hf.space
Default public hostname for Hugging Face Spaces. The subdomain is incidental; the binding free-tier constraint is that Spaces sleep on shared CPU hardware (2 vCPU / 16 GB) and cold-start on the next request.
- Card required
- No
hf.space scores 6.9/10 for free value in Domains. The main constraint: One auto-assigned hf.space subdomain per Space, served from shared CPU hardware (2 vCPU / 16 GB) that sleeps after inactivity and cold-starts on the next request.
Free value score
6.9 / 10Show the math
Key metrics
What you get
One auto-assigned hf.space subdomain per Space, served from shared CPU hardware (2 vCPU / 16 GB) that sleeps after inactivity and cold-starts on the next request.
User-owned demo/backend URLs.
Gotchas
- Sleeps on free CPU hardware
Spaces on the free CPU Basic tier go to sleep after a period of inactivity and cold-start on the next request; always-on requires a paid hardware upgrade.
- One subdomain per Space
Each Space gets exactly one auto-generated hf.space subdomain; you cannot bring your own domain on the free tier.
- No custom domain on free tier
Custom domain mapping is supported but requires paid hardware or PRO plan; free Spaces are reachable only via the auto-assigned hf.space subdomain.
- No protected visibility on free plan
Protected Space visibility (private source, public app) requires a PRO or Team & Enterprise plan; free users only get public or fully private Spaces.
- Shared CPU Basic (2 vCPU / 16 GB)
Free hardware is limited to 2 shared vCPUs and 16 GB RAM; GPU and higher-CPU tiers require paid upgrades.
- Non-persistent disk (50 GB ephemeral)
The default 50 GB disk is not persistent across restarts; persistent storage requires a paid add-on.
- HTTP/HTTPS ports only (80, 443, 8080)
Outbound and inbound network access is restricted to ports 80, 443, and 8080; all other ports are blocked.
Sources
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"Each Spaces environment is limited to 16GB RAM, 2 CPU cores and 50GB of (not persistent) disk space by default, which you can use free of charge."
https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/en/spaces-overview -
"If your Space runs on the default `cpu-basic` hardware, it will go to sleep if inactive for more than a set time (currently, 48 hours). Anyone visiting your Space will restart it automatically."
https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/en/spaces-gpus -
"ZeroGPU Spaces are available to use for free to all users. ... PRO users get x8 more daily usage quota, highest priority in GPU queues"
https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/en/spaces-zerogpu -
"In 2025, Hugging Face grew to 13 million users, more than 2 million public models, and over 500,000 public datasets."
https://huggingface.co/blog/huggingface/state-of-os-hf-spring-2026
