Student web hosting guide

As a student, you need a place to host your projects—class assignments, portfolios, side projects. But most hosting services are either complicated, expensive, or both.

This guide covers your best options.

What students actually need

Before diving into options, let's clarify what most students need:

• Free or cheap – Student budgets are tight
• Easy to use – You have enough to learn already
• Fast – Professors and recruiters are impatient
• Reliable – Your demo shouldn't crash mid-presentation

Option 1: bopbee (recommended)

Best for: Quick sharing, portfolios, class projects

bopbee is the fastest way to get a project online:

• Drag and drop your files
• Get a link in seconds
• No account required for basic use

Pros:

• Incredibly simple
• Supports static sites and server-side apps
• Fast and reliable

Cons:

• Premium features require subscription

Option 2: GitHub Pages

Best for: Static sites, open-source projects

If your project is already on GitHub:

1. Go to repository Settings
2. Navigate to Pages
3. Select your branch
4. Wait for deployment

Pros:

• Free for public repos
• Integrates with your workflow

Cons:

• Only static sites
• No private repos on free tier
• Can be slow to update

Option 3: Vercel

Best for: React, Next.js, frontend projects

Vercel excels at frontend frameworks:

1. Connect your GitHub repo
2. Configure build settings
3. Deploy

Pros:

• Great for modern frameworks
• Free tier is generous

Cons:

• Overkill for simple sites
• Learning curve

Option 4: Netlify

Best for: Static sites, JAMstack

Similar to Vercel, but more static-site focused:

Pros:

• Form handling included
• Good free tier

Cons:

• Can be complex
• Build limits on free tier

Comparison table

Feature	bopbee	GitHub Pages	Vercel	Netlify
Ease of use	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Speed to deploy	Seconds	Minutes	Minutes	Minutes
Server-side apps	✅	❌	✅	❌
Custom domains	✅	✅	✅	✅
Free tier	✅	✅	✅	✅

Tips for students

1. Start simple – Use bopbee for quick shares, learn the others later
2. Keep backups – Never rely on one platform
3. Use version control – Git makes everything easier
4. Document your projects – Future you will thank present you

Here's a simple package.json for a student project:

{
  "name": "my-project",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js",
    "build": "vite build"
  }
}

Recommended workflow

For most students, here's what I suggest:

• Class assignments: Upload to bopbee for instant sharing
• Portfolio: Host on bopbee or Vercel with a custom domain
• Open-source projects: GitHub Pages

Getting started

Pick one and start experimenting. The best way to learn is by doing.

If you want the fastest path from "files on my computer" to "link I can share," start with bopbee.