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Even though static sites are making a comeback, many hosting providers still lack decent support for static sites, whether it’s in the form of scripts, website builders, or static site generators (SSGs). Or they make the static site hosting process too complex by not offering proper guides and tutorials on how to manage a static site on your hosting plan.
Luckily, there are several outstanding free and low-cost static web hosts out there. While e-commerce sites, blogs, and websites that require dynamic content aren’t a good fit for static hosting, if you’re looking to build a simple portfolio site, business landing page, or documentation site, choosing static hosting has both performance and security benefits.
I’ve tried out dozens of hosting providers and compiled a list of high-quality hosts that excel at static hosting. After careful consideration, I recommend Kinsta. It offers no-strings-attached free static hosting on the Cloudflare Edge Network for superior site performance. Try Kinsta for free or stick around for more top static site hosting services that might better suit your specific requirements.
What We Look For in the Best Web Hosts for Static Sites
When selecting the best web hosts for static sites, I focused on features that simplify the static site creation process and offer cost-effective solutions.
A website builder, builder plugin, or SSG compatibility. These features are big time-savers and make website building accessible with no prior coding or technical skills required.
Free or almost-free static site hosting plans. Because most static sites usually don’t require a ton of resources, you shouldn’t have to pay a fortune to host them. The hosts that made my list either offer free static site hosting or cheap plans with free perks like a domain name, email address, and backups.
Free SSLs. To enhance security, the best static site hosts offer a free SSL certificate. These not only secure your site but also boost its credibility.
Developer tools and features. The hosts on my list offer root and Git access, plus compatibility with GitHub or GitHub Pages for straightforward deployment. I’ve also looked for hosts that support Ruby, Node.js, and Perl.
Money-back guarantee or free trial. Since there are tons of methods to generate, deploy, and host a static site, a money-back guarantee or free trial is crucial. This allows you to test the hosting service risk-free to ensure it meets your needs.
Kinsta offers static site hosting and a range of useful tools for freeKinsta stands out for its completely free static site hosting plan that allows you to host up to 100 static sites. Free SSL certificates and custom domain name connections are also included, ensuring a secure HTTPS connection for your site visitors. Simply add your purchased domain to your plan and activate your SSL. You can also purchase and add third-party SSLs to your custom domains for extra security.
Compatibility with various static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, and Jekyll further simplifies the build process. Additionally, your static site is deployed on Cloudflare’s Edge Network. Featuring over 260 global locations, it guarantees rapid content delivery no matter where your site visitors are.
Sure, the resource limits of 1 GB per site, 600 build minutes, and 100 GB bandwidth per month are a constraint. However, these limits are quite manageable for smaller projects, making Kinsta an excellent choice if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to maintain multiple static sites. If you need more resources, you can also host a static site on Kinsta’s powerful managed WordPress plans using a static site plugin like Simply Static.
SSG support for static site generation. Not only does Kinsta support many popular Node.js SSGs like Jekyll and Gatsby, but it will also manage the build of your static site if you elect to deploy it using a supported SSG.
Self-help static site hosting guides. The Kinsta website features numerous pages, guides, and tutorials about static site hosting, including how to create, deploy, and manage a static site, and even how to incorporate dynamic elements if you need to.
Dynamic functions. Kinsta allows you to run your headless CMS as an application to render a static site and spin up an app environment to add dynamic components.
Git access. Kinsta’s static site hosting plans are compatible with Bitbucket, GitHub, and GitLab.
Hostinger’s AI website builder is equipped to build all types of sites, including portfolios and business brochuresHostinger’s AI website builder is perfect for creating static sites without any prior coding knowledge. And the best part is that it’s free to use when you sign up for a shared hosting plan. You have a selection of modern and responsive templates that you can customize with this AI-powered drag-and-drop editor. This makes it easy to design a professional website quickly, even if you lack technical skills.
Although Hostinger doesn’t offer a free hosting plan, its shared plans start at $2.99 and offer developer tools like Git and root access. On the basic plan, you’ll be able to host up to 100 static sites with 100 GB of storage space for 400,000 files and directories. You’ll also get a free domain for a year and unlimited free SSL certificates to keep your site secure.
