Free Hosting for Side Projects: Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages and Render

By Suraj Kamdev · 2026-10-16 · 3 min read

Every side project eventually needs a URL. The good news is that several excellent platforms offer free tiers that are more than enough for a launch, a portfolio or an MVP. The less good news is that "free" always comes with limits, and the limits differ in ways that matter. Here is how the four hosts in our Hosting & deploy rankings compare, without quoting quotas that change every few months. Always check each provider's official pricing page for current limits.

Vercel: best for Next.js and frontend projects

Vercel is built by the team behind Next.js, and it is the smoothest place to deploy a Next.js app. Connect a Git repository and every push gets a deployment; every pull request gets its own preview URL. Serverless functions sit alongside your frontend in the same project. (This site runs on Vercel.)

The free Hobby plan is intended for personal, non-commercial use, so read the terms if your side project starts making money. As traffic grows, keep an eye on usage-based costs such as function execution and bandwidth.

Netlify: simple static and Jamstack hosting

Netlify popularised Git-based deploys for static sites and remains very easy to use. It includes handy built-ins like form handling and serverless functions, which means a simple landing page with a contact form needs no backend at all. It works well with most static site generators and frontend frameworks.

Cloudflare Pages: fast global edge, generous free tier

Cloudflare Pages serves your site from Cloudflare's global network and is known for a generous free tier. It pairs naturally with Cloudflare Workers for server-side logic and with Cloudflare's other services for storage and databases. If you expect spiky traffic on a mostly static site, it is a strong choice.

Render: when you need a real backend

Static hosts are great until you need a long-running server, a background worker or a managed database. Render is an easy home for those: web services, cron jobs, workers and Postgres, with a free tier for experimenting. Free services may have constraints such as sleeping when idle; check the docs so you are not surprised by a slow first request.

How to choose

• Next.js app? Vercel.
• Static site or landing page with a form? Netlify or Cloudflare Pages.
• Mostly static, potential traffic spikes, cost-sensitive? Cloudflare Pages.
• Python, Go or Node server, workers or cron? Render.
• Built with an AI app builder? You may not need any of these at first: Replit and Lovable can publish directly. See AI app builders.

Don't forget the database

Hosting covers your code, not your data. For a free database, look at our databases rankings: Supabase and Neon both offer free Postgres, and Firebase has its free Spark plan.

Tips to stay on the free tier

1. Serve images in modern formats and at sensible sizes; bandwidth is usually the first limit you hit.
2. Cache aggressively. Static pages are nearly free to serve.
3. Avoid calling serverless functions on every page view when a static file would do.
4. Set up usage alerts or spending limits where the platform supports them.
5. Use a custom domain from day one so you can move hosts later without breaking links.

For the full beginner workflow from idea to live URL, read how to vibe code an app.

Custom domains and HTTPS

All four hosts give you free HTTPS and support custom domains. The usual flow: buy a domain from any registrar, add it in your host's dashboard, then create the DNS records the host shows you (often a CNAME for www and an A or ALIAS record for the root). Certificates are issued automatically once DNS resolves. Keep your registrar and host separate so you can switch hosts later without moving the domain.

Environment variables and secrets

Every host has a place to store environment variables. Put API keys there, never in your repository. Remember that variables exposed to the browser (for example ones with a public prefix in some frameworks) are visible to everyone; only server-side code should see secret keys. See our vibe coding security checklist.

Finally, keep your deployment configuration in the repository where the host supports it, so your setup is documented and reproducible if you ever switch platforms.

FAQ

What is the best free hosting for a side project?

For Next.js, Vercel. For static sites, Netlify or Cloudflare Pages. For backends and workers, Render. All four have free tiers.

Can I use a custom domain on free hosting?

Yes, all four platforms support custom domains on their free tiers. You pay only for the domain itself, through any registrar.

Is free hosting good enough for production?

For small projects and MVPs, often yes. Check the terms of use (Vercel's Hobby plan is for non-commercial use) and upgrade when you rely on the project for income.