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Why I'm Building hosted.md (and What It's For)

15th April 2025

I just wanted to publish a simple blog.

I had a bunch of Markdown files, some ideas I wanted to share, and not a lot of time. I did not want to set up a static site generator. I did not want to fiddle with Git or CI pipelines. I did not want to theme a blog with configuration files. I just wanted to publish.

But even as a developer, the process felt too complicated. That is when it hit me. If this feels frustrating to me, it must be even worse for anyone less technical.

So I started building hosted.md. A simpler way to turn Markdown into a clean and fast website with no extra setup.

The Problem

There are plenty of ways to publish a site today. GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Astro, Hugo, and Jekyll are all excellent in their own way.

But they expect a lot from you. You are expected to understand Git workflows, static site generators, build configuration, and environment variables. Even themes often require knowledge of templating languages and command-line tools.

For small personal projects or technical blogs, it is just too much effort for what should be a simple process.

What is missing is a lightweight, writer-focused tool that lets you write in Markdown and get a beautiful and fast site without needing Git or a build system or any configuration at all.

The Idea Behind hosted.md

hosted.md is my response to that gap. It is meant to be a place where you can:

✅ Write in Markdown using your favorite editor or a simple built-in one
📁 Upload or sync your content with no special setup
🎨 Choose a theme that works out of the box
⚡ Publish instantly to a fast and secure static site
🌍 Use your own domain or a free subdomain

You do not need a static site generator. You do not need to understand front matter or build tools. You just write, and your content becomes a website.

What hosted.md Will Offer

For the first version, I am focusing on keeping things simple and reliable. You will be able to:

📄 Upload Markdown files through a clean and intuitive dashboard
🌐 Get a free hosted subdomain (like yoursite.hosted.md)
🖼️ Choose from built-in minimal themes
🚀 Have your site generated as static HTML and served through a fast CDN
🔒 Enjoy automatic HTTPS and secure hosting
📝 Use a built-in editor if you prefer not to write locally
🔗 Add your own custom domain if you want to make it yours

Over time I will add features like Git integration, scheduling, and theme customization, but the first version will be focused on simplicity and speed.

Who It's For

👨‍💻 Developers who want to write in Markdown and publish quickly
✍️ Bloggers and technical writers who care about the writing, not the setup
🚀 Indie hackers who want to launch fast and stay lean
📚 Anyone who has ever thought, "I just want to publish this Markdown file"

Building in Public

I am building hosted.md in public. I will be sharing updates, ideas, challenges, and progress as I go. If you are curious about the journey or want to try it when it is ready, I would love for you to follow along.

Or join the waitlist to get early access when we're close to launch!

I believe publishing should be simple. Markdown makes writing simple. hosted.md will make publishing just as easy.

Like This Post? Build One Yourself

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