Answer four questions and get three hosts that fit your project, with a monthly price and the main catch. 21 providers, prices checked October 1, 2026.
Hosting picker22 hosting options · prices checked October 1, 2026
01
Pick a host
Answer four questions. The picks update as you click, ranked by how easy the host is to deploy to, then by what it costs at your traffic.
Not enough hosts fit that budget, so the list includes the closest ones above it. They're marked "over budget".
The full list. "Paid from" is the cheapest paid plan, "Steady" is a realistic monthly bill for an app with real users every day. Click a host to see its plans, catches and features.
Host
Type
Free tier
Paid from
Steady
Ease
AWS without the bill anxiety: flat-price VPS bundles.
VPS
Yes
$5
$12
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Lightsail is the corner of AWS built for exactly this site’s audience: fixed-price VPS bundles from $5/month that include compute, SSD, and a real transfer allowance, plus a $15/month managed database. We cover Lightsail rather than EC2 because EC2’s à la carte pricing is the thing indie projects come to Lightsail to escape. If you outgrow it, the rest of AWS is one snapshot away.
Good for
Projects that want predictable AWS — a fixed-price server with a clear upgrade path into the wider AWS ecosystem.
Deploying
Pick a blueprint (WordPress, LAMP, Node.js, plain Linux), get SSH in the browser or your terminal, and manage it like any VPS.
Watch out
Costs more per spec than the European VPS crowd, and stopped instances keep billing.
Free tier
90-day free trial (750 hours/month) on the $5–$12 Linux bundles and the $15 database. New AWS accounts get $100 in credits immediately and can earn another $100. The Free plan lasts up to six months.
Deploy from Git pushNo deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIThe AWS CLI covers Lightsail end to end.
Yes
Instant rollbacksSnapshots restore machines ($0.05/GB-month); no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSLightsail DNS zones are included; TLS is yours via certbot or a Lightsail distribution.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkLightsail distributions add a CloudFront-backed CDN from $2.50/month (first year of 50 GB/month free).
Yes
Serverless functionsNot in Lightsail — that is the wider AWS (Lambda), with the à la carte billing this product avoids.
No
Docker containersInstall Docker on any instance, or use the Lightsail container service from $7/month.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH, including a browser-based terminal.
Yes
EU hosting regionFrankfurt, Ireland, London, Paris, Stockholm, and Spain.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingNo autoscaling — resize by restoring a snapshot to a bigger bundle.
No
Scale to zeroStopped instances bill at full rate; only deletion stops charges.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseManaged MySQL/PostgreSQL bundles from $15/month.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inInstance metrics and alarms in the console; deeper monitoring means CloudWatch or your own stack.
Partly
Microsoft’s PaaS: solid git deploys, a maze of tiers.
App platform
Yes
$13.14
$32
■ ■ ■ □ □
App Service is Azure’s classic platform-as-a-service and the natural pick if you live in the Microsoft ecosystem: git-native deploys, built-in runtime stacks, deployment slots, and the broadest EU region coverage of any cloud. We cover App Service rather than raw Azure VMs because it is the Azure product that competes with the PaaS crowd here. The complaints are about complexity, not horror bills — tier sprawl, per-plan billing, and Windows plans that cost four times the Linux price.
Good for
Teams in the Microsoft ecosystem — .NET shops, enterprise-adjacent projects, or anyone whose employer already pays for Azure.
Deploying
Connect GitHub Actions from the portal, push to a local git remote, or run `az webapp up` — runtime stacks for Node, Python, .NET, PHP, and Java are built in.
Watch out
Capable and git-friendly, but you pay PaaS prices per plan and navigate the most complicated tier system here.
Free tier
F1 Free tier: 1 GB RAM, 60 CPU-minutes/day, no custom domain or SLA. Plus a $200/30-day new-account credit.
Plans
F1 Free
$0
Shared infrastructure, 1 GB RAM, 60 CPU-minutes/day, no custom domain, no SLA, cold starts.
B1 Basic (Linux)
$13.14
1 core, 1.75 GB RAM, 10 GB storage, custom domains, SSL, 99.95% SLA. No autoscale or slots.
Deploy from Git pushGitHub Actions wired from the portal, local git push, or ZIP deploy.
Yes
Preview deploysDeployment slots (Standard tier and up) give staging environments, but no automatic PR previews.
Partly
Official CLI`az webapp up` deploys an app in one command.
