GitHub Pages vs Link in Seconds for hosting a static site
No Git? Host your site from a ZIP
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 |
Why is GitHub Pages the default for developers?
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.htmlso 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.
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 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.
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