What it does
Firebase Hosting serves static assets and single-page applications through Google's global CDN, with SSL and custom-domain support. Developers connect a local project to a Firebase project with the Firebase CLI, choose a public directory, and deploy the built files. Preview channels provide temporary URLs for sharing a change before it goes live. Hosting can also route dynamic requests to other Firebase or Google Cloud services, while Firebase App Hosting is the separate recommended option for full-stack framework applications.
Deploy the built site directory
For a static React, Vue, or other single-page application, first create a Firebase project and install the Firebase CLI. From the project root, the official guide uses firebase init hosting, asks you to select a project and public root directory, and creates firebase.json and .firebaserc. Build the application into that public directory, then use firebase deploy --only hosting to publish only the site content and hosting configuration.
A preview channel gives a team a temporary URL to inspect a change before promoting it to the live site. The product page also documents GitHub Actions integration for deployment on push. Hosting handles file delivery, SSL, and CDN caching; it does not build a general-purpose server for arbitrary long-running processes. The documentation points server-rendered Angular and Next.js projects to Firebase App Hosting as the full-stack alternative.
Firebase lists a no-cost Spark plan and a Blaze pay-as-you-go plan. The current Hosting allowance shown on the pricing page includes 10 GB of storage and 360 MB per day of data transfer before paid usage applies. These are usage allowances, not a promise that all Firebase services in the same project are free. Estimate the project as a whole if it also uses Cloud Functions, Cloud Run, or other billable services.
Strengths
- Static content is served through a global CDN with SSL and custom-domain support.
- Preview channels provide a temporary URL for sharing a deployment before it becomes live.
- The CLI can deploy only Hosting content and configuration with `firebase deploy --only hosting`.
Watch out for
- The documented deployment workflow requires a Firebase project and a local CLI or Cloud Shell setup.
- Server-rendered full-stack frameworks may fit Firebase App Hosting better than classic Hosting.
Best for
- Publishing a static site or single-page application from a local build directory
- Sharing a temporary preview of a web change before a production deploy
- Serving a web front end that routes dynamic requests to Firebase or Google Cloud services
Sources
- Firebase Hosting | Fast, secure hosting for static websites (Oct 25, 2026)
- Get started with Firebase Hosting (Oct 25, 2026)
- Firebase Pricing (Oct 25, 2026)