What free hosting services do you guys use? I want to build a web dev portfolio and share my links. Any recommendations?
For static sites: GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify.
Cole said:
For static sites: GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify.
Can you explain the difference between static and dynamic pages?
Cole said:
For static sites: GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify.
Can you explain the difference between static and dynamic pages?
A static page is just HTML, CSS, and JS with no backend processing. A dynamic page interacts with a database or backend server.
Cole said:
For static sites: GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify.
Can you explain the difference between static and dynamic pages?
Static sites are pre-built and delivered as-is to users, while dynamic sites generate content on the fly using a backend (like PHP, Node.js, or a database). If your site doesn’t need a backend, static hosting services will work fine.
Cole said:
For static sites: GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify.
Can you explain the difference between static and dynamic pages?
Static sites don’t change once they’re loaded. Dynamic sites pull content from a database or API to update content dynamically.
@Ivey
So a database makes a site dynamic?
Hallie said:
@Ivey
So a database makes a site dynamic?
Yes, a site that fetches content from a database or API is dynamic.
For dynamic sites, Render.com is a good free alternative now that Heroku dropped its free tier.
Shane said:
For dynamic sites, Render.com is a good free alternative now that Heroku dropped its free tier.
Would Render work for a React app?
Shane said:
For dynamic sites, Render.com is a good free alternative now that Heroku dropped its free tier.
Would Render work for a React app?
Yes, but if your React app is purely frontend, it can be hosted on GitHub Pages or Vercel instead.
Shane said:
For dynamic sites, Render.com is a good free alternative now that Heroku dropped its free tier.
Would Render work for a React app?
If your React app doesn’t rely on a backend, GitHub Pages is a great option. If it does, Render might be better.
@Shane
It’s just frontend, no APIs or database.
In that case, GitHub Pages, Vercel, or Netlify would be perfect.
The difference between free and a low-cost paid option (like $49/year) can be huge. Don’t be afraid to invest in a good service.
Dempsey said:
The difference between free and a low-cost paid option (like $49/year) can be huge. Don’t be afraid to invest in a good service.
What makes a paid service better?
Dempsey said:
The difference between free and a low-cost paid option (like $49/year) can be huge. Don’t be afraid to invest in a good service.
What makes a paid service better?
Reliability, better backend support, and more control over your hosting environment.
Oracle offers free VPS hosting if you’re comfortable setting up your own server.
I use Firebase, but I don’t see it mentioned often. Thoughts?
Evangeline said:
I use Firebase, but I don’t see it mentioned often. Thoughts?
Firebase is great, especially for analytics and real-time databases. Works well when combined with Cloudflare for better performance.