Pick a template, publish, done
Start from a Webstead template or describe your site to Webby, the built-in AI editor. No GitHub, no Node, no terminal. Add your own domain when you're ready.
For makers
Webstead puts your site on the Internet Computer: a public network with no server to rent and no host that can pull the plug. Connect GitHub or drop a folder. We handle the canister, the cycles and the domain.
Live in under five minutes. Export your canister any time. Built on the Internet Computer.
Start from a Webstead template or describe your site to Webby, the built-in AI editor. No GitHub, no Node, no terminal. Add your own domain when you're ready.
Connect a Vite, Next (static), Astro, CRA or plain static repo. We detect the build, run it in a sandbox and redeploy on every push. Build-time env vars included.
Hand clients a site on a public network with a documented exit. Custom domains, cycle runway in days not jargon, and a status page you can point to.
No servers to rent.
No CDN contract.
No pager at 3 a.m.
No host that can switch you off.
Your site runs on consensus,
and you hold the deed.
Webstead sits between the two: a Vercel-shaped workflow on top of a canister you can walk away with.
| Conventional host | Webstead | dfx / icp by hand | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where your site runs | A rented server or CDN edge owned by the host | Your own canister on a public blockchain network | Your own canister |
| Getting live | Connect repo, deploy | Connect repo or drop a folder, deploy | Install dfx or icp, write a manifest, manage an identity |
| Paying for compute | Monthly bill, egress surprises | Free while in beta. Cycles funded by us, shown as runway in days | Buy ICP, mint cycles, top up by hand |
| Custom domains | Built in | Built in, plus a free webstead.app address | Manual gateway registration |
| If the provider disappears | Your site goes dark | Your site keeps serving. Take the canister with you | Nothing changes, you already run it |
| Leaving | Rebuild on the next host | One controller transfer, no migration | n/a |
Your assets live in an asset canister: a smart-contract-backed program on the Internet Computer with its own HTTP handler, replicated across independently operated nodes. There is no origin server behind it and no CDN deciding whether to serve you today.
You never touch any of that. Webstead provisions the canister, funds it with cycles, runs the deploy and watches the balance. What you see is a green badge, a URL and a deploy log.
When you want to leave, you take the deed: we transfer the canister's controller to a principal you own and step back. No migration, no rewrite.
Every canister ID links to the Internet Computer's public dashboard, so you can confirm what's deployed without taking our word for it.
Worker liveness, 24-hour deploy success rate and queue depth, live. Not a reliability claim, a dashboard.
Self-custody is a documented controller transfer, written down on your account before you ever need it.
Yes. Every account is free while Webstead is in public beta: hosting, cycles, a webstead.app address, custom domains and auto-deploys. No card on file, no trial clock. Paid plans will come later, and the free tier stays.
No. You connect a repo or drop a folder and get a URL. Underneath, your files live in an asset canister on the Internet Computer. Webstead provisions it, funds it and keeps an eye on it. If you want the details, every canister ID links to the network's public dashboard.
Anything static or client-rendered: marketing sites, docs, portfolios, SPAs, static exports from Next.js, Astro, Vite, SvelteKit and friends. Apps that need a Node server at request time are not a fit. Motoko backends from Caffeine exports are supported too.
Always. Your canister is a standard Internet Computer primitive, not a Webstead format. Ask and we transfer control to a principal you own. Your canister ID and recipe version are on your account's export page from day one.
Email and password, then connect a repo or drop a folder. You'll have a live URL on the Internet Computer in a few minutes, and it costs nothing while we're in beta.