Blog Workflow Part 4: Hosting Options

July 18, 2026

This is Part 4 of a 4-part series documenting the blog workflow. This part compares different hosting options: NearlyFreeSpeech.net, Netlify, and self-hosting.

When choosing where to host your static site, you have three main options. Each has different trade-offs in cost, features, security, and control.

NearlyFreeSpeech.net (NFS)

NFS is a pay-as-you-go hosting provider that offers full SSH access and a managed environment.

Cost

• Non-Production: $0.01/day (for personal sites, experiments).
• Storage: $1.00 per GiB-month.
• Bandwidth: Included in base charge (1 GiB/day for non-production, 10 GiB/day for production).
• Minimum deposit: $0.25 to get started.

View detailed pricing | Pricing estimator

Features

Full SSH & SFTP access. PHP, Python, Node.js, Ruby, and 25+ programming languages. MySQL (MariaDB) support. Custom control panel. Managed environment with security updates. Automatic backups included. No long-term contracts.

Learn more about NFS hosting

Pros

Extremely cheap for small static sites. Full SSH access gives you complete control. Managed environment (they handle OS updates, security patches). Pay only for what you use. Reliable since 2002. Your content lives on their servers but you have full access.

Cons

Costs money (even if very little). No built-in CI/CD or git integration. No built-in forms or webhooks. Requires manual deployment (or you set up your own automation). No free tier.

Best For

People who want full control via SSH. Those comfortable with command-line tools. Sites that need custom server configurations. People who value independence and are willing to pay a small amount for it.

Netlify

Netlify is a modern hosting platform focused on static sites with built-in CI/CD, forms, and other developer-friendly features.

Cost

Free: $0 forever (300 credits/month).

View detailed pricing | How credits work

Features

Automatic builds from Git. Deploy previews for every branch/PR. Built-in forms (free and unlimited). Webhooks and build hooks. Global CDN (100+ edge locations). Serverless functions. Edge functions. Automatic HTTPS. DDoS protection. Password protection. Analytics and monitoring.

Learn about Netlify platform | Forms documentation

Pros

Generous free tier. Excellent developer experience. Built-in CI/CD and git integration. Forms and webhooks work out of the box. Global CDN for fast performance. Automatic HTTPS and security. Great for team collaboration.

Cons

No SSH access to servers. Your content lives in their infrastructure. Vendor lock-in (harder to migrate away). Credits system can be confusing. Less control over server configuration. Privacy concerns (they can see your traffic).

Best For

Teams and developers who want convenience. Sites that need forms and webhooks. Projects with frequent deployments. People who want modern tooling and don't need SSH access.

Self-Hosting

Self-hosting means running your own server at home or on a VPS you control.

Cost

• Hardware: One-time cost (repurposed computer: $0-500, dedicated server: $200-2000).
• Electricity: $5-20/month depending on hardware.
• Internet: You already pay for this.
• Domain: $10-15/year (optional).
• VPS alternative: $5-20/month (DigitalOcean, Linode, etc.).

Features

Complete control over everything. No vendor lock-in. Can run any software you want. Your data stays on your hardware. Unlimited storage (limited only by your hardware). No monthly fees (after initial hardware cost).

Security Risks

Self-hosting introduces significant security challenges. Port forwarding exposes your server directly to the internet, every open port is another attack vector.

Your home IP address is exposed, making you a target for DDoS attacks. Increased attack surface means you're responsible for all security. No centralized security management means each service needs individual hardening.

AI-powered scanners probe infrastructure within minutes of going online.Supply chain compromises can affect your dependencies. Ransomware crews now target small organizations including homelabs.

Learn about port forwarding risks | Practical cybersecurity for self-hosters

Privacy Concerns

Your home IP address is public. ISP can see all your traffic. No built-in DDoS protection. You're responsible for all data protection. Potential legal liability for whatever you host and if your server is compromised.

Security Requirements

If you self-host, you must implement:

• Reverse proxy with HTTPS (Let's Encrypt)
• Firewall allowing only necessary ports (80/443)
• fail2ban or similar intrusion detection
• SSH key authentication (disable password auth)
• No database or management ports exposed
• Monitoring and logging

Security checklist for self-hosters | Secure gateway setup

Alternatives to Port Forwarding

Instead of exposing ports directly:

• Tailscale: Mesh VPN for personal access, encrypted, no open ports, but not for public services.
• WireGuard: Self-hosted VPN, full control, but requires one port forwarded.

Learn about Cloudflare Tunnel alternatives

Pros

Complete independence and control. No monthly fees (after hardware). Your data stays on your hardware. Can customize everything. No vendor lock-in. Privacy (if configured correctly).

Cons

Significant security responsibility. Requires technical expertise. Hardware costs and electricity. Your home IP is exposed (unless using tunnel). No built-in DDoS protection. You handle all maintenance and updates. Single point of failure (your hardware).

Best For

People with strong technical skills. Those who value complete independence above all else. People willing to invest time in security. Privacy-conscious individuals who understand the trade-offs.

Self-Hosting Guide

For a guide on setting up your own homelab on inexpensive hardware, see Homelab For the Beginner: You Can Self-host Your Own Server on $50 Hardware by me. This guide covers finding hardware, setting up the OS, configuring SSH, Docker, monitoring, backups, and deploying services step-by-step.

Summary Comparison

Recommendation

Choose based on your priorities:

• Choose NFS if you want SSH access, control, and are willing to pay a small amount for a managed service.
• Choose Netlify if you want convenience, modern tooling, and don't need SSH access.
• Choose Self-Hosting if you have strong technical skills, value complete independence, and are willing to invest time in security.

For most people starting out, I recommend beginning with Netlify's free tier to learn the basics, then moving to NFS if you need SSH access or want more control. Self-hosting is best reserved for those with significant technical expertise and a strong commitment to security.

Previous Parts

Return to Part 1: Project Structure for information about the project structure and template architecture.

Continue from Part 2: Build Process for information about the build process and deployment workflow.

Continue from Part 3: Making Posts for information about making posts and the Git workflow.