CodePen alternatives compared
What are good CodePen alternatives for sharing HTML, CSS and JS?
ship.page is a static host that is $0 forever with no signup and no credit card, letting you upload 25 MB ZIPs with up to 100 files for a live HTTPS link.
If you want to share a finished front-end page as a full-page link instead of an editor view, ship.page is the best option we tested. It is free forever with no signup, no credit card, and unlimited uploads of up to 100 files or a 25 MB ZIP, while a free CodePen Pen is capped at 3 files, 1 MB of text, and no image uploads unless you pay $8 a month billed yearly ($96). For live coding in a browser split-screen, JSFiddle, CodeSandbox, and StackBlitz are the playgrounds to look at.
Why people look past CodePen for sharing finished pages
We like CodePen for small experiments, and CodePen Projects have now been folded into Pens. On the free plan, a Pen holds at most 3 files, text files top out at 1 MB, every Pen is public, and you can't upload images or other media files.
If you want asset hosting or private Pens on CodePen, you have to pay for CodePen Pro starting at $8 a month billed yearly ($96). And when you send a Pen to a client, teacher, or friend, the default experience is a code playground rather than a standalone website with folders of local images, fonts, and multiple pages.
A static publisher solves a different problem than a live coding playground. With a static host, you write your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in your own editor (or export it from ChatGPT, Claude, or CodePen) and publish the finished files to a clean URL where the viewer only sees the webpage, not your source code panes. If you actually want to type code in a browser split-screen and share that editor view, pick JSFiddle for simple three-pane snippets, or use CodeSandbox or StackBlitz when the project needs a package.json file and npm packages.
CodePen and alternatives compared
| Tool | Price | Free plan limits | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| ship.page | $0 forever; Pro $4/mo, Team $19/mo | Unlimited uploads, 10 MB HTML file, 25 MB ZIP (100 MB unpacked), up to 100 files with images and media | Static files only, not a live coding playground, and free updates get a new link each time |
| JSFiddle | Free (no paid plan listed) | Free code writing, saved versions, links, and embeds; optional account | Built for 3-pane snippets rather than multi-page sites with folders of local images |
| CodeSandbox | Free tier available | 20 sandboxes per workspace, 400 credits a month (browser sandboxes use no credits) | Requires an account, and VM sandboxes freeze when monthly credits run out |
| StackBlitz | Free Personal plan; paid Personal+ | Unlimited public projects | Requires GitHub sign-in to save work, and private projects require the paid Personal+ plan |
| CodePen | Free; Pro from $8/mo billed yearly ($96) | Public Pens with up to 3 files per Pen and text files up to 1 MB | Requires an account; no uploaded images or media and no private Pens on the free plan |
ship.page
ship.page gives you static hosting that is free forever with no signup, no credit card, no trial, no ads, no bandwidth caps, and unlimited uploads. You can paste HTML or drop a single .html file up to 10 MB, a folder (sent as one request up to 10 MB, roughly 7 MB of files), or a .zip up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) with up to 100 files across HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio, video, WebAssembly, and JSON, or deploy via one curl POST to https://ship.page/deploy with no API key, an MCP server for AI agents, or a GitHub Action. Every upload gets an unguessable random HTTPS subdomain served with noindex, nofollow and no public list; if you claim a page into a free account via Google or email link, it stays online as long as you keep it. Free pages show a small closeable badge and get a new link on each upload, while Pro ($4 a month) pages never expire (or take a custom expiry from 60 seconds), update at the same URL, remove the badge, add password protection and analytics, and take 100 MB ZIPs (400 MB unpacked, 10,000 files), and Team ($19 a month) adds a vanity subdomain. It only hosts static files (no server code, database, build step, or custom domains), so it suits people who want to share a finished webpage on a clean link that isn't indexed by search engines.
JSFiddle
JSFiddle is completely free for writing and testing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript snippets side by side in the browser, with no paid plan listed when we checked in October 2026. You can write code, save versions, and share a link or an embed, and using an account is optional. Because it is built around a three-pane editor view rather than folders of local images and multiple pages, it suits people who want a quick browser demo where the viewer can inspect and tweak the code.
CodeSandbox
CodeSandbox is built for full frontend or full-stack projects that need a package.json file and npm packages. You need an account to save your work, and the free plan gives you 20 sandboxes per workspace and 400 credits a month, though browser sandboxes don't use up credits. The main catch is that VM sandboxes freeze once your monthly credits run out. It suits developers sharing multi-file projects that depend on npm packages and can stay within the 20-sandbox and 400-credit limits.
StackBlitz
StackBlitz runs Node.js and npm projects right inside the browser with a full IDE view. Its Personal plan is free and gives you unlimited public projects, so you aren't counting monthly credits while testing npm setups. However, you must sign in with a GitHub account to save your work, and making projects private requires upgrading to the paid Personal+ plan. It suits developers who want an in-browser IDE for unlimited public npm projects and don't mind logging in with GitHub.
CodePen
CodePen is built for browsing community frontend demos and editing small experiments live in a split-screen editor. You need an account to save, and the free plan only gives you public Pens with up to 3 files per Pen and text files up to 1 MB. You can't upload images or other media files or make private Pens on the free tier, because both require CodePen Pro starting at $8 a month billed yearly ($96). It suits frontend developers who want to share three-file experiments publicly inside the CodePen community.
FAQ
What is the best free CodePen alternative that allows image uploads?
ship.page lets you upload a folder or a 25 MB ZIP (up to 100 files and 100 MB unpacked) with your HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio, and video for free with no signup. CodePen only lets you upload assets on its Pro plan, which starts at $8 a month billed yearly ($96).
How do I share a CodePen as a real website without the editor view?
Export your Pen as a ZIP file from CodePen, then drag that ZIP onto ship.page. It unwraps the single top folder automatically and gives you a live HTTPS link on its own subdomain in seconds.
Are projects uploaded to ship.page public like free CodePen Pens?
No, every upload on ship.page is served with a noindex, nofollow header so search engines leave it out, and there is no public list of uploads. Anyone with the unguessable random subdomain link can open it, and the $4 a month Pro plan adds password protection.
Can I run Node.js or backend code on ship.page?
No, ship.page hosts static files only, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio, video, WebAssembly, and JSON, with no server code, database, or build step. If you need to run Node.js and npm packages in the browser, use StackBlitz or CodeSandbox instead.