Free HTML templates: licenses and how to publish one
Drop a free HTML template's ZIP (up to 25 MB, 100 files), folder or .html file on ship.page for a live link, free with no signup. The link stays up for 30 days. Check the template's license before you publish: some sources ask for a footer credit, others let you remove it.
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.
- Reviewed for credit rules and client work limits
- 5 sources
- Free ZIP upload limit (100 MB unpacked)
- 25 MB
- Free link lifetime without an account
- 30 days
- Pro plan for permanent links and 100 MB ZIPs
- $4/mo
How to edit and publish a free HTML template
Download and unzip your template
Pick a template from one of the sources listed here and save the .zip file to your computer. If you just want to preview the stock design online, you can upload the downloaded .zip directly to ship.page without unpacking it first.
Edit index.html and check the footer credit
Unzip the archive and open index.html in any text editor to replace the sample text and images. Check the license table before deleting the footer link, since HTML5 UP and BootstrapMade require attribution on their free tiers.
Drop the folder or ZIP onto ship.page
Drag your edited folder or re-zipped archive into the ship.page browser uploader. A folder upload goes up as one request of at most 10 MB with the files encoded inside it (roughly 7 MB of files), so zip bigger folders first to use the 25 MB free ZIP limit.
Share your live HTTPS link or QR code
Your template goes live in seconds on its own subdomain over HTTPS, and the success screen gives you a downloadable PNG QR code. Without an account the link lasts 30 days, or you can sign in with Google or an email link to keep it for 90 days.
Your options
HTML5 UP
- Best for
- Clean, responsive HTML5 designs for personal or commercial sites.
- Free
- Every template is free for personal and commercial use under CC BY 3.0.
- Catch
- You must credit HTML5 UP for the design, or pay $19 via Pixelarity for attribution-free versions.
Start Bootstrap
- Best for
- Developers who want standard Bootstrap layouts with no attribution rules.
- Free
- Templates are released under the open-source MIT license.
- Catch
- None on the license, as MIT allows commercial and client work without credit.
BootstrapMade
- Best for
- Personal projects where keeping a footer link is acceptable.
- Free
- Free to download and use on unlimited sites.
- Catch
- You must keep the footer credit line Designed by BootstrapMade, and the free license does not allow building sites for clients or for pay.
TemplateMo
- Best for
- Freelancers who want free HTML templates for paid client builds.
- Free
- All templates are free with no usage restriction.
- Catch
- None, because you can use them for clients and remove credit links.
Cruip
- Best for
- Modern landing pages for startups and client projects.
- Free
- Free templates cover personal, commercial, and client projects.
- Catch
- You cannot redistribute or resell the templates themselves.
Free HTML template sources and license rules
| Source | License | Credit needed | Client work |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTML5 UP | CC BY 3.0 | Yes (or $19 via Pixelarity) | Allowed |
| Start Bootstrap | MIT | No | Allowed |
| BootstrapMade | BootstrapMade free license | Yes (Designed by BootstrapMade) | Not allowed on free license |
| TemplateMo | No usage restriction | No (can remove credit links) | Allowed |
| Cruip | Custom free license | No | Allowed (no resale) |
Do I have to credit free HTML templates?
Whether you have to leave a footer credit depends entirely on the site where you downloaded the template. Start Bootstrap, TemplateMo, and Cruip let you remove credit links on free downloads, even for commercial or client projects.
HTML5 UP uses the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0) license, which means you can use the template for free on personal and commercial sites, but you must credit HTML5 UP for the design. If you want to remove that credit, attribution-free versions via Pixelarity cost $19.
BootstrapMade has the strictest free license in this group. You can use their templates on unlimited sites, but you must keep the footer credit line Designed by BootstrapMade, and the free license does not allow building sites for clients or for pay.
How do I prepare a template folder or ZIP for upload?
Most template downloads come as a .zip file containing an index.html file alongside folders for CSS, JavaScript, and images. When you turn a ZIP into a website on ship.page, a ZIP with a single top folder is unwrapped automatically so index.html becomes your homepage.
Remember that file paths are case-sensitive once published online. If your HTML links to images/Hero.jpg but the file is named images/hero.jpg, the image may work on your computer but breaks on ship.page.
- Subpages: a file named about.html opens at /about.html, while a short /about address requires saving the file as about/index.html.
- Static files only: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and fonts work, while PHP contact forms included in some templates will not run.
Tip: If your template includes a PHP contact script, replace the form action with a third-party form service before you host a ZIP file.
How long does a published template stay online?
When you publish without an account, your page stays online for 30 days and shows a small Hosted on ship.page badge that visitors can close. Signing in with Google or an email link is free and lets you claim the upload so it stays online for 90 days.
Free pages cannot be updated in place; uploading an edited template gives you a new link. If you are building a free portfolio website or a free landing page that you want to update at the same URL, check the pricing page: the Pro plan is $4 a month and gives you permanent links, in-place updates, password protection, no badge, and ZIP uploads up to 100 MB (400 MB unpacked) with up to 10,000 files.
Questions
Where can I get free HTML templates for commercial and client use?
Start Bootstrap (MIT license), TemplateMo (no usage restrictions), and Cruip allow free commercial and client use without requiring a credit link. HTML5 UP also allows commercial and client work under CC BY 3.0 as long as you credit HTML5 UP for the design, or pay $19 via Pixelarity to remove attribution.
Can I use free BootstrapMade templates for a paying client?
No. The BootstrapMade free license allows unlimited sites, but it does not allow building sites for clients or for pay, and you must keep the footer credit line Designed by BootstrapMade.
Do I need to unzip an HTML template before uploading it to ship.page?
No. You can drop the downloaded .zip file straight into ship.page. If the ZIP has a single top folder, ship.page unwraps it automatically and serves index.html as the homepage.
Why did my template folder fail to upload when it is under 25 MB?
Direct folder uploads go up as one request of at most 10 MB with the files encoded inside it, which fits roughly 7 MB of actual files. Compress your template folder into a .zip file first to use the 25 MB free ZIP limit (or 100 MB on Pro and Team).
Will search engines index my template preview on ship.page?
No. Every uploaded page is sent with a noindex header so search engines leave it out, and ship.page does not list uploads anywhere public. Only people who have your link can open it.
Keep reading
- Turn a ZIP into a website
- Host a ZIP file
- How to make a web page
- Make a free landing page
- Free portfolio website
Put your HTML template online now
Drop your template ZIP or folder to get a live HTTPS link and QR code in seconds, free with no signup.