Hostinger’s 70-80% introductory discounts are also attractive, with significant savings for first-time customers. It’s definitely a budget-friendly option if you want to build multiple static sites with a beginner-friendly host.
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from Hostinger
Features
Generous storage quotas. Hostinger includes 50 GB SSD to 200 GB SSD NVMe storage with its shared hosting plans.
Automatic back-ups. Your site is automatically backed up every day or week, depending on your plan. These backups are already configured and ready to go once you sign up for a plan.
Forever-free SSLs. With Hostinger, you get free SSLs for life. Sure, they’re free Let’s Encrypt certificates, but it’s handy that they’re automatically set up for you.
hPanel control panel. Designed with usability in mind, Hostinger’s proprietary hPanel is one of the most user-friendly control panels on the market. It also doesn’t use your server resources so you’ll have more room for your files.
IONOS offers dedicated paid static site hosting that’s great for bigger projects
While IONOS’s shared hosting offers some developer capabilities, it’s not geared toward static site development. However, IONOS does offer a budget-friendly solution for this: Deploy Now. It’s ideal for small to big projects, including sites and single-page apps.
With a Deploy Now membership, you can host up to three projects for a few dollars per month. IONOS’ Deploy Now membership also offers a developer-friendly environment with automatic framework detection and workflow setup. Once you connect your GitHub repository, Deploy Now sets up a GitHub Actions workflow to automate builds and deployments.
Another standout feature is IONOS’s commitment to eco-friendly hosting. Its data centers in the UK and Germany, as well as its largest data center in the US, are all powered by renewable energy. This makes it a great choice if you’re looking for sustainable static site hosting solutions.
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from IONOS
Features
Staging deployments tool. With IONOS’ Deploy Now solution, you can easily stage and review your site changes using preview URLs.
Streamlined environment. Developers rejoice! Single-dashboard management and a range of developer tools help simplify the process, saving you time and effort.
SSG support and Git access. The Deploy Now plan supports all major static site generators and GitHub deployment, making it easy for you to create your static sites.
PHP support. With your Deploy Now membership, you can also develop PHP apps. Supported PHP frameworks include Laravel, Symfony, and many other apps using a PHP runtime component.
InterServer’s features are friendly for beginners, developers, and static sites
While InterServer doesn’t offer hosting specifically for static sites, its hosting plans do come with a site builder that does: SitePad. You can install and use SitePad or the Movable Type CMS to create a static site on A2 Hosting’s basic hosting plan. With 461 scripts available for 1-click installations, you have plenty of options to create an HTML/static site regardless of skill level.
Another feature to note is that InterServer’s shared hosting plan offers free SSLs and unlimited resources – all for $2.50 per month. This includes storage, bandwidth, databases, and email accounts. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for low-cost, high-value hosting for multiple sites.
InterServer is perfect if you’re a novice and want a simple way to create a static website for your own purpose. InterServer’s introductory offer also gives you a generous 65% discount, making it one of the most affordable options available. However, this setup may not suit web and software developers – if you want to dive into coding yourself, you might be better off with IONOS or Kinsta.
Inter-Proxy and global content caching. InterServer automatically caches websites with heavy request loads to improve loading speeds. It also caches your content on global servers, ensuring faster loading speeds for your overseas website visitors.
Free InterShield security suite. Shared hosting plans here also come with InterServer’s full security suite, including a malware scanner, firewall, and DDoS protection.
Inter-Insurance. In the event that your site becomes compromised, InterServer will scan, clean, and restore it back to health. It also offers this service to new customers who are migrating a website.
Choice of control panel. InterServer is one of the rare hosts that offers both DirectAdmin and cPanel, which includes Softaculous. You can easily install the Movable Type CMS and other additional CMSs and scripts for creating static sites with Softaculous.
With InMotion Hosting, you can deploy a static site using the Movable Type CMS from Softaculous
InMotion Hosting’s shared hosting plans are excellent for static site development, allowing you to create a static site using the Movable Type CMS. By installing Movable Type via Softaculous (available in cPanel), you can easily publish static HTML pages. If your static site does need some flexibility, Movable Type also supports dynamic content.
