If your website is simple, static, and only for fun, another alternative is to put it on a free cloud storage provider such as Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive. If you only need to host a simple website, a reputable, low-cost web host would do. While there are many good free web hosts to select from, many of them are deceptively simple. However, if your website is simple, static, and only for entertainment purposes, there is another option: free cloud storage.
Cloud storage services are not only more stable than most free web hosts but there is essentially no learning curve required, making them ideal for consumers who just need something to work.
In this article, we will be looking at how to get free website hosting using Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive.
Related:
How to Setup Google Drive as Local Drive on Your Computer
Facing the Challenge of Supporting Your Web Hosting Customers
This is how you can build your own website (no coding knowledge required)
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this post assumes you already have your web pages ready to go; we’re simply going to discuss the process of making those files accessible online. Not quite there yet? Use a static site generator.
Contents
How to Host a Website on Dropbox for Free
DropPages is a web service that you will need to use for Dropbox’s free web hosting.
DropPages connects to your Dropbox account and generates a dedicated app folder in which you’ll keep your site’s pages. The platform uses its own web server to host your web pages while ignoring everything else in your Dropbox account.
Benefits and Drawbacks of DropPages
When you make modifications to your site files, DropPages immediately updates its own copies and delivers them. Managing your site is as simple as modifying the local files in your Dropbox folder and waiting for them to sync. DropPages is not only simple to use; it also includes two free subdomains for viewing your sites. This makes it simple to share your site with others, and DropPages becomes a feasible alternative for basic sites that are more than “just for fun.”
While DropPages does offer a free plan, it only allows for 50MB of storage. When you’re just getting started, it should be sufficient. If you reach that limit, you have the option of upgrading to the Basic plan or switching to a traditional free web host.
How to Set Up DropPages
To begin, go to the DropPages website. Sign in to Dropbox by clicking “Sign In,” then allow DropPages access to your Dropbox account. You must sign up for a free seven-day trial, including payment information.
When asked, enter the subdomain you want to use for your site, followed by.droppages.com.
This adds a new folder to your Dropbox account, Dropbox/Apps/My.DropPages. There are three subfolders inside the new folder.
The major one you should be concerned with is Content, which is where your HTML will be placed. Put any CSS, JS, or image files you have under the Public folder. Unless you want to use DropPages’ template system, you may safely disregard templates.
Wait for your website to sync with Dropbox and DropPages after uploading it to the right folders. You can go to your DropPages dashboard and choose Publish Now or Reset Sync if you want to speed things up or if it isn’t updating.
You should now be able to access your new site using your own domain.
Free Website Hosting On Google Drive Or OneDrive – [How To]
You’ll need to utilize a free service called DriveToWeb because Google Drive and OneDrive don’t have built-in means to host websites.
DriveToWeb’s free web hosting links to your Google Drive or OneDrive account searches for publicly accessible HTML pages and assets and then deliver those files using its own web server.
DriveToWeb Advantages and Drawbacks
What’s good about hosting a site with DRV.tw is that DriveToWeb automatically detects and updates itself whenever a file changes. Want to make changes to the text on a page? Simply edit the file and save the new version to Google Drive or OneDrive; the online version will instantly update to match. You do not need to manually re-upload or force DriveToWeb to re-scan your drive.
DriveToWeb is simple to set up. You can have your site up and running in three minutes. What are the drawbacks? DriveToWeb generates a randomized, anonymous identification for visiting your site, such as “vtqelxl5bdrpuxmezsyl9w.” This protects you by preventing visitors from seeing your account name, but it makes sharing harder. The only persons who will view your site are those with whom you have shared the URL directly.
How to Set Up DriveToWeb
To begin, ensure that your website has been transferred to Google Drive or OneDrive and that all contents are correctly structured. To check that the site looks the way you want it to on the web, try viewing it locally in a web browser. Unless you want to share each content with your audience separately, you must make these files public. Now that your website is up, go to DriveToWeb and select the cloud storage service you’re using Google Drive or OneDrive.
When asked for permission, grant it. This is required for DriveToWeb to determine which HTML files and assets are publicly accessible. Once enabled, DriveToWeb will search for such files and convert them into web-accessible pages before displaying a list of all the pages that were converted.
Other Methods for Free Website Hosting and Creation
If you want to create a website to showcase your work online, hosted portfolio sites are another choice. Keep in mind that such services typically charge a little price to allow you to use your own domain for the portfolio website. If you only need to discuss something significant with a limited audience, hosting a site for free with one of these services will typically be considerably more productive (and usually well-received) than more impersonal ways of outreach like bulk mailers or even a dedicated social media account. Keep it classy by providing your own free hosting.
That is how free website hosting works for the three platforms shared above. Incase you have another platform we haven’t listed, DM us on our socials or comment below.