FR Sites vs Neocities — Free Static Hosting Compared

Both FR Sites (on f-r.space) and Neocities bring back the joy of hand-coding your own website and putting it on the open web for free. They are remarkably similar as static hosts. The real question is what surrounds your site — and that is where they diverge. Here is the honest side-by-side.

The Short Answer

Pick Neocities if you want a standalone, well-established static host and nothing more. Pick FR Sites if you want the same free HTML/CSS/JS hosting plus a full retro social network — a customizable profile, Top 8 friends, blogs, bulletins, groups with voice chat, photo galleries, video, and a built-in music player — all tied to your website on a single free account. Both are free, ad-free on your pages, and let you save a file and go live instantly.

Feature Comparison

FeatureFR Sites (f-r.space)Neocities
Free static HTML / CSS / JS hostingYesYes
Free storage1 GB1 GB
Free subdomainusername.f-r.spaceusername.neocities.org
Free HTTPSYesYes
In-browser code editorYesYes
Drag-and-drop file uploadsYesYes
No build step (save → live)YesYes
Site discovery galleryYesYes
No ads on your siteYesYes
Beginner HTML/CSS lessonsYesYes
Built into a social networkYesNo
Customizable HTML/CSS social profileYesNo
Built-in music player & profile songsYesNo
Friends, Top 8, blogs, bulletinsYesNo
Groups with voice chatYesNo
Video sharing & photo galleriesYesNo
Native Android appYesNo

Comparison reflects each platform's free tier. Neocities is an excellent, established static host with a large community; FR Sites' distinguishing advantage is that your website is part of a complete retro social network on one free account.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between FR Sites and Neocities?
Both are free static web hosts — you hand-code HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, get a free subdomain, free HTTPS, an in-browser editor, and a public discovery gallery. The key difference is that FR Sites is built into FriendRewind, a full retro social network. One free account gives you a website plus a customizable profile, Top 8 friends, blogs, bulletins, groups with voice chat, photo galleries, video, and a built-in music player. Neocities is a standalone static host. If you want a website that lives inside a community, choose FR Sites.
Is FR Sites free like Neocities?
Yes. FR Sites is free with 1 GB of storage, free HTTPS, a username.f-r.space subdomain, an in-browser code editor, and drag-and-drop uploads — all at no cost, with no ads on your pages. Neocities is also free on its base tier. Neither charges you to publish a basic site.
Can I host the same files on FR Sites that I host on Neocities?
Yes. Both are pure static hosts, so your HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, and other assets work the same way. To move, download your files from Neocities and drag them into your FR Sites dashboard, then update any absolute links to your username.f-r.space address.
Does FR Sites have an in-browser editor and uploads like Neocities?
Yes. FR Sites includes a built-in code editor with syntax highlighting and live preview, plus drag-and-drop file uploads. There is no build step and no deploy pipeline — save a file and it is live instantly, just like Neocities.
Does FR Sites have a site discovery gallery?
Yes. The FR Sites gallery lets you browse newest, popular, and random member sites — similar to the Neocities browse experience. Because FR Sites is part of FriendRewind, you can also follow creators and visit their profiles.
Which should I choose, FR Sites or Neocities?
Choose Neocities if you want a standalone, well-established static host and nothing else. Choose FR Sites if you want free static hosting plus a complete retro social network — a customizable profile, friends, blogs, groups with voice chat, and a built-in music player — all tied to your website on a single free account.
Does FR Sites have a music player and social profile?
Yes, and this is the main thing Neocities does not offer. FR Sites is part of FriendRewind, which includes a built-in music player with profile songs and playlists, a fully customizable HTML/CSS MySpace-style profile, Top 8 friends, blogs, bulletins, forums, groups with live voice chat, photo galleries, and a video platform.
Is FR Sites a Neocities clone?
No. FR Sites and Neocities were both inspired by the same idea — free, hand-coded personal websites and the indie web — but FR Sites is built from the ground up as part of FriendRewind. The shared ancestor is the classic personal-homepage web, not each other.

The Philosophy Difference

Neocities is a love letter to the personal homepage. It keeps the focus tight: free static hosting, a subdomain, an editor, and a community gallery. That clarity is a feature — it does one thing and does it well, and it has a big, vibrant community of builders.

FR Sites asks a different question: what if your hand-coded website was the center of a whole social world? On FR Sites your site lives inside FriendRewind, so the same free account that hosts your HTML also gives you a fully customizable profile, a built-in music player with profile songs, Top 8 friends, blogs, bulletins, forums, groups with live voice chat, photo galleries, and a video platform. Visitors to your site can add you as a friend, read your blog, and hear your music. Your website is not an island; it is your home base.

You do not have to choose just one — plenty of indie-web builders keep sites on multiple hosts. But if you want a single free home where your website and your social presence live together, FR Sites is the one that does both.

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1 GB free · HTTPS included · No ads · Save and it's live.

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