How to publish your first game on itch.io for free

Short answer: make a free itch.io account, click Create new game, add a title, cover image and screenshots, upload your game (a ZIP with index.html inside for a browser game), pick a price (free is fine), fill in the AI disclosure, then switch the page from private to Public. It costs nothing to publish. Everything below comes from itch.io's own creator docs, checked October 26, 2026.

Why itch.io for a first game

• It is free. itch.io's creator FAQ says it costs nothing to use, and it hosts your files and images for you, so you do not need your own website.
• Browser games just work. Players can click Play and run an HTML5 game right on your page, with no download.
• You set the price. Free, paid, or pay what you want with a minimum of $0.
• You keep ownership. itch.io says you always fully own your content and can remove it at any time.

Before you start

• A finished tiny game. One level that starts, plays and ends is enough. If you do not have one yet, start with Make your first game with free AI tools.
• A cover image. itch.io asks for a 315:250 ratio. 315x250 is the minimum, and 630x500 looks sharper.
• 3 to 5 screenshots. That is itch.io's recommendation. GIFs are allowed too.

Step 1: Make the page

Register for a free account, open your dashboard and click Create new game. Fill in the title, a one line short description and your cover image. These show up in game listings all over the site, so make the one line description say what the player does, like "Dodge falling rocks as a tiny frog."

Set the classification to a game. The URL is made from your title, so shorten it if the title is long.

Step 2: Upload your game

A browser (HTML5) game

Pick HTML Game from the Kind of game list. Then zip all of your game's files together. The ZIP must contain a file called index.html, which is what players see when they play. File names are case sensitive, and itch.io asks you to use relative paths so your assets load. A game that fits in one HTML file can be uploaded on its own. After uploading, the Embed options section lets you set the game's size or pick Click to launch in fullscreen. If your game works on phones, turn on Mobile Friendly in the embed options.

• Godot: use the Web export and name the file index.html, as Godot's docs suggest. Since Godot 4.3 there is a single threaded Web export, which Godot says is more compatible with stores like itch.io. Zip the export folder and upload it.
• three.js with Vite: set base: './' so asset paths are relative, run npm run build, and zip the dist folder. Our three.js and AI guide walks through it.
• Other engines: itch.io notes that many modern engines can export to HTML and JavaScript. Check your engine's export docs, then zip and upload the result the same way.

A downloadable game

Upload one ZIP per platform and tag each file as Windows, macOS or Linux. Want a free demo next to a paid game? Upload it to the same page and tick This file is a demo and can be downloaded for free.

New accounts have an upload size limit and a soft limit of 20 project pages, with about 10 files per page. itch.io raises these if you ask its support team.

Step 3: Price, genre, tags and AI disclosure

• Price. Free is the easiest start. Pay what you want with a $0 minimum lets fans tip you. If you charge, connect PayPal or Stripe under Seller settings in your user settings.
• Genre and tags. Pick one genre and up to 10 tags. itch.io's quality guidelines ask you to prefer its suggested tags, skip synonyms, and never tag your own name or game title.
• Generative AI disclosure. Every project edit page has one, with types for graphics, sound, text and dialog, and code. If an AI tool made your art, music or code, say so. Our guide Can I sell a game made with AI art? also checks which free AI plans allow commercial use.

Step 4: Preview, then publish

Click Save & view page. New pages are private by default, so only you can see it. Play your game on the page, fix anything broken, and tweak the colors and fonts if you like. When it is ready, edit the page and set visibility to Public. There is also Public restricted, which shows the page but blocks downloads, useful for a coming soon page.

itch.io's quality guidelines say a page should be ready for everyone to see when it goes public, including its images and files, and a page that is unpublished and republished cannot jump back to the top of the Most Recent list. So publish once, when it is done.

What itch.io takes if you sell

itch.io uses Open Revenue Sharing: you choose the percentage itch.io gets with a slider in your account settings, and the default is 10%. PayPal and Stripe charge their own fee, which itch.io lists as $0.30 + 2.9% for most transactions. You can be paid directly to your PayPal or Stripe account, or let itch.io collect the money and pay you later, which itch.io says handles EU VAT for you automatically.

Updating your game

Upload the new version and delete the old file. Anyone who already got your game can download the new file from the same page. To tell buyers about a big update, write them an email from the Interact tab. Your itch.io followers also see public updates in their feed.

Tools that help

Related

Still building? Try Make your first game with free AI tools or How to make a game with no coding using AI. Picking an engine? See Best game engines for beginners in 2026. Need a trailer or store images? Browse marketing and trailer tools and free asset libraries.

FAQ

Is it free to publish a game on itch.io?

Yes. itch.io's creator FAQ says it costs nothing to use. You can create pages and upload your projects with a free account. If you sell something, you choose what share of each sale goes to itch.io (the default is 10%), and the payment company takes its own fee.

How much does itch.io take from sales?

You decide. itch.io calls it Open Revenue Sharing: a slider in your account settings sets the percentage itch.io gets, and the default is 10%. PayPal and Stripe each charge their own fee, which itch.io lists as $0.30 + 2.9% for most transactions.

How do I upload an HTML5 game to itch.io?

Pick HTML Game from the Kind of game list, then upload a ZIP of all your game's files with a file named index.html inside. File names are case sensitive, and your game should use relative paths. A game that is a single HTML file can be uploaded without zipping.

How do I export a Godot game for itch.io?

Use Godot's Web export and name the exported file index.html, as Godot's docs suggest, then zip the folder and upload it. Since Godot 4.3 you can export on a single thread, which Godot says is more compatible with stores like itch.io.

Can I put an AI made game on itch.io?

Yes. itch.io has a Generative AI disclosure on every project edit page, with types for graphics, sound, text and dialog, and code. Fill it in honestly. Also check that each AI tool's plan lets you use its output in a game you share or sell.

Why can't people see my itch.io page?

New pages are private by default. Edit the page and set visibility to Public when you are ready. Public restricted shows the page but blocks downloads and purchases, which is handy before launch.

Sources: itch.io Getting started, HTML5 games, Creator FAQ, Quality guidelines and Getting paid; Godot Exporting for the Web. Checked October 26, 2026.