Enough time for a site launch and host move, not enough time for a perfect all-in-one platform rebuild.
Detailed Guide
Hosting Maps
This view is meant to answer the real client question in plain English: which host is the safest decision before the June renewal, and which one gives the cleanest runway if New Beginnings grows into an editor, a client portal, or a custom booking workflow.
The client seems comfortable spending up to roughly $500 per year for a cleaner setup.
Launch the site first, then add editor, lead flow, and only later replace Gigbuilder if needed.
Quick Read
Best Fit By Goal
iPower
Best if the client wants the least disruption and the cleanest route to a phase-1 launch before renewal.
Netlify
Best if we want better deploy previews, easier releases, and a stronger base for future custom tools.
Cloudflare Pages
Best if the site stays mostly static and we want a low-cost edge platform for selective future logic.
GitHub Pages
Best for lightweight public publishing and demo-style workflows, not for a true business portal.
Vercel
Best if the project becomes a more dynamic app and we want a very frontend-centric deployment platform.
Decision Flow
How To Think About The Choice
Flow 1: June renewal decision
If yes, keep the platform change light.
Launch the new site, keep Gigbuilder in place, and phase the custom tooling after.
If the answer is yes, Netlify becomes the most practical upgrade.
Better deploy previews, rollbacks, and room for the editor, forms, auth, and future portal work.
Flow 2: future product depth
iPower, Cloudflare Pages, or GitHub Pages can all handle the public site.
Netlify or iPower still work, but Netlify gives a friendlier release workflow.
That becomes a real product stack, so Netlify or Vercel are the cleaner host foundations.
Host Deep Dive
Detailed Hosting Comparison
Stay on iPower
Safest nowPlanning price: about $400 per year based on current client spend
- Likely capability
- Static site launch, current Gigbuilder links, custom owner editor, lead capture, and later phased admin tools.
- Why it fits
- Best if the team wants familiarity, minimal DNS/email disruption, and a simpler launch before June.
- Main limitation
- Shared-host workflows are less pleasant for modern releases and may feel transitional once the portal scope grows.
Move to Netlify
Best long-termOfficial plan snapshot: Free, Personal $9/mo, Pro $20/mo plus usage credits
- Likely capability
- Static site, better deploy previews, rollbacks, forms, serverless functions, and easier integrations for auth, storage, and payments.
- Why it fits
- Best if the site is expected to grow into a real custom toolset with owner editing and later client-facing features.
- Main limitation
- It is still infrastructure, not a built-in business platform. The actual editor, dashboard, and client workflows still have to be built.
Cloudflare Pages
Lean static pickOfficial snapshot: static hosting free; Workers Paid starts at $5/mo if dynamic logic grows
- Likely capability
- Fast static hosting, custom domain, analytics, and edge functions or Workers later if the site needs selective dynamic behavior.
- Why it fits
- Good if we want a modern host with very low base cost and the site remains mostly brochure-style for a while.
- Main limitation
- The richer business tooling still requires custom architecture decisions for auth, database, storage, notifications, and portal behavior.
GitHub Pages
Best for demosOfficial snapshot: hosting can stay at $0 on public repos; GitHub Team is $4/user/mo if private team workflow matters
- Likely capability
- Public static brochure pages, a custom domain, and simple repo-based publishing.
- Why it fits
- Great for demos, previewing concepts, and very lightweight public marketing pages.
- Main limitation
- Published sites are capped at 1 GB with a soft 100 GB/month bandwidth limit and are not the right home for a client portal or sensitive workflows.
Vercel
App-first optionOfficial snapshot: Hobby free; Pro starts at $20/mo plus additional usage
- Likely capability
- Static pages, dynamic app routes, advanced frontend behavior, and a stronger path if the project becomes more app-like over time.
- Why it fits
- Strong choice if the final system shifts decisively toward a custom app rather than a mostly-static marketing site.
- Main limitation
- Probably more platform than phase 1 needs, and it still does not magically provide the CMS, booking system, or portal on its own.
Recommended Sequence
How I Would Phase This Client
Choose hosting first
Separate the renewal decision from the bigger product roadmap so June does not get blocked by future-state wish list items.
Launch the redesigned site
Keep Gigbuilder in place short-term so the public site can go live without forcing the entire business system to change at once.
Add the owner editor and lead flow
That creates visible value early without the complexity of client logins, payments, or event dashboards yet.
Replace Gigbuilder only after scoping the portal
Song choices, timelines, guest counts, contracts, and payments should be treated as a dedicated phase-2 product decision.
iPower for phase 1
If the team values minimum disruption most, launch there and revisit the host after the site is stable.
Netlify for phase 1 + 2
If the team already knows it wants custom tools, Netlify is the cleaner foundation to grow into.
Do not tie June to a full portal build
The host choice and the full client-management platform do not need to be solved in the exact same release window.
Pricing is a planning snapshot checked on April 18, 2026. Final purchase decisions should recheck vendor pricing and any email or DNS dependencies first.