Zero-Cost Image Hosting: PicGo + GitHub + jsDelivr Full Guide

Preface

Image management is a pain when writing Markdown. Local images are hard to share, and third-party image hosts can be unstable or paid. Here is a free solution: GitHub for storage, PicGo for uploads, and jsDelivr for CDN acceleration.

Benefits:

• Completely free, no traffic limits
• GitHub stability and version control
• jsDelivr global CDN, fast access
• PicGo one-click upload with timestamp renaming

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1. Configure a GitHub repo

1.1 Create a public repo

Log in to GitHub, click ”+” (top right), choose “New repository”.

Name it e.g. img-bed. Important: set it to Public.

1.2 Create a Personal Access Token

PicGo needs a token to upload.

Path: Avatar -> Settings -> Developer settings -> Personal access tokens -> Tokens (classic) -> Generate new token (classic)

Token config:

• Note: e.g. “PicGo image host”
• Expiration: recommend ≤ 90 days
• Scopes: repo is enough

Copy the token immediately. You cannot see it again after closing.

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2. Install and configure PicGo

2.1 Download and install

PicGo releases: https://github.com/Molunerfinn/PicGo/releases

Pick your OS and install.

2.2 Configure GitHub image host

Open PicGo -> “Image Bed Settings” -> “GitHub”.

2.3 Fill config fields

Field	Meaning	Example
Repo	username/repo	gxj1134506645/img-bed
Branch	default main	main
Token	your GitHub token	ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx
Path	image folder	img/
Custom domain	CDN URL	see below

How to get repo name

In the GitHub repo URL, the part after github.com/ is the repo name.

Example: gxj1134506645/img-bed

Repo name: gxj1134506645/img-bed

Custom domain (CDN)

Use jsDelivr:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo

Example:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/gxj1134506645/img-bed

jsDelivr: https://www.jsdelivr.com/

Custom branch

If using a non-default branch (e.g. dev):

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@branch

Example:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/misakivv/Cloud-Image-Hosting@dev

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3. Test upload

After config, select GitHub image bed in PicGo and upload.

Check uploads and CDN links in the album.

Timestamp rename

Enable “Rename by timestamp” to avoid overwrites.

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4. Typora integration (optional)

If you use Typora:

Steps

1. Open Preferences (Ctrl + ,)
2. Go to “Image”
3. For “When inserting images”, choose “Upload image”
4. Upload service: “PicGo (app)”
5. Set PicGo path

After this, pasting images in Typora will auto-upload.

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5. How it works

Design overview

┌─────────┐     ┌─────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌─────────┐
│ Local   │ ──> │  PicGo  │ ──> │  GitHub  │ ──> │ jsDelivr│
└─────────┘     └─────────┘     └──────────┘     └─────────┘
                                    │               │
                                    v               v
                                  Versioning      CDN
                                  Free storage    Global PoPs

1. GitHub: free repo storage (1GB per repo, 100MB per file)
2. PicGo: simplified uploads, batch/drag-and-drop
3. jsDelivr: free CDN with China nodes

CDN speed comparison

• Raw GitHub: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/user/repo/branch/path
• CDN: https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/user/repo@branch/path

Access speed in mainland China improves significantly.

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6. FAQ

Q: Token leaked?
A: Revoke it in GitHub Developer settings and create a new one.

Q: Can the repo be private?
A: Yes, but jsDelivr only supports public repos. Private repos must use raw GitHub URLs and will be slower.

Q: Image size limits?
A: GitHub limits files to 100MB and repos to 1GB (warnings when exceeded but still usable).

Q: Custom domain support?
A: jsDelivr does not support custom domains. Use Cloudflare Workers if needed.

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Summary

Core value of this solution:

Feature	Explanation
Cost	free
Stability	GitHub-backed, 99.9% uptime
Speed	jsDelivr CDN
Ease	PicGo one-click upload
Versioning	Git records all changes

Best for bloggers, tech writers, and Markdown users.

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