Surge.sh without npm: deploy without the CLI
Surge.sh has no browser uploader and publishes only through its command-line tool installed from npm or another JavaScript package manager, asking for an email and password on first run. To deploy without Node, ship.page publishes your .html file, .zip up to 25 MB or folder up to 100 files free forever with no signup, no account and no credit card, live in seconds.
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.
- No Node.js, npm or CLI install needed in the browser
- 0 tools
- Free limit up to 100 MB unpacked and 100 files
- 25 MB ZIP
- Max single HTML file size on every plan
- 10 MB
- Pro plan for 100 MB ZIPs, 10,000 files and updates
- $4/mo
How to deploy a static site without npm or the Surge CLI
Check your project folder
Make sure your project has an index.html file at the root so it loads as the homepage. If your folder is larger than roughly 7 MB of files, compress it into a .zip file up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) on the free plan.
Drop the folder or ZIP in your browser
Open ship.page and drag in your folder, .zip file or single .html file, or paste raw HTML. You can also send the files from a terminal without Node using one curl request to POST https://ship.page/deploy.
Share your live HTTPS link
Your site is live in seconds on its own subdomain over HTTPS, and the success screen gives you a QR code with a PNG download. You can publish without an account, or claim the page with a free account (no card) to manage it from a dashboard.
Ways to publish a static folder with and without npm
| Route | Needs Node or npm | Account | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| ship.page upload | No, runs in browser | No signup required | 25 MB ZIP, 100 files free; no custom domains |
| ship.page API with curl | No, uses standard curl | No signup required | 10 deploys/min free; new link on free updates |
| Surge CLI | Yes, npm or JS package manager | Email and password in terminal | No browser upload; domain goes on hold after about an hour and a half if unverified |
Can you use Surge.sh without installing npm?
No. Surge does not have a web dashboard or a browser uploader. To publish to Surge, you have to install its command-line tool (npm install --global surge) through npm or another JavaScript package manager.
When you run the CLI for the first time, it prompts you for an email address and password directly in the terminal. A new surge.sh domain goes on hold after about an hour and a half until you verify that email address.
If you cannot install Node.js on a locked-down work laptop, a school computer, a Chromebook or a minimal CI container, you can use drag-and-drop website hosting on ship.page instead. You drop your folder or ZIP straight into the browser with no account.
How to deploy from the terminal with curl instead of npm
If you still want a command-line workflow without installing a JavaScript runtime, ship.page provides an HTML hosting API that works with standard curl. You send one POST request to https://ship.page/deploy and get your live HTTPS link back in seconds.
Developers can also publish straight from automated pipelines using the ship.page GitHub Action, or connect AI coding tools to the MCP server at https://ship.page/mcp. Free users get 10 deploys a minute, and Pro users get 120 deploys a minute.
Tip: Zip folders larger than roughly 7 MB before uploading, because browser folder uploads travel as a single encoded request capped at 10 MB.
When to install the Surge CLI vs using ship.page
Installing Node.js and the Surge CLI is the better pick when you need a custom domain or have a very large static project. The Surge free plan is $0 for unlimited projects, supports free custom domains with automatic HTTPS certificates, and allows up to 450 MB and 10,100 files per project with no bandwidth billing and no overage charges.
Every Surge plan limits how often you publish, in a 15-minute window: 30 publishes per domain and 60 per account, plus 200 per domain and 500 per account per day. Surge Pro costs $30 a month and adds password protection and redirects. For a full breakdown of limits, read our Surge comparison or browse other Surge alternatives.
Pick ship.page when you want zero local setup or lower monthly cost for private links. The free forever plan needs no credit card and gives you unlimited uploads with no bandwidth limits for a single HTML file up to 10 MB, or a ZIP up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) with up to 100 files. For $4 a month (cancel anytime, no yearly plan), ship.page Pro pages don't expire while you're on Pro, keep the same link when you re-upload, add password protection, raise limits to 100 MB ZIPs (400 MB unpacked) and 10,000 files, and include up to 5 custom subdomains like yourname.ship.place.
- Static files only on ship.page: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio, video, WebAssembly and JSON work, with no PHP, Node.js, Python or databases.
- File paths are case-sensitive, and a ZIP with a single top folder is unwrapped automatically so index.html sits at the root.
- There is no single-page-app fallback and no custom 404 page, so React or Vue apps with client-side routing should use hash routes (#/about).
- Every ship.page upload is sent with a noindex header and is never listed publicly, so only people with the link can view it.
Questions
Does Surge.sh have a web interface or browser upload?
No. Surge only publishes through its command-line tool, which you install with npm or another JavaScript package manager. If you want to upload in a browser without installing anything, drag your HTML file, ZIP or folder onto ship.page.
How do I deploy a static site from the terminal without Node.js?
You can send your files to POST https://ship.page/deploy using a single curl command. It requires no Node.js, no npm packages and no account.
Can I update my site on the same URL like Surge does?
On ship.page, a free page cannot be updated in place and a new upload gets a new link. With the $4 a month Pro plan, your pages don't expire while you're on Pro, you can re-upload or edit a page while keeping the same link, and you can point up to 5 custom subdomains like yourname.ship.place at any of your pages.
How do Surge and ship.page compare on file size limits?
Surge allows up to 450 MB and 10,100 files per project on its free plan. On ship.page, the free plan accepts a single HTML file up to 10 MB or a ZIP up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) with up to 100 files, while the $4 a month Pro plan accepts ZIPs up to 100 MB (400 MB unpacked) and up to 10,000 files.
Does ship.page support custom domains like Surge?
No plan on ship.page offers custom domains, so if you need your own domain name for free, Surge is the better choice. On ship.page Pro ($4 a month), you can claim up to 5 custom subdomains like yourname.ship.place alongside each page's random URL.
Keep reading
Deploy your static folder without npm now
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