What is the most layperson-friendly, free way to host a simple index.html page on a domain that one owns?

General
1

I’m aware that Netlify and Vercel have excellent free tiers, and for a static site, GitHub Pages is typically ideal. However, all of these options require some technical knowledge.

If I were to help my Great Aunt Ruth set up a personal domain for free (aside from the domain’s cost), what would be the best approach? If she has an HTML file ready, I believe GitHub Pages might be the easiest solution, as one can upload the file through their web UI and activate GitHub Pages without needing to learn Git.

Or should we be considering services like Wix or Squarespace instead?

Edit: I’m genuinely asking for solutions suitable for non-technical individuals, not for my own needs.

2

https://neocities.org/

3

Haru said:
https://neocities.org/

So much nostalgia

4

Haru said:
https://neocities.org/

They operate mainly on donations?

5

Haru said:
https://neocities.org/

Upvote

6

Perhaps https://static.app/?

7

Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, and Vercel are among the easiest for deploying a site. All allow dragging and dropping a folder of files for deployment.

Netlify even has a webpage for easy file uploads to set up accounts.

8

@Winter
Oh neat. I usually deploy via Git and wasn’t aware Netlify or Vercel allowed that kind of deployment.

9

Rafe said:
@Winter
Oh neat. I usually deploy via Git and wasn’t aware Netlify or Vercel allowed that kind of deployment.

The drag-and-drop options can greatly help less technical users, which seems to be your target audience.

10

@Winter
Absolutely. My intention wasn’t to dismiss the recommendation.

11

Rafe said:
@Winter
Absolutely. My intention wasn’t to dismiss the recommendation.

I appreciate your consideration. I noticed some comments veering off topic.

12

Winter said:

Rafe said:
@Winter
Absolutely. My intention wasn’t to dismiss the recommendation.

I appreciate your consideration. I noticed some comments veering off topic.

Thanks for your support.

13

Rafe said:
@Winter
Oh neat. I usually deploy via Git and wasn’t aware Netlify or Vercel allowed that kind of deployment.

If you deploy via Git, you already know how to use GitHub Pages.

14

@Sky
I assure you, ‘Great Aunt Ruth’ isn’t a metaphor for me.

15

@Winter
Have we genuinely returned to a posh FileZilla!? That’s awesome. Memories of drag-and-drop deployments!

I love using Netlify for my static site. It’s easy and they provide great free options, especially for hobbyists and learners.

16

Cloudflare Pages is pretty foolproof.

17

Mika said:
Cloudflare Pages is pretty foolproof.

And you can just drag and drop it :slight_smile:

18

Mika said:
Cloudflare Pages is pretty foolproof.

Exactly! Plus it offers analytics, which is why I chose it over GitHub Pages.

19

Mika said:
Cloudflare Pages is pretty foolproof.

I’ve used Netlify for years, but I’m interested in alternatives. Does Cloudflare Pages offer anything Netlify doesn’t on the free tier?

20

@Adi
Better caching, DDoS protection, and essentially unlimited traffic.