5 of the Best Static Website Hosting Services

Static websites have become more popular than ever. Although the concept has been around since the beginnings of the internet (remember the first in-browser HTML static websites?), it lost popularity to the dynamic sites of the early 2000s and 2010s. However, in late 2010 and 2020, static websites are back with a vengeance because they’re fast to load and easy to make.

If you're building a modern website or application using static site generators, finding the right hosting service is crucial for delivering a fast, reliable, and secure user experience. As an API-based CMS with a composable architecture, ButterCMS works seamlessly with these static hosting providers to give you the best of both worlds.

Let's explore the top five static website hosting services and what makes each one unique. Whether you're a solo developer working on a side project or part of a larger team building an enterprise application, this comparison will help you find the perfect static web hosting solution.

Top 5 best static website hosting providers (comparison)

Before diving into the details, here's a quick overview of the benefits and how these five web hosting services compare:

Vercel

Vercel is a cloud platform specifically designed for frontend developers and teams. The company was founded by the creators of Next.js, making it optimal for Next.js applications.

Key features

• Automatic HTTPS with auto-renewed SSL certificates

• Global CDN for maximum performance and availability

• Real-time analytics and experience scores

• Serverless functions for backend functionality

• Preview deployments for every git branch

• Optimized for Next.js, Gatsby, and other React frameworks

Pricing

• Free tier: Hobby account for personal projects with unlimited static sites

• Pro plan: $20/month for teams up to 10 members

• Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations

Pros and cons

Learn how to build a static website with ButterCMS, Next.js, and Vercel: start building.

Netlify

Netlify is an all-in-one platform for automating web projects. The platform provides all the core functionality needed by modern web applications and simplifies the workflow for developers.

Key features

• Deploy previews for pull requests

• Built-in form handling

• Split testing capabilities

• Server-side analytics

• Edge functions for improved performance

• Continuous deployment with Git

Pricing

• Free tier: Up to 3 team members, 100GB bandwidth/month

• Pro plan: $19/month for up to 3 team members, 400GB bandwidth

• Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations

Pros and cons

GitHub Pages

GitHub Pages is a free hosting platform provided by GitHub, the hosting company that provides source code hosting for software developers. It's a straightforward solution primarily designed for project documentation and simple websites.

Key features

• Free hosting with no bandwidth concerns

• Direct integration with GitHub repositories

• Support for custom domains

• Built-in support for static site generators

• Simple CNAME configuration

Pricing

• Free: Completely free for public repositories

• Team: $4/user/ month 

• Enterprise: Starting from $21/ user/month

Pros and cons 

Heroku

Heroku is a cloud application platform that enables developers to build, run, and operate applications entirely in the cloud. While not primarily designed for a static site CMS, it offers flexible static web hosting capabilities for various application types.

Key features

• Code rollback capabilities

• Extensive monitoring and metrics

• Continuous delivery integration

• Support for multiple programming languages

• Managed container system

Pricing

• Free tier: Basic features with dyno sleeping after 30 minutes of inactivity

• Eco and Basic: $5 and up per month

• Production: ~$0.035/hour and up (max of $25/month and up)

• Advanced: ~$0.347/hour and up (max of $250/month and up)

• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Pros and cons 

Digital Ocean

Digital Ocean is a cloud infrastructure provider that offers App Platform, a PaaS solution that allows developers to build, deploy, and scale applications. Compared to other services, it provides more control over your infrastructure.

Key features

• Security protections against DDOS and other attacks

• Intuitive dashboard for infrastructure management

• High availability options

• Marketplace with one-click installations

• Complete infrastructure control

Pricing

• Starter: Free for static sites with limitations (3GB bandwidth, 100 builds/month)

• Basic: $5 – $12/month per app for more resources

• Professional: $12 – $50/month for production applications

Pros and cons 

Not sure which one to choose?

Each option offers different advantages for content management, development workflow, and site performance.

Static site generator vs. CMS: Which is right for you

Best hosting for different needs

Looking for the perfect static web hosting solution? I get it. With so many options, it can feel overwhelming to choose. As someone who's spent their fair share of time deploying sites on these platforms, let me share what I've learned. 

Here's my honest take on which static site hosting works best for different situations:

Best for beginners

GitHub Pages is the clear winner for beginners. I've found it incredibly simple to use. You can have your site up and running in minutes. Its direct integration with GitHub repositories means that if you can push to Git, you can deploy a website. The free tier makes it perfect for developers just starting with static sites, and the straightforward documentation walks you through every step.

Best for affordability

Netlify's free tier offers an excellent balance of features and cost. With generous bandwidth allowances, form handling, and continuous deployment from Git, it provides tremendous value without spending a penny. In my experience, for most personal projects and small businesses, Netlify's free tier offers everything you need to get started.

Best for performance

Vercel takes the crown for performance. Its global CDN, automatic image optimization, and serverless functions are specifically designed to deliver lightning-fast experiences. I've found that for Next.js and React applications in particular, Vercel's optimization is unmatched, making it the go-to choice for developers prioritizing speed and user experience.

Best for scalability

Digital Ocean provides the most flexibility for scaling complex applications. While I haven't personally used this platform for static hosting, its reputation for providing complete control over infrastructure and the ability to integrate with various services makes it ideal for growing projects with changing requirements. The scalability options make it worth considering for long-term projects.

Cheapest static website hosting options

Are you watching your budget? Don't worry. You don't need to break the bank for quality hosting. I've tried most of these services myself and can help you get the most bang for your buck. 

GitHub Pages tops my list. It's completely free with no bandwidth caps. I've used it for personal projects and portfolios with great success. Your code must be public unless you have a paid GitHub account.

Netlify's free tier balances cost and features with an intuitive interface. With 100GB monthly bandwidth and support for three websites, it costs nothing while offering built-in form handling that's perfect for business sites.

Vercel's hobby tier offers performance-optimized hosting for free. It also includes unlimited websites, automatic SSL, and preview deployments, which are premium features at no cost.

If you can spend a little, Heroku's $7/month hobby plan stays active without sleeping after inactivity periods. It's less intuitive for static sites though.

Digital Ocean's $5/month starter plans provide excellent value when you need more control and scalability, though I haven't personally used it for static hosting.

The lowdown: Which one should you pick?

• On a budget. GitHub Pages is your free BFF, but watch out for those commercial use limits!

• User-friendly. Netlify and Vercel are like the cool kids of hosting; they are easy to use and packed with features.

• Feeling techy. DigitalOcean lets you flex those dev muscles with more control.

• Need to grow. Consider how each option scales with your ambitions.

Remember, it's like picking the perfect pair of shoes: comfort, style, and fit matter. Try on a few free tiers, see what feels right.

The good news is that working with a composable architecture like ButterCMS means you can seamlessly integrate with any of these hosting solutions. We are spread-agnostic towards infrastructure providers, so we've built our headless CMS to work well with all of them. 

Whatever you choose, we've got you covered. Book a free demo to see how ButterCMS's API-first approach works with your static hosting solution.