Hosting Plus is another of its developer-friendly features, offering support for Python, Node.js, Ruby, and Git. This freedom simplifies version control and collaboration on development projects. Additionally, plans come with a free SSL, domain name, Monarx security, and automatic backups to enhance your site security.
While it doesn’t quite have the global reach that Kinsta offers, InMotion Hosting allows you to select your data center location, which includes two options in the US and one in Europe. You can host anywhere from 2 to 25 static websites under one plan, too. Plus, you can claim a refund up to 90 days after purchase on select plans.
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from InMotion Hosting
Features
Marketing tools. InMotion Hosting’s plans include various marketing tools, including a website builder for WordPress sites (you can create a static site using a WordPress plugin), free ad credits, and customer management tools.
UltraStack speed and performance boost. InMotion Hosting offers boosted performance on its shared hosting plans with UltraStack caching. This feature layers caching solutions to improve loading speeds.
Unlimited NVMe storage. InMotion Hosting’s Launch, Power, and Pro shared hosting plans feature unlimited NVMe storage. This advanced protocol is much faster and more scalable than traditional HDD and SATA SSD.
Plenty of self-help articles. InMotion offers guides on how to host a static site via GitHub Pages or the open-source WriteFreely blog software (installable on a VPS server).
It’s not for everyone but I do appreciate FastComet’s developer access
If you’re looking for more customization options, you can take advantage of FastComet’s developer-focused features, which include Git, Perl, Node.js, and Ruby support. These capabilities make these shared plans suitable for advanced users who need them. Unfortunately, its cheapest shared Starter plan lacks these features, as well as on-demand backups.
On the other hand, this host is also great for beginners. FastComet’s SiteBuilder is a user-friendly tool that allows you to build static pages with a drag-and-drop interface. Better yet, it’s included in all of its shared hosting plans. It offers 240 themes and over 40 widgets, allowing you to create visually appealing static pages effortlessly.
However, you can use FastComet’s SiteBuilder to build a static site code-free on any plan. FastComet’s other shared plans include on-demand backups and the higher-tier plans let you host an unlimited number of websites. However, be mindful of FastComet’s small storage quotas, which only range from 10 – 40 GB.
Extended money-back guarantee. FastComet offers a longer-than-usual 45-day money-back guarantee window to its customers, which is plenty of time to test the service and performance of your static sites.
Free hands-on site transfers. While many hosts offer a free site transfer that ends up being a plugin or app that you have to manage yourself, FastComet will ask one of its experts to transfer the site for you. It also guarantees you’ll experience no downtime and will compensate you for up to six months of unused time.
Tons of self-help guides for beginners and developers. FastComet offers over 3000+ self-help guides and tutorials, assisting you in setting up hosting, your server, and plugins and tools. It also offers an extensive blog with advanced topics for developers.
Free 1-click installer. FastComet’s shared hosting plans include the use of cPanel. Paired with Softaculous, you can install and manage many scripts and web apps, including Movable Type and CMSs for static websites.
For static sites, A2 Hosting advises its customers to use the Simply Static plugin for WordPressA2 Hosting makes it easy to convert your WordPress site into a static site. It’s a great alternative if you’re looking for a straightforward way to speed up your static WordPress site without starting from scratch. You just need to install the Simply Static plugin for WordPress and follow A2 Hosting’s guide to get started.
Otherwise, A2 Hosting stands out for offering Turbo-boosted shared plans that provide caching solutions for better performance. These plans also have developer-centric features, such as auto Git repository deployment on cPanel, SSH access, and Ruby/Node.js support. However, A2 doesn’t offer a static site builder or static site hosting specifically for the task.
GitHub Pages offers free static site hosting… you just need to know how to deploy itGitHub Pages is one of the most well-known and popular free hosting options for static sites and apps. It’s ideal if you already use GitHub for version control, as you can host sites directly from your repositories. You get reliable hosting for one site per account (with unlimited project sites), which is perfect for personal projects or small portfolios.
However, setting up GitHub Pages can be complex and you’ll definitely need some background in development to use it. If you’re not familiar with Git, the learning curve might be steep. Despite this, it’s highly efficient for developers looking for seamless deployment.
