100% Free Stack for Technical Writers
My complete tech blog setup using only free services: Firebase Hosting, Google Analytics, Umami, and more. No monthly bills, just pure performance.
This post shares the complete infrastructure setup for my technical blog — built entirely on free services with zero monthly costs. You'll learn how to configure SEO tools, analytics platforms, hosting, and social sharing without spending a dime.
Whether you're launching your first blog or optimizing an existing one, this guide provides a production-ready stack that scales with your needs.
This guide is perfect for:
- Technical writers who want to focus on content, not infrastructure
- Developers building personal blogs or documentation sites
- Bloggers tired of paying for hosting and analytics tools
- Hobbyists who want a professional setup without the cost
The Complete Free Stack
SEO Configuration
Getting your blog indexed by search engines is crucial. Here's what I configured:
Google Search Console → https://search.google.com/search-console/index
- Verified domain ownership via TXT record on DNS
- Submitted sitemap.xml for faster indexing
- Monitored search performance and crawl errors
Bing Webmaster Tools → https://www.bing.com/webmasters/
- Added meta tag verification
- Configured Bing sitemap submission
- Set up Bing Insights for analytics integration
Both platforms are completely free and provide essential data about how search engines view your site.
Analytics (4 Tools)
I use four complementary analytics tools to get complete visibility:
Google Analytics → https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/
- Industry standard with extensive ecosystem
- Tracks user behavior, conversions, and traffic sources
- Free tier supports up to 10 million events/month
PostHog → https://posthog.com / https://github.com/posthog/posthog
- Open-source product analytics platform
- Advanced features like session recordings and feature flags
- Free tier generous enough for personal blogs
Need a VPS for self-hosting:
Umami → https://github.com/umami-software/umami
- Privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics
- Self-hosted option available or use their hosted service
- Simple dashboard without tracking cookies
Rybbit → https://github.com/rybbit-io/rybbit
- Lightweight analytics with minimal JavaScript footprint
- Great for performance-conscious blogs
- Provides essential metrics without bloat
Using multiple analytics tools gives you redundancy and different perspectives on user behavior.
Hosting (100% Free for Low Traffic Sites)
Firebase Hosting → https://firebase.google.com/
- Serves static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files
- Global CDN with automatic SSL certificates
- Free tier includes 10 GB bandwidth/month and 360 MB storage
Firebase Storage
- Hosts images and other media files
- Integrates seamlessly with Firebase Hosting
- Free tier includes 5 GB storage
Together these services handle all your hosting needs without any cost.
Social Sharing Integration
Getting content shared on social platforms drives traffic:
X (Twitter)
- Added Twitter Card meta tags
- Optimized for tweet previews with images and descriptions
- Configured Open Graph meta tags
- Controls how links appear when shared
- Ensured proper formatting for Reddit posts
- Added appropriate metadata for upvotes
These integrations make it easy for readers to share your content across platforms.
Ads (Future)
I've disabled ads at this time, but the infrastructure is ready:
- Google AdSense integration prepared
- Can be enabled anytime without changing hosting setup
- Maintains site performance even with ads enabled
Why This Stack?
This combination of tools provides:
✓ Zero cost — Everything runs on free tiers
✓ Scalability — Services handle traffic spikes automatically
✓ Performance — Global CDN ensures fast load times
✓ Reliability — Google's infrastructure is battle-tested
✓ Privacy — Multiple analytics options including privacy-focused ones
Results So Far
Since launching with this free stack:
- Blog is indexed by Google and Bing
- Analytics data flowing from 4 different platforms
- Images hosted and served via CDN
- Social sharing working across all major platforms
- Zero monthly hosting costs
The infrastructure is production-ready and can handle significant traffic without any cost increases.
Tips for Success
Start with SEO first — Get your site indexed before promoting it heavily.
Use multiple analytics — Different tools provide different insights and catch different issues.
Test social sharing — Always preview how links look on X, Facebook, and Reddit before publishing.
Monitor performance — Use the free tiers to their fullest before considering upgrades.
Conclusion
Building a technical blog doesn't require expensive infrastructure. With Firebase Hosting, multiple analytics platforms, and proper SEO configuration, you can launch a professional blog completely for free.
This stack has served me well over the past few months, and I'm excited to continue sharing technical content with this foundation in place.
Setting up this blog infrastructure was one of those projects that pays dividends forever — zero costs, maximum performance. What's your blog setup? Share with me on X! 🚀