Yes
Instant rollbacksSlot swaps revert instantly on Standard+; Basic and Free redeploy the old build instead.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with managed certificates from the B1 tier up.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkAzure Front Door / CDN integrate but are separate billed services.
Partly
Serverless functionsAzure Functions is a sibling product and can even run on the same plan, but it is not part of App Service itself.
Partly
Docker containersCustom containers are first-class on Linux plans.
Yes
SSH / shell accessBrowser and CLI SSH into the app container — not a VM you own.
Partly
EU hosting regionWest Europe, North Europe, Germany, France, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Spain, and more.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingRule-based autoscale from the Standard tier; smarter automatic scaling needs Premium.
Partly
Scale to zeroPaid plans bill continuously; only the free F1 tier unloads idle apps (with cold starts).
No
Scheduled jobsWebJobs run scheduled and background tasks inside the plan.
Yes
Managed databaseAzure Database for PostgreSQL/MySQL from ~$19/month, plus SQL Database and Cosmos DB.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inApplication Insights is deeply integrated — but ingestion bills per GB.
Yes
Free bandwidth, global edge, five dollars a month.
Serverless
Yes
$5
$5
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Cloudflare Workers hosts static sites and JavaScript/TypeScript apps on a global edge network. Static requests and bandwidth are free and unlimited on every plan, and there are no egress charges at all — the pricing model no other host matches.
Good for
Static sites and JS/TS apps where bandwidth costs matter or a global edge is a plus.
Deploying
Deploy from Git or with the wrangler CLI; framework adapters handle SSR apps.
Watch out
More platform-specific setup than the git-push hosts — adapters, wrangler config, and Workers-flavored storage.
Free tier
Free: unlimited static requests and bandwidth, 100,000 Worker requests per day, 3,000 build minutes per month.
Plans
Free
$0
100,000 Worker requests/day, unlimited static requests and bandwidth.
Workers Paid
$5
10M requests and 30M CPU-ms included; $0.30 per extra million requests.
No charges for data transfer or bandwidth on any plan.
Cloudflare sells its own storage (D1 database, KV, R2 objects) with separate free tiers and pricing.
Why pick it
Bandwidth is free on every plan — no other host on this site can say that.
The most generous free tier here: unlimited static traffic, 100k Worker requests a day.
The $5 paid plan is flat and predictable; overage is a clearly priced $0.30 per million requests.
Your code runs in hundreds of cities with no extra configuration.
Why look elsewhere
SSR frameworks go through adapters that have more rough edges than Vercel or Netlify.
The runtime is Workers-specific — Node.js compatibility is good but not total.
Storage means D1, KV, and R2, not a classic Postgres — more new concepts to learn.
Debugging and local dev feel more platform-specific than the git-push hosts.
Catches
Server-side frameworks (Next.js, Astro SSR, SvelteKit) run through adapters, which have more rough edges than Vercel or Netlify.
The runtime is Workers-specific: Node.js compatibility is good but not total, and storage means D1, KV, and R2 rather than a classic server.
The free plan enforces 100,000 Worker requests per day — static requests stay unlimited.
Deploy from Git pushWorkers Builds deploys on push from GitHub or GitLab.
Yes
Preview deploysPreview URLs per version and non-production branch builds.
Yes
Official CLIwrangler handles dev, deploys, logs, and storage.
Yes
Instant rollbacksVersioned deployments with one-command rollback.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with automatic TLS on Cloudflare’s network.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkThe platform is Cloudflare’s CDN — static assets are free and cached globally.
Yes
Serverless functionsWorkers are the compute model, running in 300+ locations.
Yes
Docker containersCloudflare Containers run alongside Workers but are newer and more limited than a real container host.
Partly
SSH / shell accessNo servers to shell into.
No
EU hosting regionCode runs everywhere by default; you can restrict data (not compute) to EU jurisdiction.
Partly
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingScales per request across the whole network with no knobs.
Yes
Scale to zeroWorkers bill per request — idle costs nothing.
Yes
Scheduled jobsCron Triggers run Workers on a schedule, including on the free plan.
Yes
Managed databaseD1 (SQLite), KV, and R2 are managed but Cloudflare-flavored; classic Postgres means an external provider.
Partly
Logs & metrics built inLive tail and Workers analytics included; persistent logs need Logpush or a third party.
Partly
The most RAM and storage per euro, with visible corners cut.
