours of builds per month)
- 1 TB bandwidth, unlimited function requests, 1000 GB-hours of execution
- Includes dynamic edge caching and email support
- Paid tier (Vercel Pro) available for $20 per user/month
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3. GitHub Pages
- Suitable for static content only
- Supports static site generators and HTML/CSS/JS files
- Requires specific file structure for deployment
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Conclusion
These free hosting options are great for individuals and small businesses. Keep in mind that they only support static content, and server-side code like PHP or .NET won’t run on these platforms. For those finding these options too complex, WordPress.com is recommended as a free solution.