[All articles](https://linkinseconds.com/blog) # GitHub Pages vs Link in Seconds for hosting a static site [Sunny](https://linkinseconds.com/about#who-runs-this)·October 23, 2026· 6 min read [#hosting](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/topic/hosting-and-websites)[#ai](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/topic/ai-agents-and-developers)#github#pages#link No Git? Host your site from a ZIP site.zip Live lisview.com/gh-pages-vs For a static site, GitHub Pages is free and the better choice if you are a developer who already keeps the site in a Git repository. Link in Seconds suits people who just have a folder of built files: you drop a ZIP and the site is live, with a password or expiry date if you want one. Website hosting is a Pro feature on Link in Seconds, while a single HTML file shared as a link is free on every plan. GitHub Pages figures below are from GitHub's own documentation (docs.github.com) as listed in October 2026. ## GitHub Pages vs Link in Seconds at a glance | | GitHub Pages | Link in Seconds | | Price | Free (public repository on GitHub Free) | Website hosting is a Pro feature, from $4.08 a month billed yearly | | How you publish | Push to a Git repository, or a GitHub Actions workflow | Drop a ZIP in the dashboard | | Private source | Needs a paid GitHub plan; the site itself is still public | No repository involved | | Site size | Published site up to 1 GB | Up to 100 MB and 500 files per site | | Traffic | Soft limit of 100 GB bandwidth a month | No visit cap | | Builds | Soft limit of 10 builds an hour (not for custom Actions workflows) | No build step: you upload the built files | | Password or expiry on a site | No: sites are public | Yes, both | | Custom domain and HTTPS | Yes | Yes | Checked October 2026. GitHub Pages limits from docs.github.com; GitHub calls the bandwidth and build limits soft limits. ## Why is GitHub Pages the default for developers? Try it while you are reading Upload a file and get a clean, trackable link with a QR code. Free, and no account for whoever opens it. [Create a link](https://linkinseconds.com/) - **It is free.** A public repository on GitHub Free is all you need, and there is a custom domain with HTTPS included. - **Git is the deploy.** Push a commit and the site updates. You get history, branches, pull requests and rollbacks for free, because the site is just a repository. - **Generous limits.** A 1 GB published site and a 100 GB monthly soft bandwidth limit cover docs, portfolios, project pages and blogs comfortably. - **Builds included.** GitHub can build the site for you, or you can run any static site generator through a GitHub Actions workflow. **Honest verdict:** if you are comfortable with Git and your code can be public, use GitHub Pages. It is free, mature and hard to beat for open-source projects and developer portfolios. ## What are the catches with GitHub Pages? ### Free means public On GitHub Free the repository must be public, so anyone can read your source. Paid GitHub plans let you publish from a private repository, but GitHub's docs are clear that the site itself is still public on the internet. There is no password option on the regular github.com plans. ### You need Git A designer with an exported site, a marketer with an AI-built landing page or a client who just wants a preview has to learn repositories, commits and Pages settings first. That is easy for developers and a wall for everyone else. ### It is not meant for business hosting GitHub's terms describe Pages as a way to host static sites and showcase projects, not as free hosting for a commercial online business or high-bandwidth use. If a site goes over the limits, GitHub says it may stop serving it or ask you to move. ## How does Link in Seconds host a static site? Zip the folder that holds your `index.html` (a `dist`, `build` or `out` folder works), open the Sites tab and drop the ZIP. It goes live at its own address on `linkinseconds.site` over HTTPS, or on your own domain. More detail in [host a static website from a ZIP](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/host-a-static-website-from-a-zip). - **No Git, no build step.** You upload files that are already built. Building a React or Vite app first? See [deploy a React or Vite build the easy way](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/deploy-a-react-vite-build-the-easy-way). - **Private when you want it.** Set a password visitors must enter, or an expiry date after which the site turns off. Handy for client previews. - **Update in place.** Upload a new ZIP and the site keeps its address, password and expiry. The old files keep serving until the new ones are unpacked and checked. - **Single-page apps.** Tick one box and unknown paths go to `index.html` so your router handles them. - **Limits on Pro.** Up to 10 sites, 500 files and 100 MB per site, 25 MB per file. Site files count toward your storage. Pro is $9 a month, or $4.08 a month billed yearly. Every site gets an automatic safety check, like a file upload. Server-side code (PHP, Python and so on) never runs; this is static hosting, same as GitHub Pages. ## What if you only have one HTML file? Then you do not need a site at all. Upload the `.html` file as a normal link and it opens as a sandboxed page, free on every plan, with view analytics and a QR code. The catch: cookies and localStorage do not work in the sandbox, and images or scripts loaded by relative path need to be inlined or loaded from a CDN. See [share an HTML file as a link](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/share-an-html-file-as-a-link). ## Which should you pick? - **Developer, code in a repo, public is fine:** GitHub Pages. - **A built folder and no Git, or a site that needs a password:** [host it on Link in Seconds](https://linkinseconds.com/host-static-website) with Pro. - **One HTML page:** a free Link in Seconds link. ## Quick answers ### Is GitHub Pages free? Yes. GitHub's docs say GitHub Pages is available in public repositories on GitHub Free. Publishing from a private repository needs a paid plan such as GitHub Pro or Team, and even then the site itself is public on the internet. ### What are the GitHub Pages limits? Per GitHub's docs, checked October 2026: a published site can be up to 1 GB, the source repository has a recommended limit of 1 GB, bandwidth has a soft limit of 100 GB a month, and builds have a soft limit of 10 an hour unless you publish with a custom GitHub Actions workflow. Deployments time out after 10 minutes. ### Can I host a website without GitHub or Git? Yes. On Link in Seconds you upload a ZIP of your built site and it goes live at its own address over HTTPS. Website hosting is a Pro feature there. Netlify Drop and Cloudflare Pages also accept uploads without Git. ### Can I password protect a GitHub Pages site? Not on the regular github.com plans: GitHub's docs say Pages sites are publicly available on the internet, even when the repository is private. On Link in Seconds you can set a password and an expiry date on a site. ### Can I share a single HTML page for free? Yes. Upload one .html file as a normal link on any plan, including Free, with files up to 250 MB. It opens as a sandboxed page. New accounts can publish HTML 6 hours after sign-up, a safety rule against throwaway phishing accounts. ## Go deeper - [Tiiny Host free plan limits](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/tiiny-host-free-plan-limits) - [Netlify Drop alternative](https://linkinseconds.com/netlify-drop-alternative) - [Share an AI-built website as a link](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/share-an-ai-built-website-as-a-link) ## Keep reading - [Deploy a React or Vite build dist.zip Live lisview.com/app How to deploy a React or Vite build the easy way 7 min read](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/deploy-a-react-vite-build-the-easy-way) - [Share a Claude artifact as a link dashboard.html Live lisview.com/dashboard How to share a Claude artifact as a link (and see who opened it) 6 min read](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/share-a-claude-artifact-as-a-link) - [Share an AI-built website as a link site.zip Live lisview.com/site Share a website you built with AI as a live link 4 min read](https://linkinseconds.com/blog/share-an-ai-built-website-as-a-link) ## Turn any file into a link in seconds Upload a PDF, image, video, or ZIP and get a clean, trackable link with a QR code, free. [Try Link in Seconds →](https://linkinseconds.com/) Source: https://linkinseconds.com/blog/github-pages-vs-link-in-seconds