ArcadeLab vs Netlify Drop vs Vercel — which to use for single-file HTML?

If you have a single HTML file you want to put on the internet, three categories of tool can do it: git-based static hosts (Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, GitHub Pages), drag-and-drop folder uploads (Netlify Drop, Surge.sh), and paste-the-file destinations (ArcadeLab). They all end with a public URL — the differences are in the friction.

What Netlify Drop is good at

• Multi-file static sites (HTML + CSS + JS + assets)
• Drag a folder onto the page, get a URL
• No git, no CLI — but still asks for a Netlify account if you want to keep it
• Subdomains under netlify.app, custom domain optional

What Vercel is good at

• Production-grade hosting with edge CDN, serverless functions, ISR, etc.
• Git-based workflow (push to deploy)
• CLI for direct deploys
• Custom domains, environment variables, team workspaces
• Best-in-class for Next.js, React frameworks

What ArcadeLab is good at

• Paste a single HTML file, get a URL — ~30 seconds end-to-end
• No account, no email, no password
• Auto-injects common libraries (Phaser, p5, Three, D3, etc.)
• Sandboxed for safe public play
• Permanent shareable URL with embed-correct iframe permissions

ArcadeLab is purpose-built for one specific shape: a single self-contained HTML file. That constraint sounds limiting and is actually freeing — there's no configuration to think about.

Quick comparison

When to use which

• ArcadeLab — one HTML file under 500KB, no backend, you want zero setup
• Netlify Drop — a small multi-file static site, you want a free subdomain
• Vercel / Netlify (full) — production site, multiple environments, custom domain, team workflow
• GitHub Pages — already have a GitHub repo, want zero infra

Combining tools

Common pattern: build experiments and prototypes on ArcadeLab (paste, share, iterate), and once one is mature enough to deserve a custom domain or backend, move it to Vercel/Netlify. The two aren't exclusive — they fit different moments.