Personal projects deserve a calm file host

Static website hosting for personal projects covers hobby docs, experiment landing pages, art toys that compile to static assets, and small sites you maintain for yourself—not for a Fortune-500 CMS committee. StaticHost is file-oriented: you build locally, you upload output, you get HTTPS preview immediately, then you point DNS and wait for certificate issuance after verification. It does not run npm or Hugo for you. It does not include email, a built-in CDN product, or forever-free hosting after a short trial. Plans cost $9, $30, $65, or $130 per month depending on site count and storage.

The server uses try_files $uri $uri/ =404. Bookmarks to imaginary client-side routes will 404 unless you emitted files or used hashes.

Who this is for

  • Developers with side projects that ship a dist folder.
  • Writers with a hand-built HTML home page.
  • Students graduating from class hosts into a domain they control.
  • Makers who want rollback without tending raw object storage.

Skip this product if you need PHP, mailbox hosting, or platform functions on day one.

Publish path for solo maintainers

  1. Build on your machine or CI.
  2. Zip the output with index.html at the archive root.
  3. Deploy; click through HTTPS preview.
  4. Fix mixed content and broken relative links.
  5. Add your domain; configure DNS; wait for verification and the certificate.
  6. Delete projects you abandoned so plan limits stay honest.

Related: JavaScript apps on static hosting, personal websites, and personal website static hosting.

Worked example: an agency client microsite (as a personal contracting gig)

You freelanced a weekend microsite for an agency’s client: three HTML pages, a CSS file, a logo SVG, and a form wired to an external endpoint. Locally everything looks perfect. You upload to StaticHost on Pro ($30) because you already keep your own homepage and want staging for the client.

HTTPS preview is clean. You share the preview URL with the agency producer. They request a copy tweak; you redeploy staging. On approval you promote, attach the client domain, set DNS, and wait for the certificate. Your personal homepage never blinked. You did not install WordPress “just in case.” You did not ask StaticHost for [email protected] mail. When the campaign ends, you delete the microsite and free the slot.

That pattern—personal inventory plus occasional client static work—is exactly what site quotas on Pro/Scale are for.

Failure to avoid: http:// images breaking the padlock

Personal sites often copy image URLs from old HTTP blogs or CDNs that still offer http:// links. On an HTTPS preview or custom domain, browsers block or warn on mixed active/passive content. The page “works” on your laptop over HTTP file opens, then looks broken or insecure in production.

Before launch, grep the project for http:// and upgrade or relativize asset URLs. Prefer files you actually host in the zip. StaticHost’s HTTPS preview is the right place to catch this—before DNS makes the mistake public. A padlock is not a CDN feature; it is broken by your own insecure references.

When to pick a different product

Use GitHub Pages or similar if forever $0 is the only requirement and their rules fit. Use an app host if the “personal project” needs a database and auth. Use a mail vendor for a custom inbox. Use a PHP host for WordPress. Use a platform with SPA fallback if you refuse to pre-render routes and insist on history-mode deep links without files.

Stay on StaticHost when you value predictable paid quotas, preview-before-DNS, and deploy history. Starter ($9) is enough for one serious personal site; Pro ($30) if you juggle a few; higher tiers for many properties—not for unlocking remote builds.

Keeping hobbies from becoming ops debt

  • Name zips with dates.
  • Keep a one-line README of how to rebuild.
  • Prefer relative URLs.
  • Do not store secrets in front-end JS expecting the host to protect them.

FAQ

Does StaticHost run my personal project’s buildpack?

No. Build locally; upload output only.

Can I keep a free URL forever without paying?

No forever-free tier. Short trial, then paid plans. A preview hostname is not a domain you own long-term without a plan.

Why did my Vue history routes 404?

=404 with no index fallback. Generate pages or use hash mode.

Are email inboxes part of Starter?

No plan includes email. Buy mail separately.