CodePen alternatives for HTML, CSS and JS
You can publish a finished HTML, CSS and JavaScript project as a real website on ship.page for free with no signup, no credit card and unlimited uploads. Paste HTML or drop an .html file up to 10 MB, a folder or a .zip up to 25 MB (100 files, 100 MB unpacked) with your images and fonts, and get a live HTTPS link in seconds. For live coding in the browser, use JSFiddle, CodeSandbox or StackBlitz.
A file. A folder. A fresh start.
Your static site, one link away.
Uploading publishes your file. The link is public but unlisted, not password-protected, so leave out secrets and confidential content.
- Per free upload on ship.page, vs 3 files on a free Pen
- 100 files
- Include images, fonts, audio and video for free
- 25 MB ZIP
- Paste HTML or drop a folder and get a live link
- No signup
- Free plan with no trial, no ads and no bandwidth caps
- $0 forever
How to turn a CodePen or local HTML project into a real website
Export your Pen or gather your project folder
Export your Pen from CodePen as a .zip file, or put your local index.html, CSS, JavaScript and image files into one folder. Make sure the main file is named index.html so it opens as the homepage.
Drop the ZIP, folder or HTML file onto ship.page
Open ship.page in your browser and drag in your .zip, folder or .html file, or paste your HTML directly. A ZIP with a single top folder is unwrapped automatically.
Share the live HTTPS link or QR code
Your site goes live in seconds on its own subdomain with no editor chrome around it. Copy the URL or download the PNG QR code from the success screen to open it on a phone.
Your options
ship.page
- Best for
- Publishing finished HTML, CSS, JS and image files as a standalone website on its own subdomain with no signup.
- Free
- Free forever with unlimited uploads, 10 MB single HTML files, 25 MB ZIPs (100 MB unpacked) and up to 100 files per upload.
- Catch
- Not a live coding playground, and free links stay online for 30 days without an account or 90 days with a free account.
JSFiddle
- Best for
- Writing and testing quick HTML, CSS and JavaScript snippets side by side in the browser.
- Free
- Completely free to write code, save versions and share a link or an embed, with no paid plan listed.
- Catch
- Built for three-pane code snippets rather than multi-page websites with folders of local images.
CodeSandbox
- Best for
- Building and sharing full frontend or full-stack projects that import npm packages.
- Free
- Includes 400 credits a month and 20 sandboxes per workspace, and browser sandboxes do not use credits.
- Catch
- VM sandboxes freeze when your monthly credits run out.
StackBlitz
- Best for
- Running Node.js and npm projects right inside the browser with a full IDE view.
- Free
- Personal plan is free with unlimited public projects.
- Catch
- You must sign in with a GitHub account to save your work, and private projects require the paid Personal+ plan.
CodePen
- Best for
- Browsing community frontend demos and editing small three-file experiments live.
- Free
- Free public Pens with up to 3 files per Pen and text files up to 1 MB.
- Catch
- No uploaded images or other media files and no private Pens on the free plan; asset hosting needs CodePen Pro starting at $8 a month billed yearly ($96).
CodePen and free alternatives compared
| Tool | Best at | Free plan | Account to save |
|---|---|---|---|
| ship.page | Real website from finished files | 25 MB ZIP, 100 files, images included | No (30 days) or free (90 days) |
| JSFiddle | Quick 3-pane browser demos | Free versions, links and embeds | Optional |
| CodeSandbox | Projects with npm packages | 20 sandboxes/workspace, 400 credits/mo | Yes |
| StackBlitz | In-browser IDE for npm projects | Unlimited public projects | Yes (GitHub sign-in) |
| CodePen | Social frontend snippets | 3 files per Pen, 1 MB text, no assets | Yes |
Why people look for a CodePen alternative
CodePen is great for small experiments, and CodePen Projects have been folded into Pens. On the free plan, a Pen holds at most 3 files per Pen, text files are capped at 1 MB, and you cannot upload images or other media files.
Hosting assets or making private Pens requires CodePen Pro, which starts at $8 a month billed yearly ($96). When you want to send a client, teacher or friend a clean website that includes local images, fonts and multiple pages without the editor split-screen, a static publisher fits better than a playground.
Publishing finished code vs live coding playgrounds
ship.page is for publishing finished code, not a live coding playground. You write your HTML, CSS and JavaScript in your own editor (or export it from ChatGPT, Claude or CodePen), then use ship.page to turn HTML code into a website on its own link.
If you want to type code in a browser split-screen and share the editor view with others, pick JSFiddle for simple snippets, or pick CodeSandbox or StackBlitz when your project needs a package.json file and npm packages.
- Use ship.page when the viewer should see only the finished webpage, not your source code.
- Use JSFiddle when you want a free 3-pane editor to test HTML, CSS and JS and save versions.
- Use CodeSandbox when you need npm packages and can work within 20 sandboxes per workspace and 400 monthly credits.
- Use StackBlitz when you want unlimited public npm projects and do not mind signing in with GitHub.
What you can upload to ship.page for free
The browser uploader accepts single .html files up to 10 MB, folders (sent as one request up to 10 MB, roughly 7 MB of files; zip bigger folders first), .zip files up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) and pasted HTML. You can include up to 100 files per upload across HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio, video, WebAssembly and JSON.
Pages are unlisted and served with a noindex header, so search engines do not index your work, while anyone with the link can open it. Compare this with CodePen free, where every Pen is public.
Tip: File paths are case-sensitive, and a page saved as about.html opens at /about.html (use about/index.html if you want the short /about URL).
How long free links stay online and when to upgrade
Without an account, a page on ship.page stays online for 30 days. If you sign in with Google or an email link for a free account and claim the upload, it stays online for 90 days, and if it goes offline you can restore it from your dashboard for free for another 90 days, up to three months after it went offline.
Free pages show a small closeable badge and get a new URL each time you upload a new version. On Pro for $4 a month, pages never expire (or you can pick any expiry from 60 seconds), you can update a page and keep the same link, add password protection, remove the badge, and upload ZIPs up to 100 MB (400 MB unpacked) with up to 10,000 files.
Questions
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) containing HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio and video for free with no signup. CodePen only allows asset uploads 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. ship.page unwraps the single top folder automatically and gives you a live HTTPS link on its own subdomain in seconds.
Should I use JSFiddle, CodeSandbox, StackBlitz or ship.page?
Use ship.page when your HTML, CSS and JavaScript are ready and you want a clean website link with no signup. Use JSFiddle for quick three-pane browser demos, or use CodeSandbox and StackBlitz when you want an in-browser IDE with npm packages.
Are projects uploaded to ship.page public like free CodePen Pens?
No. Every upload on ship.page includes a noindex header so search engines leave it out, and ship.page never lists uploads publicly. Anyone with the link can view it, and Pro ($4 a month) 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, JSON and WebAssembly. If your project needs a Node.js server or npm build step in the browser, use StackBlitz or CodeSandbox, or run your build locally and upload the static output folder to ship.page.
How long does a free project stay online on ship.page?
An unclaimed upload stays online for 30 days with no account needed. If you claim it with a free account, it stays online for 90 days and can be restored from the dashboard for free for another 90 days, up to three months after it expires.
Keep reading
- Turn HTML code into a website
- Share an HTML file online
- Online HTML viewer
- Free static website hosting
- ship.page pricing and plans
Publish your HTML, CSS and JS now
Drop your .html file, folder or .zip below, or paste your HTML to get a live link in seconds with no signup.