If you are building with Next.js, Astro, Gatsby, Hugo, or plain HTML, you do not need a PHP server. You need fast global file delivery, Git-based deployment, and preview environments per pull request.
Most of this guide’s usual hosting recommendations are wrong for this use case. Managed WordPress hosting is unnecessary. Shared hosting works but misses the development workflow. The right platforms for static and Jamstack projects are fundamentally different.
This guide covers three non-affiliate platforms that dominate the Jamstack category, followed by affiliate providers that work for specific Jamstack scenarios.
What Static and Jamstack Builders Actually Need
You push code to a Git repository. The host detects the push, runs the build command, and deploys the output to a global CDN. That is the baseline expected workflow. Any platform that requires FTP upload or manual deployment is not meeting the standard.
Preview environments make collaboration possible. Every pull request spins up a unique URL. A designer reviews the feature branch on a real URL, not a screenshot. The preview disappears when the PR closes.
Serverless functions handle backend logic. Contact forms, API routes, authentication callbacks, and webhook receivers run as functions at the edge. No dedicated server required.
Global CDN delivery is the delivery layer. Static files served from the nearest of hundreds of edge locations.
Custom domains with free wildcard SSL cover the preview subdomain pattern automatically.
The Dominant Platforms
These three platforms define the Jamstack hosting category.
Netlify built the modern Jamstack deployment model. Continuous deployment from GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Automatic preview deployments per branch. Form handling without a server. Netlify Functions for serverless logic. A free tier that covers most personal projects and small commercial sites. Netlify is the reference implementation for what Jamstack hosting should be.
Vercel is the company behind Next.js. The platform is optimised for Next.js but supports all major frameworks. Preview deployments are automatic. Edge functions run globally. Image optimisation is built-in. The free tier is generous. For Next.js projects specifically, Vercel is the natural first choice.
Cloudflare Pages runs on Cloudflare’s global network of 300+ PoPs. Unlimited bandwidth at no charge. Git-based deployment with preview URLs per branch. Cloudflare Workers integration adds serverless functions at the edge. For projects already using Cloudflare for DNS and CDN, Pages is the seamless extension.
Providers for Specific Scenarios
DigitalOcean App Platform
Who it is for: Developers already using DigitalOcean for other infrastructure who want to host static sites and Jamstack applications in the same account alongside their cloud resources.
DigitalOcean App Platform handles static site deployment from GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Build commands are configurable per app. The platform detects common frameworks automatically. Static site hosting on the free tier for basic sites. Production deployments run on paid tiers.
For teams with an existing DigitalOcean account managing databases, VMs, and object storage alongside their web projects, keeping static site hosting in the same account simplifies billing and networking.
For headless WordPress setups where the backend runs on a DigitalOcean Droplet and the frontend deploys as a Jamstack build, keeping both in one account simplifies billing and private networking.
Plans: Static site hosting free tier available; paid starts at $3 per month
Vultr
Who it is for: Developers who want to host static sites on object storage with a CDN layer at the lowest possible cost, using a provider they already use for other infrastructure.
Vultr Object Storage is S3-compatible and supports static website hosting with a custom domain. Combine it with Vultr CDN for global distribution. This is lower-level than Netlify or Vercel but provides more control over the hosting stack.
Deployment pipelines on Vultr require CI/CD tooling (GitHub Actions, for example) rather than a built-in deployment interface. Teams comfortable building their own pipelines use this for cost efficiency. Teams wanting managed deployment prefer Netlify or Vercel.
Plans start at: $5 per month (250GB object storage)
Hetzner
Who it is for: Static site projects with European-primary audiences that need cost-effective hosting with high bandwidth, particularly for sites serving large files or assets.
Hetzner Object Storage is S3-compatible with generous bandwidth pricing. Static website hosting from a Hetzner storage bucket is straightforward. For static sites that serve significant bandwidth (media archives, documentation sites, asset downloads), Hetzner’s pricing is competitive.
Direct deployment pipelines are not built-in. Hetzner Object Storage requires using GitHub Actions or similar CI/CD tools to upload built files on each deploy.
Plans start at: €5.34 per month per 1TB of storage
Hostinger
Who it is for: Developers wanting affordable static site hosting with a CDN and simple FTP/SSH-based deployment without the full Jamstack workflow infrastructure.
Hostinger Web Hosting plans support serving static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files with a global CDN. For simple static sites that are not framework-built Jamstack projects (plain HTML, perhaps a static site generator like Hugo or Jekyll), Hostinger shared hosting with CDN provides straightforward, affordable hosting.
The deployment workflow is manual file upload or Git pull via SSH, not the push-to-deploy experience of Netlify or Vercel. Suitable for simpler projects.
Plans start at: $2.99 per month
Namecheap
Who it is for: Simple static sites and personal projects that want affordable shared hosting with basic CDN support without the full deployment pipeline.
Namecheap shared hosting serves HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files reliably. Suitable for plain static brochure sites and small landing pages where Git-based deployment is not a requirement.
Namecheap EasyWP and shared hosting plans support serving static sites. Not a Jamstack platform but functional for basic static content.
Plans start at: $1.98 per month
Cloudways
Who it is for: Teams with a headless WordPress or other CMS backend running on Cloudways who want to co-locate their static or Jamstack frontend close to the same infrastructure.
Cloudways supports static site deployment alongside managed applications. For headless architectures where WordPress handles content and a Next.js or Gatsby frontend handles rendering, running the backend on Cloudways while deploying the static frontend to Netlify or Vercel is a common pattern. Cloudways does not try to replace dedicated Jamstack platforms but fits the backend role in these hybrid architectures.
Plans start at: $14 per month
Headless WordPress and Jamstack
A growing pattern for content-heavy sites: WordPress handles content management via the REST API or WPGraphQL. A JavaScript frontend (Next.js or Astro) fetches content from WordPress at build time and generates static HTML.
The result is a static site that loads fast globally through CDN delivery, while editors manage content through the familiar WordPress dashboard.
Hosting requirements split into two: the WordPress backend needs managed WordPress hosting. The frontend deploys to Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare Pages. The two pieces connect via API.
For developers building both sides of this architecture, the infrastructure decisions across the stack are covered in the developer infrastructure guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any server at all for a static site?
No server of your own is required. Netlify, Vercel, and Cloudflare Pages serve static files from globally distributed infrastructure. You pay nothing or a low flat fee. There is no server to provision, patch, or maintain.
What is the difference between a static site and a Jamstack site?
A static site is pre-built HTML files. A Jamstack site uses a JavaScript framework (Next.js, Gatsby, Astro) with build tooling to generate those HTML files from source code, APIs, and CMS content. Both are served as static files. The Jamstack build process adds the ability to fetch dynamic content at build time and generate personalised or interactive pages that still deploy as static output.
When does a Jamstack site need serverless functions?
When the site needs to process data server-side: contact form submissions, payment callbacks, user authentication, API proxying to protect credentials, and webhook handling. The static files handle presentation. Serverless functions handle logic. Netlify Functions, Vercel Edge Functions, and Cloudflare Workers each provide this capability with the deployment platform.
