🚀 How to Deploy Your Website on Vercel or Netlify for Free (Step-by-Step Guide)

This article is clear, beginner-friendly, and perfectly suited for developers, coders, and tech learners who visit your site.
You’ve built a beautiful website — now it's time to share it with the world. But hosting doesn’t have to cost you a dime.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to deploy your website for free using two of the most popular platforms: Vercel and Netlify. Whether it’s a portfolio, blog, or frontend app, this is the easiest way to go live fast.
🌐 Why Use Vercel or Netlify?
Both platforms offer:
-
Free hosting for personal projects
-
Automatic deployments from GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket
-
Fast global CDN
-
SSL (HTTPS) by default
-
Custom domain support
These platforms are perfect for React, Next.js, Vue, HTML/CSS/JS, or static sites.
⚙️ Option 1: Deploy Your Website on Vercel
✅ Best for: Next.js, React, and frontend frameworks
Step-by-Step:
1. Push Your Code to GitHub
-
Create a new repo or use an existing one.
-
Make sure your project has a
package.json
(for React/Next.js) orindex.html
(for static sites).
2. Go to vercel.com and Sign In
-
Use your GitHub account to log in.
3. Import Your GitHub Repository
-
Click “New Project” and select your repo.
-
Vercel auto-detects the framework (Next.js, React, etc.).
4. Configure (if needed)
-
For static sites: Set “Build Command” to
npm run build
or leave it blank. -
Set output directory (for example:
dist
orbuild
).
5. Click “Deploy”
-
Wait a few seconds… and boom, your site is live!
🌐 Your live site will be something like:
yourproject.vercel.app
🔧 Option 2: Deploy Your Website on Netlify
✅ Best for: Static sites (HTML/CSS/JS) or sites built with frameworks like Vue, Hugo, React, etc.
Step-by-Step:
1. Push Your Code to GitHub
-
Just like Vercel, have your site ready and committed to a repo.
2. Go to netlify.com and Sign In
-
Use GitHub for instant access.
3. Click “Add New Site” → “Import an Existing Project”
-
Choose your GitHub repo.
4. Configure Build Settings
-
For static sites: Leave build command blank.
-
For React: Set build command to
npm run build
, and publish directory tobuild
.
5. Deploy Site
-
Netlify will handle the build and deploy it instantly.
🌐 Your live site will be something like:
yourproject.netlify.app
🌍 Want a Custom Domain?
Both platforms let you connect a domain for free:
✅ On Vercel:
-
Go to your project dashboard.
-
Click “Settings” → “Domains” → Add domain.
-
Update your domain DNS (A or CNAME records).
✅ On Netlify:
-
Go to “Domain Settings.”
-
You can either buy a domain or add an existing one.
-
Netlify will guide you to update DNS records.
🔒 Bonus: Enable HTTPS (SSL)
Both Vercel and Netlify automatically enable HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt — no extra work needed!
🛠️ Tech Stack Compatibility
Platform | Best For | Framework Support |
---|---|---|
Vercel | Next.js, React, TypeScript | Next.js, React, Vue, Svelte, Static |
Netlify | Static sites, JAMstack apps | React, Vue, Hugo, Jekyll, Plain HTML |
🔚 Final Thoughts
Deploying your website doesn’t need to be complex or expensive. With Vercel or Netlify, you can go from GitHub repo to live site in just a few clicks — for free.
So stop waiting, push that code, and share your site with the world!
👉 For more dev tutorials, tools, and coding guides, stay tuned to maxoncodes.com — your hub for smart tech insights.