The short answer
- An AI made the file? Ask it to publish with spacesheep. You get a link, private until you share it.
- Have a file on your computer? Run npx -y spacesheep@latest deploy page.html, or drag the folder onto Netlify Drop.
- Already on GitHub? GitHub Pages publishes a repository's files as a public site.
Three ways, side by side
| spacesheep | GitHub Pages | Netlify Drop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you publish | One command, or one sentence to your AI | Push the files to a repository, then turn on Pages | Drag a folder onto app.netlify.com/drop |
| Works without an account | ✕A free account | ✕Publishes from a repository you own | ◐Yes, behind a temporary password until you claim it |
| Choose who opens it | ✓Only you, named people, your team, or anyone | ✕Sites are public, even from a private repository | –Not documented for Drop |
| Updates at the same link | ✓Deploy again from the same folder, or ask your AI | ✓Push again; up to 10 minutes to publish | ✓Drag the updated folder onto the site's Deploys page |
| Every version kept | ✓Every version, with who or which AI made it | ✓In the repository's history | –Not documented for Drop |
| Comments from readers | ✓Pinned to the exact line | ✕No | –Not documented for Drop |
| Custom domain | ✕No | ✓Yes | –Not documented for Drop |
Works without an account✕✕◐
spacesheepA free account
GitHubPublishes from a repository you own
NetlifyYes, behind a temporary password until you claim it
Choose who opens it✓✕–
spacesheepOnly you, named people, your team, or anyone
GitHubSites are public, even from a private repository
NetlifyNot documented for Drop
Updates at the same link✓✓✓
spacesheepDeploy again from the same folder, or ask your AI
GitHubPush again; up to 10 minutes to publish
NetlifyDrag the updated folder onto the site's Deploys page
Every version kept✓✓–
spacesheepEvery version, with who or which AI made it
GitHubIn the repository's history
NetlifyNot documented for Drop
Comments from readers✓✕–
spacesheepPinned to the exact line
GitHubNo
NetlifyNot documented for Drop
Custom domain✕✓–
spacesheepNo
GitHubYes
NetlifyNot documented for Drop
How you publish
How you publish
spacesheepOne command, or one sentence to your AI
GitHubPush the files to a repository, then turn on Pages
NetlifyDrag a folder onto app.netlify.com/drop
The marks are our reading of each product’s own pages. Read the cells, or tap a row on a phone, for the exact words.
None of the three runs server code like PHP or Python: they serve HTML, CSS, JavaScript and files.
With spacesheep, step by step
- If an AI made the file: connect it to spacesheep once, then say "Publish this as a spacesheep space and send me the link."
- If the file is on your computer: run npx -y spacesheep@latest deploy page.html. A folder with an index.html works too, pictures and all. Sign the computer in once first with npx -y spacesheep@latest login.
- Pick who opens it: it starts private. Share it with named people, your team, or anyone with the link.
- Update it: deploy again from the same folder and the same link updates, with the old version kept.
For what other people have published this way, open the public gallery.
With GitHub Pages
- Create a repository named <user>.github.io for a user site, or any name for a project site.
- Add your file as index.html at the top of the publishing folder. GitHub also accepts index.md or README.md.
- Choose the publishing source under Settings, Pages, and push.
- Open the site at <owner>.github.io, or <owner>.github.io/<repository> for a project site.
With Netlify Drop
- Put the file in a folder, named index.html.
- Drag the folder onto app.netlify.com/drop.
- Open the preview link ending in netlify.app.
- Claim it by signing up: until you do, Netlify protects the link with a temporary password.
Netlify says deploys under 50 MB work best, and single files over 10 MB may get the deploy stuck.
Asked often
How do I turn an HTML file into a website?
Put it on a host. With spacesheep, run npx -y spacesheep@latest deploy page.html or ask your AI to publish it, and pick who opens the link. GitHub Pages publishes files from a repository, and Netlify Drop publishes a folder you drag onto app.netlify.com/drop.
Can I host an HTML file for free?
Yes. GitHub Pages, Netlify Drop and spacesheep's free plan all publish an HTML file at a link without charge.
How do I share an HTML file with only some people?
GitHub says Pages sites are public even from a private repository. spacesheep starts every space private and lets you share it with named people, your team, or anyone with the link, and change that later.
Does my HTML file need to be called index.html?
For GitHub Pages and Netlify Drop, name the entry page index.html (GitHub also accepts index.md or README.md). spacesheep publishes a single .html file under any name, or a folder with an index.html.
How do I publish an HTML file ChatGPT or Claude made?
Connect the AI to spacesheep once, then say: Publish this as a spacesheep space and send me the link. It publishes the page and answers with the link, and any AI you connect can keep editing it.
How do I update the website after I change the file?
On spacesheep, deploy again from the same folder and the same link updates, with every version kept. On GitHub Pages, push the change; on Netlify, drag the updated folder onto the site's Deploys page.