VPS
No
€5.50
€14
■ ■ □ □ □
Contabo sells more vCPU, RAM, and disk per euro than anyone else: the entry Cloud VPS 4 packs 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM for €5.50 all-in. The trade is oversubscribed hardware, slow ticket-only support, and manual order verification that can delay provisioning by a day. Fine for cost-sensitive workloads; risky for latency-sensitive production.
Good for
Budget bulk compute — game servers, dev boxes, and side projects where raw specs per euro beat consistency.
Deploying
You get root on a bare server after order verification clears; bring your own setup or use the one-click app installs.
Watch out
The lowest sticker price here, paid for with oversubscription, slow support, and slow provisioning.
Free tier
None.
Plans
Cloud VPS 4
€5.50
4 shared vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD, 200 Mbit/s port with unlimited fair-use traffic.
Cloud VPS 8
€14
8 shared vCPU, 24 GB RAM, 300 GB SSD, 600 Mbit/s port with unlimited fair-use traffic.
Cloud VPS 18
€49
18 shared vCPU, 96 GB RAM, 600 GB SSD, 1 Gbit/s port with unlimited fair-use traffic.
Promo prices (about 20% off) require a 24-month term; list prices apply month to month.
A one-time setup fee applies to entry plans on short terms since April 2026 — the exact amount shows at checkout.
"Unlimited" traffic is fair-use: Contabo reserves the right to throttle disruptive usage.
Why pick it
Unmatched specs per euro: 4 vCPU and 8 GB RAM for €5.50 all-in.
Unlimited fair-use traffic and an included IPv4 on every plan.
Snapshots and DDoS protection included at no extra cost.
EU (German) company with data centers on four continents.
Why look elsewhere
Oversubscribed nodes: advertised vCPUs behave like ceilings, not guarantees.
Manual order verification means provisioning takes hours, sometimes a day.
Ticket-only support with 24h+ response times and no live chat.
Setup fees on short terms and non-EU surcharges muddy the headline price.
No managed database, no hourly billing, no platform features at all.
Catches
Since 15 April 2026 entry plans on 1- or 6-month terms carry a one-time setup fee — it is waived only on 12-month-plus terms.
New orders go through manual identity verification: provisioning can take hours to more than a day, not minutes.
Shared hardware is heavily oversubscribed — CPU steal and variable disk I/O are common on busy nodes.
Non-EU locations (US, UK, Asia, Australia) cost a monthly surcharge on top of list prices.
Monthly billing only: the server bills as long as the contract runs, powered off or not.
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkNo CDN product — put Cloudflare in front if needed.
No
Serverless functionsNot a VPS feature.
No
Docker containersDocker one-click install or set it up yourself.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH.
Yes
EU hosting regionGerman data centers at the base price; other EU sites available.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual plan upgrades only.
No
Scale to zeroThe contract bills until cancelled, powered off or not.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseNo managed database product — self-host or go external.
No
Logs & metrics built inBasic usage graphs in the customer panel; everything else is yours.
Partly
JavaScript hosting with builds, databases, and a real Deno runtime.
Serverless
Yes
$20
$20
■ ■ ■ ■ □
Deno Deploy runs JavaScript and TypeScript applications in isolated Linux environments using the standard Deno runtime. It supports Node and npm packages, builds popular frameworks such as Next.js, Astro, Nuxt, and SvelteKit, and bundles previews, CDN caching, managed databases, cron jobs, and OpenTelemetry-based observability.
Good for
JavaScript and TypeScript sites, full-stack framework apps, and APIs that benefit from built-in previews, databases, cron, caching, and telemetry.
Deploying
Connect GitHub for builds on every push or run deno deploy from the CLI; framework presets configure common JavaScript stacks automatically.
Watch out
It runs the Deno runtime, not Node itself, and its two-region managed footprint and metered Active CPU, memory, and egress trail broader competitors for heavy traffic.
Free tier
Free: 1M requests, 20 GiB egress, 10 Active CPU hours, 150 GiB-hours of memory time, 10 active apps, 5 custom domains, and 1 GiB of KV storage per month.
Plans
Free
$0
1M requests, 20 GiB egress, 10 Active CPU hours, 150 GiB-hours of memory, 10 active apps, 5 custom domains, and 1 GiB of KV storage.
Pro
$20
5M requests, 200 GiB egress, 50 Active CPU hours, 750 GiB-hours of memory, 50 active apps, 100 custom domains, and 5 GiB of KV storage.
Pro overages are $2 per million requests, $0.20 per GiB of egress, $0.10 per Active CPU hour, and $0.025 per GiB-hour of memory.
