Document Portal — Domain & Hosting Research

Options for replacing the Teams self-chat workflow with a proper, cross-device accessible document hub for outlines, trackers, research docs, and user summaries.

The Problem We're Solving

You're currently stuffing outlines, trackers, research docs, and user summaries into a Teams chat to yourself. It's getting cluttered with duplicate docs and multiple versions. You need a clean, versioned, cross-device accessible home for these documents — ideally on your own domain, and ideally cheap.

#1 — Recommended Options (Best Fit for Your Workflow)

Obsidian Publish + Custom Domain

~$108/yr total
You're already running an Obsidian vault as your Second Brain (PARA structure, daily notes, project docs). Obsidian Publish lets you selectively publish any vault pages to the web with a custom domain — zero migration, zero reformatting. Your existing markdown files just go live.
✓ Zero migration — publishes your existing vault
✓ Custom domain included in subscription
✓ Selective publishing (keep private stuff private)
✓ Graph view, search, and navigation built in
i $8/mo (annual) + ~$10.50/yr domain
✗ No real-time collaboration features
Markdown Native Already Using Obsidian Custom Domain Version Control

GitHub Pages + Static Site Generator

~$10.50/yr total
Free static hosting with a custom domain. You'd push markdown files to a GitHub repo, and a generator like MkDocs or Jekyll turns them into a clean site. Cheapest possible option — you only pay for the domain. Requires some comfort with git.
✓ Hosting is completely FREE
✓ Custom domain + free HTTPS
✓ Full version history via git
✓ MkDocs Material theme looks great
i Only cost is domain (~$10.50/yr)
✗ Requires git workflow to publish
Cheapest Option Free Hosting Git-Based

Cloudflare Pages + Custom Domain

~$10.50/yr total
Similar to GitHub Pages but with Cloudflare's global CDN for speed. Free hosting, automatic builds from a git repo, and you can register your domain through Cloudflare at wholesale cost (no markup). Pairs well with MkDocs or any static site generator.
✓ Free hosting + blazing fast CDN
✓ Domain registration at wholesale ($10.46/yr .com)
✓ Auto-deploy from GitHub on push
✓ Free HTTPS, DDoS protection
i Excellent for static doc sites
✗ Still requires git workflow
Cheapest Option Fast CDN No Markup Pricing

BookStack (Self-Hosted Wiki)

~$50–72/yr total
A beautiful open-source wiki platform designed for organizing documentation into shelves, books, chapters, and pages. Self-hosted on a cheap VPS ($2–5/mo). Great if you want a structured, searchable knowledge base with a GUI editor — no git required.
✓ Beautiful hierarchical organization
✓ WYSIWYG + Markdown editor
✓ Full-text search across all docs
✓ User permissions & access control
i $2–5/mo VPS + domain cost
✗ Requires server setup/maintenance
Open Source GUI Editor Self-Hosted Searchable

Notion + Simple.ink + Custom Domain

~$96/yr total
If you wanted to switch to Notion for doc management, Simple.ink can publish Notion pages as a website with your custom domain. Free tier handles unlimited sites; paid tier ($8/mo) adds custom domain support. Very low effort to maintain.
✓ Drag-and-drop editing in Notion
✓ Databases, tables, toggles, embeds
✓ No coding or git required
i $8/mo Simple.ink + domain cost
✗ Would require migrating from Obsidian
✗ Notion lock-in
No-Code Notion Ecosystem Easy Publishing
#2 — Domain Registrar Comparison

No matter which hosting route you pick, you'll want a domain. Here's what they cost right now:

Registrar .com (1st Year) .com (Renewal) Notes
Cloudflare Registrar $10.46/yr $10.46/yr Best Value Zero markup, same price always
Porkbun $11.06/yr $11.06/yr Transparent ~$1 max markup, great UI
Spaceship $4.99–$9.98/yr $9.98/yr Low Renewal Cheapest long-term .com
Namecheap ~$11/yr $14–17/yr Watch Renewals Higher renewal pricing
Squarespace (ex-Google) $20/yr $20/yr Pricier Includes WHOIS privacy

Budget TLDs to consider: .site (~$3–5/yr), .xyz (~$2–5/yr), .pages (~$5/yr) — great if you don't need a .com.

#3 — Annual Cost Comparison
GitHub/CF Pages
~$10.50/yr
BookStack + VPS
~$50–72/yr
Notion + Simple.ink
~$96/yr
Obsidian Publish
~$108/yr
Teams self-chat
Free (but chaos)

My Recommendation

Since you're already running an Obsidian vault with PARA structure, daily notes, and project folders — Obsidian Publish is the path of least resistance. You'd go from "stuffing docs in Teams" to "published on your own domain" in about 30 minutes, with zero migration. Pick pages to publish, toggle them on, done.

If you want the cheapest possible setup and don't mind a small learning curve, go Cloudflare Pages + Cloudflare domain. Domain at wholesale cost, hosting is free, and we can build a static doc site with MkDocs that looks clean and professional.

Either way, register through Cloudflare Registrar or Porkbun — they're the most honest on pricing with no renewal surprises.