Why Static Sites?
Static sites are faster, more secure, cheaper, and easier to maintain than traditional CMS-driven sites. For blogs, documentation, landing pages, and portfolio sites, static is usually the right choice.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Free Tier | Build Limits | Bandwidth | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Pages | Unlimited sites | 500 builds/mo | Unlimited | General purpose |
| Vercel | Unlimited sites | 6000 build-min/mo | 100GB | Next.js/Astro sites |
| Netlify | Unlimited sites | 300 build-min/mo | 100GB | General purpose |
| GitHub Pages | Unlimited | GitHub Actions | 100GB | Open source projects |
Cloudflare Pages
Best for: Most projects
Pros:
- Unlimited bandwidth on free tier
- Global CDN (fast everywhere)
- Built-in analytics
- Easy custom domain + free SSL
- Support for most frameworks
Limitations:
- 500 builds per month
- 1 build at a time (free tier)
- 25MB per file upload limit
Vercel
Best for: Next.js, Astro, and developer-focused projects
Pros:
- Excellent developer experience
- Preview deployments for PRs
- Edge functions
- Analytics and speed insights
Limitations:
- 100GB bandwidth (free)
- Lower build minutes than Cloudflare
- Commercial use may require Pro ($20/mo)
Netlify
Best for: Simple sites with form handling
Pros:
- Built-in form handling
- Split testing
- Easy rollback
Limitations:
- Lower build minutes on free tier
- Bandwidth limits
Recommendation
| Your Project | Best Host |
|---|---|
| Personal blog | Cloudflare Pages |
| SaaS landing page | Vercel |
| Open source docs | GitHub Pages |
| Site with forms | Netlify |
| High traffic | Cloudflare Pages |
For most readers, start with Cloudflare Pages. It’s the most generous free tier and performs well globally.
Note: Hosting limits and features may change. Always check the official pricing pages.
