Where can you host an HTML5 game for free ?

The question comes up on every beginner creator forum, and the answers often dive straight into technical stuff, before even asking what you're really looking for.

Yet there are several places that host an HTML5 game without charging you anything, and each has its own pros and constraints.

Publishing platforms

You drop in a file, the game becomes playable, and it's shown to players. That's what Hoora does: the import is done from the website, and every published game joins a feed that players browse to discover new games. No technical account, no deployment, no domain name.

It's the option that takes the least work, and your game is put in front of players right away. On the other hand, the format is fixed: a standalone HTML file of 100 KB max.

Static hosts

GitHub Pages is the best known, with 1 GB of storage and 100 GB of bandwidth per month. It's reliable, ad-free, and perfect if your project is already on GitHub. You still need to create an account, understand what a repository is and turn on publishing: count on a good hour the first time.

These hosts accept folders with several files, which is handy if your game comes from an engine like GDevelop or Godot. Our roundup of the best software to create a game without coding explains what each tool produces, and our guide on hosting an html5 game for free compares each plan's limits in a table.

Indie game portals

itch.io is still the reference in this category. Hosting is free, you can customize your game page, receive donations, and the community is very real. On the other hand, your game ends up in the middle of a huge catalog, so you'll still need to go out and find your players. It's a good choice after a game jam, or to build yourself a creator showcase.

What doesn't work

• Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer. These services download the file instead of running it. The person gets a document, not a game, and on a phone they have almost no way to open it.
• Email attachments. Many email services block .html files for security reasons, and the ones that get through are still hard to open. We explain why in our guide to sharing your game with a simple link.

Publishing in practice

If you want the fastest solution, that's where Hoora comes in. Open hooragames.com and click the purple "Import" button in the left-hand menu.

1. Drop in your HTML file, and a playable preview appears right away.
2. Add a title and a description.
3. Publish.

It's free, and the only limit is a maximum file size of 100 KB. The full process, with every screen, is in our guide on publishing your ai creations.

Your game is then playable on the website as well as in the app, which even has its own page in Gizmodo's download section.

Frequently asked questions

• Which free hosting should you choose for a mini game made with AI? A publishing platform, because the file the AI produces is already in the right format, and your game gets shown to players.
• What about a Unity or Godot export? A static host like GitHub Pages, or a portal like itch.io, since both accept folders with several files.
• Will my game stay online for a long time? On the services mentioned here, your game stays online as long as you don't take it down, but always check the terms of the one you choose.
• Does free hosting add ads? Not on the services mentioned here, but again, take a look at the terms.
• Can you host your game in two places at once? Yes, many creators keep a version on their personal page and publish the same one elsewhere to reach more people.
• What if my game isn't ready yet? See our guide on creating a game with ai to make one in a few minutes.

There's no best host for everyone. If you already have players, a simple address is enough. If you're starting from zero, pick a place that brings them to you.