AWS’s S3 plans allow for static site hosting and offer guidelines for the setupAmazon S3 is a robust option for hosting static websites, especially single-page web apps. AWS Amplify Console’s support for single-page frameworks like React and Vue and site generators like Gatsby JS, React-Static, and Jekyll is particularly useful.
The downside is that setting up Amazon S3 is a bit more complex for static sites as it doesn’t support HTTPS out of the box. You’ll need to use Amazon CloudFront to host your site over HTTPS, adding another layer of complexity. Still, the scalability and reliability of AWS make it a powerful choice if you’re comfortable with the technical setup.
Static.app will deploy your static website for you for freeStatic.app simplifies static site hosting with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. To build a static site, you can simply download an archive, make changes and updates to the template, and reupload the finished project. Static.app will then generate a site for you that you can upload to your hosting provider. The inclusion of a free SSL and a personal domain name are a great benefit, especially if you’re looking for an all-inclusive setup.
Static.app also offers both free and low-cost high-performance plans. The main drawback to this service is that the free plan only offers 50 MB of storage and is only free for up to 7 days – so technically, the free plan is really just a free trial. Despite this, the built-in code editor and affordable paid plans provide a good balance of simplicity and functionality.
Finding the Best Static Site Host for Your Project Depends on Your Needs
Static site hosting doesn’t have to be complex or technical. From beginners with zero software development and website design experience to skilled developers, I’ve covered your best options for static site hosting.
Kinsta is an ideal choice for speed and security1. It offers free hosting specifically for static sites with a user-friendly dashboard and static site generator compatibility, perfect for those who value performance and ease of use.
Hostinger is a great choice for beginners1. Its budget-friendly plans include a free AI website builder that allows you to build static sites with no coding.
Alternatively, IONOS is perfect for scalability1. It offers hosting specifically for static sites and apps via its affordable Deploy Now membership, making it suitable for larger projects with changing needs.
Here’s a quick comparison of my top static site hosting options.
What are the most cost-effective static site hosting services?
Several static site hosting services offer competitive pricing. Kinsta’s free static site hosting is perfect for multiple small projects. Hostinger offers a free website builder with its budget hosting plans that’s perfect for those who don’t know how to code or create a static site. On the other hand, IONOS provides affordable static site hosting that’s well suited to bigger projects.
What should I look for in a static site hosting service?
For beginners, a no-code website builder or plugin that allows you to create a static site without coding is a viable option. Developers should look for SSH access, Git access, Ruby/Perl support, and compatibility with SSGs, PHP extensions, and deployment platforms. Regardless of the type of project, reliable performance and an SSL to secure your static site are important considerations.
What are the challenges of migrating from a dynamic to a static site?
Migrating from a dynamic to a static site can be challenging due to the need to convert dynamic content into static content. There are a number of ways to do this, including using a static site generator on SSG-compatible hosting like IONOS’ Deploy Now plans, recreating your site as a static site using an AI website builder, or hiring a developer.
How do static site generators (SSGs) work?
Static site generators convert your dynamic site into static files, which you can then upload to your hosting service. This process streamlines static site creation and is especially helpful if you don’t know how to code. Just make sure to select an SSG compatible with your hosting service. Kinsta offers a free hosting plan that supports many popular SSGs.
What are the advantages of static site hosting over dynamic?
Static site hosting offers better security and faster site loading times because there are no server-side scripts to execute. As a result, static sites often rank better on Google and other search engines. You’ll also find it easier to maintain a static website due to the lack of complex server infrastructure. If you’re still unsure which one is right for you, check out the top website hosts in 2024 for more options.
A freelance author, graphic designer, and photographer, Caitlin Greyling writes about web hosting, web builder software, graphic design, tech, and electronics, and has published hundreds of product reviews and comparisons for Website Planet, The Daily Mail, and Durability Matters. Her creative and technical knowledge has been showcased at PictureCorrect, Photutorial, and others. She is currently studying for an NCTJ diploma in journalism. When Caitlin’s not working, she’s exploring nature with her son and dog or relaxing at home with her cat.
Check out Erath for free static web page hosting! It offers serverless storage and is perfect for lifetime use. Start publishing at Erath Free Web Page Hosting!
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