HTMLpad vs Static.app: Free Pad or Paid Static Host?
HTMLpad is a free pad for one HTML page: no account, live editor, link in seconds, 90 days per pad. Static.app is a paid static host for small sites, with zip uploads, forms and custom domains, and a seven-day free trial. Pick HTMLpad to share a page now; pick Static.app to run a small site you will pay for.
The two tools look similar from a distance, since both turn HTML into a live page. Up close they answer different questions. This is the HTMLpad blog, so I have an interest; I will still tell you where Static.app is the better buy.
The short version
| HTMLpad | Static.app | |
|---|---|---|
| Account to publish | No | Yes |
| Free use | Free pads, 90 days each | 7-day trial, 1 site, 50 MB |
| Upload | One HTML file, 512 KB | Zip with index.html |
| Editing | Live editor in the browser | Re-upload |
| Forms | No | Yes, on paid plans |
| Custom domain | No | Yes, on paid plans |
| Paid plans | Not needed to publish | From $5 a month or $60 a year |
Static.app figures come from its pricing page and its guide to hosting an HTML file, checked in November 2026.
Free versus trial
This is the core difference. HTMLpad's free tier is the product: you can keep publishing pads without paying. Static.app's free tier is a seven-day trial of one site; after that, as its own guide says, publishing needs a paid plan.
Neither approach is better in itself. If you want a tool that costs nothing for occasional pages, HTMLpad fits. If you want a small paid host and expect to keep the site for years, a trial is a reasonable way to start.
What each one hosts
Static.app takes a zip with an index.html at the top level plus your CSS, scripts and images. Client-side JavaScript works; anything that needs a server or database does not. Pages live at an address like yoursite.staticdomains.app until you add your own domain.
HTMLpad takes one HTML file and gives it an address you choose on HTMLpad.org. Styles and scripts need to be inside the file, images loaded from public addresses.
Forms and domains
Static.app's paid plans include forms, so a contact form on your static page can actually send something. They also include custom domains: the $5 Starter plan covers two sites with your own domains.
HTMLpad offers neither. A form on a pad can send its data to an outside service if you set one up, but HTMLpad does not process forms itself.
Which should you use?
Choose HTMLpad to share one page today: a mockup, a report, a demo, an AI-generated page, without an account or a payment.
Choose Static.app for a small business or personal site you will keep, with a contact form and your own domain, and a budget of a few dollars a month.
For other options, including free permanent hosts, see Tiiny Host alternatives and free HTML hosting: the options compared.
Frequently asked questions
Is Static.app free?
Static.app offers a seven-day free trial with one site and 50 MB of storage, with no credit card. After that, publishing needs a paid plan, starting at $5 a month.
Does HTMLpad support forms?
HTMLpad does not process form submissions itself. Your page can post a form to an external form service. Password and card fields are not allowed on pads.
Can I use my own domain with HTMLpad?
No, pads live at HTMLpad.org addresses. If you need your own domain, Static.app's paid plans, GitHub Pages and Cloudflare Pages support it.