GitHub Pages
Free static site hosting directly from GitHub repositories. Supports custom domains and Jekyll.
Best for docs sites, personal pages, and project sites that already live in GitHub repos.
Use Cases
Free Tier
Unlimited static sites, 1GB storage, 100GB bandwidth/month
How to Maximize the Free Tier
GitHub Pages is free but limits you to 1GB storage and 100GB bandwidth. Use it for what it's best at: documentation sites (Jekyll works natively), personal landing pages, and project README sites. Keep repos lean by excluding node_modules and build artifacts. For custom domains, create a CNAME file in the repo root — it's simpler than the Settings UI. Pair with GitHub Actions for automated rebuilds on push.
Getting Started
Push to a repo → Settings → Pages → select branch (usually gh-pages or main) → it's live at username.github.io/repo → add custom domain via CNAME file or Settings UI.
Pros
- Zero config: Push to a branch and it's live — no dashboard, no build config, no credit card
- GitHub integration: Tight integration with GitHub Actions for CI/CD workflows and automated deploys
- Unlimited sites: Host unlimited static sites from any repository — ideal for docs and project pages
Cons
- Static only: No serverless functions, no backend — purely static file hosting with no dynamic capabilities
- Storage cap: 1GB storage and 100GB bandwidth/month — insufficient for media-heavy or high-traffic sites
- No previews: No branch preview deployments on the free tier — every change goes directly to production