How to Host a Website on GitHub For Free?

In today’s digital age, having an online presence is crucial for individuals and businesses alike. Whether you’re an aspiring blogger, a freelance web developer, or a small business owner, creating and hosting your own website is a powerful way to showcase your work, share your ideas, and reach a wider audience. While there are various web hosting options available, GitHub has emerged as a popular choice for hosting websites due to its simplicity, versatility, and seamless integration with version control systems.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of hosting a website on GitHub for free, even if you have little to no prior experience with web development or hosting. We’ll cover everything from creating a GitHub repository and configuring it for hosting, to customizing your website and making it live for the world to see.

By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge and tools necessary to leverage GitHub’s robust platform and effortlessly host your own website. Whether you’re looking to showcase your portfolio, start a blog, or launch an e-commerce site, this guide will equip you with the essential steps and insights to make your online presence a reality.

How to Host a Website on GitHub For Free?

Here, we are going to discuss the step-by-step process of hosting a website on GitHub for free. So, you can also host your portfolio or your college project online with GitHub.

Step 1: Create a GitHub account

The first step is to create a GitHub account if you don’t have one already. You can create an account for free on the GitHub website.

If you already have one then do github login to your account.

Github Login page 

Step 2: Create a new repository

Next, you need to create a new repository to host your website. To create a new repository, click on the “Create repository” button on your left section after the new registration. You can also do it by clicking on the “new” button on your GitHub Dashboard. Give your repository a name that corresponds to your username. For example, if your website is called “username”, name your repository “username.github.io”.

Create new repository

Give the description of the website you are creating and then click on “create repository” button.

Name the repository as your username.github.io

Step 3: Create an index.html file and a web.css file

To create a website, you need an HTML file that contains the content of your website. You can create a new HTML file using a text editor like Visual Studio Code or Notepad. Save the file as “index.html” in your local repository.

Or

Click on ” creating new file” or “new file” to create a new file and name the created file.

Create new file

Name the file with the “.html” extension so that you can add the HTML code for your website. Add the code for your website below in the edit section.

Create index.html and add  the HTML code for your website

Add a description and “Commit changes” button so that your code gets added and saved on GitHub.

commit the  HTML code

Add the CSS code for your website by doing the same process as above and then add a description and click on the “Commit changes” button.

Create index.html and add  the CSS code for your website

Commit the CSS code

Step 4: Enable GitHub Pages

After pushing your code to your repository, you need to enable GitHub Pages for your repository. To do this, navigate to your repository on GitHub and click on the “Settings” tab. Scroll down to the “Pages” section from the left section.

Go to pages in the left section in the settings

Step 5: Visit your website

Once GitHub Pages are enabled for your repository, your website is now live! You can visit your website by navigating to https://your-username.github.io/ in your web browser. It might take a few moments for the changes to propagate and for your website to be accessible.

Visit your hosted site

Your site is hosted on GitHub

Conclusion

Hosting your website on GitHub Pages is a great way to make your website accessible to the world for free. By following the steps above, you can easily host your website on GitHub Pages and share your content with the world. In summary, hosting your website on GitHub Pages involves creating a repository, setting up your local development environment, creating and customizing your website’s files, committing and pushing your changes to GitHub, enabling GitHub Pages in the repository settings, and accessing your hosted website through the provided URL. Remember to regularly update and maintain your website by pushing changes to your repository. GitHub has an active community and extensive documentation to assist you. Additionally, you can seek support from online forums and developer communities where experienced users are often willing to lend a hand. Remember, hosting your site on GitHub can be an exciting and rewarding experience.

FAQs on Hosting Website on GitHub For Free

1. What is GitHub, and why should I consider hosting my site there?

GitHub is a web-based platform commonly used for version control and collaboration on software development projects. It also provides hosting services for static websites, making it an attractive option for individuals and small businesses due to its ease of use, free hosting plans, and seamless integration with Git.

2. Do I need to know how to code or have technical skills to host my site on GitHub?

While basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Git can be beneficial, you don’t need to be an expert coder to host your site on GitHub. This article will guide you through the step-by-step process, making it accessible even for beginners.

3. Can I host dynamic websites or only static ones on GitHub?

GitHub Pages, the hosting service provided by GitHub, is primarily designed for hosting static websites. However, you can still integrate dynamic elements like JavaScript and API calls to create interactive experiences within your static site.

4. Is GitHub hosting free, or are there any costs involved?

GitHub offers free hosting for static websites through GitHub Pages. However, if you require custom domain support or need to host private repositories, there may be additional costs associated with those features. 

5. Can I collaborate with others on my GitHub-hosted site?

GitHub’s collaborative features allow you to work with others on your website, making it easy to manage version control, accept contributions, and track changes. This is particularly beneficial for teams or projects involving multiple contributors.

6. What are some alternatives to GitHub for hosting my site?

While GitHub is a popular choice, there are other hosting options available, such as Netlify, GitLab Pages, and Amazon S3. Each platform has its own features and benefits, so it’s worth exploring multiple options before making a decision.