I would like to host simple texts. I don't intent to start a magazine, and so I find that the benefits of self-hosting doesn't justify the hassle.
What options do I have? I don't like Medium as they some times (?) paywall it, push for sign-ups etc. I've been hearing about Substack, but I just had a look and its headline is "start a paid newsletter" - I don't really want to start a newsletter, or sell my publications.
I would accept ads, although everything else being equal I would prefer without, of course.
So, what are the alternatives and how do they compare?
Try a pubnix, many will allow you to host your own webpage: https://tildeverse.org/
I use static web hosting with AWS S3. It is simple to setup. There are several guides on AWS documentation site. Low-cost, or free depending on volumes and sizes.
make a public github repo easy to edit locally or online with an editor
Just create your own site? https://wordpress.com/