Pre-launch waitlist
Deploy the Waitlist template to Cloudflare Pages. Connect the email form to Formspree. Add Umami for traffic counts. Buy your domain on Namecheap and CNAME it to Pages.
Free tools for static sites
A curated stack for indie hackers. Every tool below has a generous free tier and works with plain HTML — no framework lock-in.
The recommended stack
Host on Cloudflare Pages, capture emails with Formspree, track visits with Plausible or Umami, and buy your domain from Namecheap or Cloudflare Registrar. Total monthly cost for a pre-launch landing page: $0.
| Tool | Category | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Pages | Hosting | Global CDN hosting with free SSL, unlimited bandwidth, and Git-based deploys. Connect a GitHub repo, leave the build command empty, and your HTML goes live worldwide. Best default choice for LaunchStatic templates. | LaunchStatic guide · Official site |
| GitHub Pages | Hosting | Free static hosting directly from any public GitHub repository. Simpler setup if you already live in GitHub, but slower CDN and fewer edge features than Cloudflare. Good backup or staging option. | pages.github.com |
| Netlify Drop | Hosting | Drag-and-drop deployment with zero Git setup. Ideal for quick demos or one-off client previews. Upload a ZIP of your HTML folder and get a live URL in seconds. Not ideal for long-term CI/CD workflows. | app.netlify.com/drop |
| Formspree | Forms | Backend-free form handling for static sites. Point your HTML form action attribute to Formspree's endpoint and submissions arrive in your inbox. Free tier includes 50 submissions per month — enough for early waitlists. |
LaunchStatic guide · Official site |
| Plausible | Analytics | Privacy-friendly, lightweight analytics without cookie banners. A single script tag adds pageview tracking under 1 KB. Paid after trial, but transparent pricing and GDPR compliance make it worth it once you have traffic. | plausible.io |
| Umami | Analytics | Open-source, self-hostable analytics alternative to Google Analytics. Cloud-hosted plans exist, or deploy the Docker image on a $5 VPS. Completely free if you self-host. Simple dashboard, no personal data collection. | LaunchStatic guide · Official site |
| Namecheap | Domain registrar | Affordable domain registration with straightforward DNS management. Frequent first-year discounts on .com domains. Point your CNAME to Cloudflare Pages after purchase. Whois privacy included free. |
namecheap.com |
| Cloudflare Registrar | Domain registrar | Domains at wholesale cost with no markup. DNS, SSL, and Pages hosting live in one dashboard. Best when you want a single vendor for domain + hosting + CDN. Transfer existing domains in or register new ones. | cloudflare.com/products/registrar |
How these tools fit together
SaaS marketing site
Host on Cloudflare Pages with Git auto-deploy. Use Plausible for conversion tracking on pricing and signup CTAs. Keep forms on Formspree until you build a real backend.
Quick client demo
Customize a template locally, ZIP the folder, and drop it on Netlify Drop for an instant shareable URL. No GitHub account required for the prospect review.
GitHub-only workflow
Push to GitHub Pages if your audience is technical and you want issues/PRs colocated with your site repo. Swap Cloudflare for GitHub in the table above — everything else stays the same.