best hosting for static website: smart picks for speed, cost, and simplicity

What matters most

For static sites, prioritize speed, global CDN coverage, instant HTTPS, atomic deploys, and clear limits. Cache behavior, rollbacks, and preview builds reduce risk, while usage-based pricing keeps side projects affordable without sacrificing reliability.

Top contenders

Netlify and Vercel excel at Git automations and fast rollbacks. GitHub Pages suits hobby portfolios. Cloudflare Pages adds powerful edge caching. AWS S3 with CloudFront offers granular control. Firebase Hosting keeps setup simple with a friendly CLI.

• Netlify: Pros easy forms, previews; Cons build minutes can sting.
• Vercel: Pros superb DX, edge functions; Cons overages, opinionated defaults.
• GitHub Pages: Pros free, simple; Cons limited features, slower deploys.
• Cloudflare Pages: Pros huge edge, caching; Cons quirks with monorepos.
• AWS S3 + CloudFront: Pros control, scale; Cons setup and pricing complexity.

How to choose

1. Personal portfolios: GitHub Pages or Netlify free tier.
2. Docs and marketing: Vercel or Cloudflare Pages.
3. High-traffic or regulated: AWS S3 + CloudFront.

In short, the best pick matches your workflow today and runway tomorrow-opt for speed now, flexibility later.