Active CPU bills only while code runs — waiting on requests or network I/O does not consume the CPU meter.
Pro includes 5 GiB of sandbox volume storage and 5 GiB of Deno KV; extra storage and KV operations have separate usage rates. Free has no volume storage.
Free has no paid overage: applications pause when an allowance is exhausted. Free and Pro do not include a reliability SLA.
Why pick it
The standard Deno runtime supports npm, Node built-ins, native add-ons, subprocesses, and writable filesystems.
Next.js, Astro, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Fresh, and other JavaScript frameworks have first-class build presets.
Deno KV and managed Prisma Postgres integrate with isolated production, branch, and preview environments.
CDN caching, cron jobs, logs, traces, metrics, previews, and instant rollbacks are built into one platform.
Why look elsewhere
Node compatibility is not identical to running Node, and some frameworks document Deno-specific setup or workarounds.
The managed service currently exposes only US and Europe execution regions.
Free and Pro offer no reliability SLA; the published 99.95% SLA requires Enterprise.
Pro meters Active CPU, memory time, and egress separately, with Free pausing hard when any allowance runs out.
Catches
Applications run on Deno rather than Node itself. Node and npm compatibility is broad, including native add-ons and subprocesses, but framework-specific edge cases still exist.
The managed platform currently has two execution regions, the US and Europe; Deploy Classic had a broader footprint before it shut down in July 2026.
Free and Pro have no published reliability SLA; a 99.95% SLA is reserved for Enterprise.
Free-tier apps pause when the monthly allowance is exhausted; there is no paid overage on Free.
Active CPU bills only while code runs, not while waiting on I/O, but Free includes only 10 Active CPU hours per month.
Deploy from Git pushLink GitHub and every pushed commit triggers an integrated build with streamed logs and caching.
Yes
Preview deploysEvery Git branch has its own timeline and URL, and every revision receives an immutable preview URL.
Yes
Official CLIThe deno deploy command creates, configures, and deploys applications from a terminal or CI pipeline.
Yes
Instant rollbacksA timeline can be locked to any previous revision to restore it without rebuilding the application.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains include automatic Let’s Encrypt certificates; wildcard domains require Pro or higher.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkA built-in HTTP edge cache respects standard cache headers and supports tag-based global invalidation.
Yes
Serverless functionsJavaScript and TypeScript applications run in isolated serverless environments that start on demand.
Yes
Docker containersDeno Deploy builds source code for its own Deno runtime and does not accept arbitrary Docker images.
No
SSH / shell accessThere is no interactive SSH shell; use build logs, runtime logs, traces, metrics, or the CLI.
No
EU hosting regionApplications can run in the managed Europe execution region, although database residency depends on the selected database.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingThe platform automatically starts multiple isolated application instances across or within regions as traffic requires.
Yes
Scale to zeroIdle apps shut down after about 20–30 seconds per the pricing page, so memory time stops while scaled to zero.
Yes
Scheduled jobsDeno.cron jobs are discovered at deploy time, scheduled by the platform, and monitored in the dashboard.
Yes
Managed databaseProvision Deno KV or managed Prisma Postgres, or attach an externally hosted PostgreSQL database.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inLogs, OpenTelemetry traces, request and outbound-call metrics, filtering, and dashboards are included.
Yes
One provider, two honest paths: a platform or a plain server.
App platform
Yes
$5
$12
■ ■ ■ ■ □
DigitalOcean offers both a git-push platform (App Platform) and classic virtual servers (Droplets) with identical pricing in US and EU regions. That makes it a natural home for projects that may start on the platform and later move to a server, or the reverse.
Good for
Apps that want git-push deploys inside a provider they can grow with.
Deploying
Connect the Git repo or a container image; App Platform builds, deploys, and scales it.
Watch out
Weaker compute per dollar than a Droplet — the convenience premium is real.
Free tier
Free tier: 3 apps with static sites, 1 GiB of outbound transfer each per month. Extra static-site apps cost $3/month.
Plans
1 shared vCPU / 512 MiB
$5
50 GiB transfer included.
1 shared vCPU / 1 GiB
$12
150 GiB transfer included, manual scaling.
Billed per second with a one-minute minimum.
Scale to Zero is a private preview for web services. Sleeping services bill at 10% of the standard price.
Why pick it
Git-push deploys with per-second billing and clear instance prices.
Three free static sites on every account.
Lives next to Droplets and Managed Databases — one provider as you grow or change approach.
