I tested free subdomain hosting for WebTiles so you don't have to

What are WebTiles?

Miniature 250x250 pixel websites hosted at https://webtiles.kicya.net/ with each one linking to a real website you control. Once you register there you need to add such websites and complete the verification process to confirm you control each one before you can use them to create a webtile. Note that where you place your WebTile doesn't have to be its permanent position, WebTiles can join others in a Clan to attack their way closer to the centre. Leaving your WebTile blank after adding it attracts downvotes.

I won't go into the rules/restrictions on the code used inside the mini-site WebTiles (it isn't just an iframe of your website), read them yourself: Rules, HTML, JS. You can both upload files for your tile and edit the .css and .html files directly. As of the date of this post all image types viewable in a web browser except .avif are permitted.

How do I verify my site?

There are three ways to complete the verification process for your added site:

1. Register at NekoWeb and upload your site files to a subdomain of your choice there, then connect it as a service to WebTiles. This is the easist method and if you're only looking to have a single WebTile probably the one you should go with and you needn't read this post any further.
2. Create a TXT DNS record for your domain with the 64 byte code as the content. Since this post is about free subdomains we won't go into this method here.
3. Edit your site creating a specific subfolder containing a specific file named kicya with the same 64 byte code as its entire content, test that it exists, then click the verify button at kicya.net:

I want multiple WebTiles without spending a cent, how?

With free subdomains you will find various restrictions that either hinder or completely prevent the verificaton process from working. I'll list them after first listing the ones I had no difficulty verifying at all.

Directly editing with no Github account needed

Creating a .well-known subfolder and the kicya file within it works flawlessly on these hosts:

• yoursite.NekoWeb.org - As stated above this is the path of least resistance, and you get to customise your subdomain name. You can link it to a github repo but it works fine without that.
• yoursite.NeoCities.org - this successor to GeoCities has been around for over a decade and also has a user-friendly interface allowing a customised subdomain name.
• randomstring.on.Drv.tw - for this one you need to link your Google Drive which hosts the site files, but if like me you automatically got one just by having a working Android phone, it comes for free with your Google account. Note that you don't get to pick the name of your subdomain with this, a random one is generated.

Deployment from a Github account required

These hosts all allow custom subdomains, but with an increased difficulty level requiring either knowlege of Github or (more difficult) another Git host. Github does allow you to create/edit files directly in it, as well as uploading files within its interface separately from the usual method of committing a git push.

• yoursite.pages.dev - hosted by Cloudflare, follow this guide. Allows multiple subdomains for free.
• yoursite.onrender.com - with the demise of glitch.me free sites many users migrated to this, follow this guide. Only a single free subdomain is allowed.
• yoursite.github.io - for this to work you need to create a repository on Github named exactly yourGithubUsername.github.io where your site files are AND another repository named .well-known just for the kicya file, follow this guide. This subdomain method only works once per github account.

Hinderance: No .well-known subfolder, creative use of the 404 error page required

These hosts allow custom subdomain names but prevent public access to the .well-known subfolder, even if they allow you to create one, but they DO allow a custom 404.html file which if it contains the 64 byte kicya code as the entirety of its content will cause the verification process to succeed:

• yoursite.static.domains - allows direct file uploads and editing. Only a single free subdomain is allowed.
• yoursite.surge.sh - normal usage requires the surge NPM module installed, then to be invoked from the exact folder on your system containing the site files within the commandline terminal, but has multiple alternative deployment guides. Unlimited free subdomains.

The Blacklist: hosts which prevent free verification

These prevent either creation of or public access to the .well-known subfolder or the extensionless kicya file. Additionally they all use cPanel and require upgrading to the paid version before allowing either a custom 404 error page (even overriding any 404.php or .htaccess file you upload with their default one) or a custom TXT DNS record (for the other verification method):

• InfinityFree
• ByetHost
• AwardSpace
• FreeHostingNoAds
• biz.nf

Once I saw the same cPanel interface as the pattern for this non-free access, I suspect this is a good indicator of any future "free" hosts doing the same.

Let me know in the comments if you found this post useful, need further clarificaton, or have tested hosts not listed. Good luck!