gesso

From zero to a live portfolio, without touching code

Gesso never holds your work. It sets everything up on accounts you own, then steps aside.

  1. Connect GitHub

    One click links your free GitHub account, where your site files live. Gesso asks for the least it can: permission to create one public repository for your portfolio, and nothing more.

  2. Name your site and connect Netlify

    Pick a name, then link Netlify (also free) in one click. Netlify builds your site and serves it to visitors.

  3. Gesso builds it for you

    Gesso copies the portfolio template into your GitHub, creates your Netlify site, runs the first build, and sets up your editor. You watch a short progress bar. No terminal, no config.

  4. Edit at /admin and publish

    Open your editor at yoursite/admin, drag in your work, write your bio, and save. Each save publishes a fresh version of your live site on its own.

Start free

What you own at the end

  • Your GitHub repository, with every word and image saved and yours to export.
  • Your Netlify site, on your account and free tier, ready for a custom domain.
  • Your editor, a friendly /admin that publishes the moment you save.

If Gesso shut down tomorrow, your site would keep running.

Questions?

What does Gesso cost?

Absolutely nothing! Gesso provides a simple interface for you to use free web hosting services. For a better experience, you should buy a custom domain, which costs around $12 a year, but it's not required to use Gesso.

How can I trust Gesso to be free forever?

Simple, we don't own or manage your site! Once you've set up your instance, you're in control of everything. Even if we started charging a subscription fee or set-up fee tomorrow, your site would remain completely yours.

What accounts do I need?

You'll need a free GitHub account to store your site's files. GitHub offers free web hosting with GitHub Pages. If you prefer Netlify for hosting, you'll also need a separate Netlify account.

What prior coding knowledge do I need?

None! Gesso uses a simple editor, and you'll never touch the code behind your site if you don't want to. If you have some experience, we support custom CSS and JavaScript snippets for making tweaks you want.

Can I use a custom domain?

Absolutely! Custom domains are free on both GitHub Pages and Netlify. If you don't already have one, we suggest Porkbun as a no-frills registrar.

What generative AI defense tools does Gesso offer?

Gesso wants you to have control over how your work is used, and offers no integrated AI features. Enabling llms.txt will tell web-crawlers to not use your data for training. Gesso also supports serving raw images run through Glaze and Nightshade.

I have an unanswered question or idea for a feature.

Awesome! Shoot us an email at [email protected].