GitHub Pages vs Surge (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GitHub Pages grades higher than Surge: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
GitHub Pages grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
GitHub Pages
Static site hosting built into GitHub repositories
Free plan · from $0
Which one is for you
Pick GitHub Pages if
- Fits if your site is plain files in a public repository
- Works for project pages, docs and portfolios that need no server code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need server-side code or a database, as Pages is static only
- Not for you if you run an online business, shop or SaaS, because GitHub's terms bar that use
- Pricey if your repository is private, as that needs a paid GitHub plan
- Watch out: sites must not handle sensitive transactions such as passwords or card numbers
Pick Surge if
- Fits if you are happy in a terminal and want to push a build folder online
- Works for quick previews and demos from a CI job
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a point-and-click dashboard, as publishing is by command line
- Skip it if you need a build step, because Surge only serves files you built elsewhere
- Pricey if you need redirects, rewrites or password protection, which need Pro at $30 a month
- Watch out: publishing is rate limited on every plan, and a project tops out at 450 MB
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAGitHub PagesGood | 2.4GPASurgeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on GitHub Free for public repositories, against $5 a month at the cheaper quarter of web hosting. The paid step is GitHub Team at $4 a user. | AFree plan with unlimited projects and domains, and custom domains with certificates at no cost. The only paid plan is $30 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free site for good, but only within GitHub's published usage limits, and only from a public repository. | BThe free plan covers real use, with limits you can hit: 450 MB and 10,100 files a project, and publishing is rate limited. |
| Features | CPublishes from a repository with Jekyll or your own workflow, custom domains and HTTPS. Static only, with no server-side code or database, so it does a smaller job than most hosts. | CPreviews, 100 revisions with rollback and single-page app support. It serves static files only and does not run a build, so it does a narrow job. |
| Ease of use | CYou need a repository and a build workflow before anything goes live, which is more setup than a drag-and-drop host. | DEverything is done from a terminal with the CLI, so it is a poor start for anyone who does not use a command line. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but tied into GitHub repositories and Actions, with custom domains. | CWeb only, with a CLI and scoped tokens for CI jobs. No dashboard to build in, and no phone or desktop app. |
| Best for | a free static site from a public repository | publishing a static folder from the command line |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: GitHub Pages and Surge. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebPublic APIWorkflow automation
At a glance
| GitHub Pages | Surge | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $0 on GitHub Free for public repositories; $4 per user / month on GitHub Team | $30 per month (Pro) |
| Free plan | Included with GitHub Free for sites built from public repositories, within the usage limits in GitHub's documentation. | Unlimited projects and domains, custom domains with certificates, 10 regions, previews and 100 revisions with rollback. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | GitHub, Inc. | Chloi Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | surge.sh |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
GitHub Pages
- Pages is static only: there is no server-side code or database.
- GitHub's terms bar using Pages as free hosting for an online business, e-commerce or SaaS site.
- Private repositories can publish Pages only on paid GitHub plans.
- Pages sites must not be used for sensitive transactions such as sending passwords or card numbers.
Surge
- Static files only, and Surge does not run a build, so you build elsewhere and hand it the output.
- Publishing is rate limited on every plan: 30 per domain and 60 per account every 15 minutes.
- A project can be at most 450 MB and 10,100 files.
- Password protection, redirects and rewrites need the $30 Pro plan.
Key features
GitHub Pages
- Publish from a repository
- Push files to a repository and the site updates; sites can be one per user or organization plus one per project repository.
- Jekyll and custom workflows
- Sites can run through a Jekyll build, or be built and published with a custom GitHub Actions workflow.
- Custom domains and HTTPS
- Sites live at a github.io address by default, and a custom domain can be configured with HTTPS.
- Usage limits stated up front
- Published sites may be no larger than 1 GB, with a soft limit of 100 GB of bandwidth and 10 builds an hour per site.
Surge
- One-command publishing
- Run surge with a directory and a domain; the CLI remembers the domain in a one-line CNAME file and needs no config file.
- Previews and rollback
- Each publish is a revision and the last 100 are kept, so a domain can be previewed, cut over and rolled back.
- Custom domains and certificates
- Custom domains are free on every plan, with certificates issued and renewed automatically once DNS points at Surge.
- Single-page app support
- A 200.html file serves unknown paths for client-side routes, and a 404.html gives a custom not-found page.
- Tokens for CI and agents
- A token can be scoped to one domain, and Surge publishes a manual for coding agents at surge.sh/docs/agents.
Plans
GitHub Pages
GitHub Free$0
Pages from public repositories, one user or organization site per account and unlimited project sites.
GitHub Team$4
per user / month
Pages from public and private repositories, as listed in GitHub's plans documentation.
GitHub Enterprise$21
per user / month
Pages from public and private repositories on Enterprise Cloud, plus Enterprise Server.
Surge
Free$0
Unlimited projects and domains, custom domains with certificates, previews, rollback and scoped CI tokens.
Pro$30
per month
Everything in Free plus password protection for a domain or paths, and redirects and rewrites.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, GitHub Pages or Surge?
As of Nov 13, 2026, GitHub Pages starts at $0 on GitHub Free for public repositories; $4 per user / month on GitHub Team, and Surge starts at $30 per month (Pro).
Which has a free plan, GitHub Pages or Surge?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both GitHub Pages and Surge have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.