Surge vs GitLab Pages: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Choosing between Surge and GitLab Pages comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
By Toolradar Team · Last updated February 22, 2026 · Methodology
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Surge
Simple static web publishing
Best for you if:
- • Surge is a command-line tool for deploying static websites and client-side applications to a production-quality CDN with minimal effort.
- • It offers free unlimited publishing, custom domain support, and basic SSL for surge.sh subdomains, with a Professional plan providing advanced features like custom SSL and password protection.
GitLab Pages
Static website hosting from GitLab
Best for you if:
- • GitLab Pages publishes static websites directly from a GitLab repository, supporting any static site generator or plain HTML/CSS/JS/Wasm.
- • Websites are deployed automatically via GitLab CI/CD pipelines, run on GitLab-provided infrastructure at no additional cost, and support custom domains with SSL/TLS.
| At a Glance |  GitLab Pages | |
|---|---|---|
Price | Free + Paid | Free + Paid |
Best For | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
Rating | —/100 | —/100 |
| Feature | Surge | GitLab Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Editorial Score | — | — |
| Community Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Total Reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Community Upvotes | 216 | 110 |
| Categories | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
How Surge and GitLab Pages Compare
Surge
Simple static web publishing
Free tier available
GitLab Pages
Static website hosting from GitLab
Free tier available
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are freemium. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Surge
Want the highest-rated option?
Neither has been rated yet.
Go with: Surge
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: Surge
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are freemium. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Both are developer tools tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
Not all tools have been rated yet.
Key Takeaways
Surge
- More community upvotes (216)
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
GitLab Pages
The Bottom Line
Surge is our pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surge or GitLab Pages better?
Surge scores high/100 in our evaluation. Both are freemium.
What are Surge and GitLab Pages used for?
Surge: Simple static web publishing. GitLab Pages: Static website hosting from GitLab.
What does Surge cost vs GitLab Pages?
Surge is freemium (free tier + paid plans). GitLab Pages is freemium (free tier + paid plans). Visit their websites for detailed pricing.