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The GitHub Pages Insider’s Guide

Everything we know about GitHub Pages in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.

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ToolGPANovember 2026

GitHub Pages

The Insider’s Guide

Static site hosting built into GitHub repositories

Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among web hosts, read from GitHub Pages’s own pages.

Made by GitHub, Inc. · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com

2.8GPA

Contents

  1. 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
  2. 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
  3. 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
  4. 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
  5. 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
  6. 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
  7. 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

ToolGPA put this guide together from GitHub Pages’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on GitHub Pages’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.

Part 01 · Overview

Welcome

What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first

2.8

GPA, above 120 of the 122 other web hosts we grade

GitHub Pages publishes static HTML, CSS and JavaScript files straight from a GitHub repository, optionally running them through a build step first. It comes with a GitHub account rather than as a separate product, so the price is whatever GitHub plan you are on.

To get you started, here are 9 things to know about GitHub Pages, taken from its own pages and our grades.

It runs no server code or database, the terms bar using it for a business or online shop, and a private repository needs a paid GitHub plan.
From our report card of GitHub Pages
  1. 1

    Best for a free static site from a public repository

    GitHub Pages publishes a static site straight from a repository, free on a public one.

  2. 2

    What it costs

    Paid plans start at $0 on GitHub Free for public repositories; $4 per user / month on GitHub Team.

  3. 3

    There is a free plan

    Included with GitHub Free for sites built from public repositories, within the usage limits in GitHub's documentation.

  4. 4

    It runs on Web

    Web.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    Jekyll and custom workflows

    Sites can run through a Jekyll build, or be built and published with a custom GitHub Actions workflow.

  7. 7

    Custom domains and HTTPS

    Sites live at a github.io address by default, and a custom domain can be configured with HTTPS.

  8. 8

    A 2.8 GPA, above 120 of 122

    That is against the other web hosts we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.

  9. 9

    Keep it

    To replace GitHub Pages you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

GitHub Pages at a glance

Pricing
Free plan, from $0 on GitHub Free for public repositories; $4 per user / month on GitHub Team
Free plan
Yes
Free trial
None stated
Runs on
Web
Made by
GitHub, Inc.
Category
Web Hosting
Our grade
2.8 GPA, good

The report card

Best for a free static site from a public repository

GitHub Pages publishes a static site straight from a repository, free on a public one. It runs no server code or database, the terms bar using it for a business or online shop, and a private repository needs a paid GitHub plan.

ToolGPA report cardGitHub PagesGraded Nov 13, 2026
SubjectGradeComment
Value for moneyAFree 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.
Free plan and trialBA free site for good, but only within GitHub's published usage limits, and only from a public repository.
FeaturesCPublishes 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.
Ease of useCYou need a repository and a build workflow before anything goes live, which is more setup than a drag-and-drop host.
Platforms and integrationsBWeb only, but tied into GitHub repositories and Actions, with custom domains.
Grade point averageGood, out of 4.02.8

An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.

Who GitHub Pages is for

  • Fits if your site is plain files in a public repository
  • Works for project pages, docs and portfolios that need no server code

Who it is not for

  • 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

Good to know

Good for

  • Project documentation and portfolios kept next to the code
  • Static sites with modest traffic
  • Developers who already work in GitHub

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Part 02 · Pricing

What it costs

Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved

$0

To start. There is a free plan too

GitHub Pages has a free plan. Paid plans start at $0 on GitHub Free for public repositories; $4 per user / month on GitHub Team.

A free site for good, but only within GitHub's published usage limits, and only from a public repository.
From our grade for free plan and trial

  • 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.

The free plan

Included with GitHub Free for sites built from public repositories, within the usage limits in GitHub's documentation.

Read from github.com on Nov 13, 2026.

Part 03 · Features

What it does

Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it

1

Place it runs: Web

Static site hosting built into GitHub repositories. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, workflow automation.

Publishes from a repository with Jekyll or your own workflow, custom domains and HTTPS.
From our grade for features
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.

Where it runs

  • Web

What it works with

  • GitHub Actions
  • Jekyll
  • GitHub Desktop

GitHub Pages is made by GitHub, Inc.

Part 04 · Standing

Where it stands

Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own

120/122

Other web hosts it is graded above

GitHub Pages's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 120 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 2.

It stands best on value for money (A, above 105 of 122) and worst on features (C, above 0).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 123 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. GitHub Pages’s own letter is outlined.

  • AValue for moneyAbove 105 of 122
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 99 of 122
  • CFeaturesAbove 0 of 122
  • CEase of useAbove 40 of 122
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122

Keep it, or make your own?

Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.

Keep it

To replace GitHub Pages you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 120 of the 122 other web hosts we grade.

What you could not

  • Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.

What this rests on. GitHub Pages’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

Part 05 · Alternatives

The alternatives

The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side

Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, Firebase Hosting and Surge

The 5 tools GitHub Pages is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.

Part 06 · Questions

Quick answers

The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two

12

Questions, each answered in a line or two

The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.

Is GitHub Pages free?

GitHub Pages has a free plan. Included with GitHub Free for sites built from public repositories, within the usage limits in GitHub's documentation.

How much does GitHub Pages cost?

GitHub Pages lists 3 plans. GitHub Free: $0.

What platforms does GitHub Pages work on?

GitHub Pages is available on Web.

Does GitHub Pages have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. GitHub Pages is listed for Web.

Does GitHub Pages have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. GitHub Pages is listed for Web.

Is GitHub Pages open source?

GitHub Pages is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.

Does GitHub Pages have an API?

Yes. GitHub Pages offers a public API, according to its own site.

What does GitHub Pages integrate with?

GitHub Pages's listing names GitHub Actions, Jekyll and GitHub Desktop.

Who makes GitHub Pages?

GitHub Pages is made by GitHub, Inc.

What are the alternatives to GitHub Pages?

The closest alternatives to GitHub Pages in our directory are Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, Firebase Hosting and Surge.

How does GitHub Pages compare with other web hosts?

GitHub Pages's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 120 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 2.

Could I make my own version of GitHub Pages?

To replace GitHub Pages you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.

Where this guide comes from

The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from GitHub Pages’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from GitHub's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.

Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by GitHub, Inc. Prices change, so check pages.github.com before you buy.

Part 07 · About

About ToolGPA

Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it

7,721

Tools graded, in 95 categories

ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.

Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.

  • 7,721

    tools graded

  • 95

    categories

  • 739

    price changes on record

  • 579

    apps priced in 12 countries

What else is on toolgpa.com

Scan for the live page

Prices and grades as they are today

Quoting this guide?

Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:

ToolGPA, "GitHub Pages: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/github-pages

Know someone choosing between web hosts?

Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/github-pages/guide

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See our other guides

The best-graded web hosts after GitHub Pages, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.

ToolGPA

Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.

Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›

Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what GitHub Pages’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. GitHub Pages is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by GitHub, Inc. Prices and plans change: check pages.github.com before you buy.