Replace / GitHub Pages
Best free GitHub Pages alternatives (open source, self-hosted) 2026
The best open-source alternative to GitHub Pages is Hugo (or Zola) with Caddy, self-hosted on Railway. Static files you build and serve. Hugo is Apache-2.0; Zola is EUPL-1.2; Caddy is Apache-2.0 — GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, and Carrd without the hosted pages seat.
Estimated save $1,200 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How GitHub Pages compares
| GitHub Pages | Hugo / Zola + Caddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- Hugo
Apache-2.0 static site generator — the published GitHub Pages path
- Zola
EUPL-1.2 single-binary generator if Hugo is not the shape
- Caddy
Apache-2.0 file server with automatic HTTPS
FAQ
- What is the best free open-source GitHub Pages alternative?
- The best open-source alternative to GitHub Pages is Hugo (or Zola) with Caddy, self-hosted on Railway. Static files you build and serve. Hugo is Apache-2.0; Zola is EUPL-1.2; Caddy is Apache-2.0 — GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, and Carrd without the hosted pages seat.
- Is it free?
- The Hugo / Zola + Caddy licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no GitHub Pages seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from GitHub Pages?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Hugo / Zola + Caddy stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old GitHub Pages links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Hugo / Zola + Caddy stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: build Hugo or Zola in CI, serve public/ with Caddy (or any file server) plus a volume if you copy the output onto the box. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. A CMS stays on /stacks/ghost-cms. A git host stays on /stacks/forgejo-git.
- What does this replace?
- GitHub Pages / Cloudflare Pages / Carrd. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,200 a year.
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