Request-based autoscaling works on shared and dedicated CPU plans.
Why look elsewhere
Compute per dollar is weak: $12/month buys 1 GiB of RAM.
No preview environments for pull requests.
Scale to Zero requires private-preview access and sleeping services still bill at 10%.
The buildpack experience trails Vercel, Netlify, and Render in polish.
Catches
App Platform containers are small for the money — $12/month buys 1 GiB of RAM, while a $24 Droplet has 4 GiB.
Managed databases bill separately from both products.
Bandwidth allowances pool at the team level; overage is $0.02/GiB on App Platform and $0.01/GiB on Droplets.
Logs & metrics built inInsights graphs, runtime logs, and alert policies built in.
Yes
One provider, two honest paths: a platform or a plain server.
VPS
No
$4
$6
■ ■ □ □ □
DigitalOcean offers both a git-push platform (App Platform) and classic virtual servers (Droplets) with identical pricing in US and EU regions. That makes it a natural home for projects that may start on the platform and later move to a server, or the reverse.
Good for
Developers comfortable with a Linux server who want predictable pricing and full control.
Deploying
You get root on an Ubuntu server: install your runtime, or start from a 1-click image.
Watch out
You are the ops team — security updates, backups, and monitoring are on you.
Free tier
None.
Plans
s-1vcpu-512mb-10gb
$4
1 vCPU, 512 MiB RAM, 10 GiB SSD, 500 GiB transfer — enough for a tiny site or service.
Deploy from Git pushNo built-in deploy pipeline — you script your own or use CI.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIdoctl creates, resizes, and snapshots Droplets.
Yes
Instant rollbacksSnapshots and backups can restore a machine; not per-deploy rollbacks.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the Droplet; you run certbot or a proxy for TLS.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkNo CDN — add Cloudflare in front if you need one.
No
Serverless functionsNot on a Droplet.
No
Docker containersInstall Docker or start from the Docker 1-click image.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH — it is your server.
Yes
EU hosting regionAmsterdam and Frankfurt at identical US prices.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual resizing or manual horizontal scaling.
No
Scale to zeroThe server bills whether busy, idle, or powered off.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseDO Managed Databases run separately and connect over the private network.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inBasic CPU/bandwidth graphs and optional metrics agent; app logs are yours to manage.
Partly
Run Docker containers close to your users, billed per second.
App platform
No
$2.27
$7
■ ■ ■ □ □
Fly.io runs your Docker image as lightweight VMs (Machines) in regions around the world, billed per second while they run. It gives you more control than the git-push platforms — and expects more from you in return.
Good for
Dockerized apps that want low cost, fine control, or multi-region placement.
Deploying
fly launch builds the image and deploys it; configuration lives in fly.toml and the flyctl CLI.
Watch out
You operate more of the stack yourself unless you pay for Managed Postgres.
Free tier
None.
Plans
shared-cpu-1x, 256 MB
$2.27
Per month if running continuously (Amsterdam).
shared-cpu-1x, 1 GB
$6.95
Per month if running continuously (Amsterdam).
Billed per second only while Machines are started; scale-to-zero is natively supported.
Extra RAM is $6.00/GB-month (was $5); Machine CPU pricing is unchanged. Region multipliers apply (Amsterdam is 1.03846× Ashburn).
Egress: $0.02/GB in North America and Europe; more elsewhere.
Managed Postgres (MPG) prices are unchanged: Basic $38, Starter $72, Launch $282, Scale $962, Performance $1,922 per month, plus $0.28/GB-month storage. Every plan includes HA, backups, failover, and pooling.
Why pick it
Genuinely cheap always-on compute: a small Machine runs for about $2.27/month in Amsterdam.
Native scale-to-zero — Machines stop when idle and start on the next request.
Deploy the same app to multiple regions with one config line.
Real VMs you can SSH into, with metrics and logs built in.
Why look elsewhere
No free allowance for new pay-as-you-go organizations.
Managed Postgres starts at $38/month before storage, so a small app plus database costs far more than Machines alone.
The flyctl-and-fly.toml workflow is more to learn than git-push hosts.
Per-second billing plus egress makes the monthly number bounce around.
Catches
New pay-as-you-go organizations get no free allowance.
Managed Postgres starts at $38/month (Basic) plus $0.28/GB-month storage; unmanaged Fly Postgres is labeled Unsupported on the pricing page.
Managed Postgres still lacks security patches and version upgrades, extra third-party extensions beyond pgvector and PostGIS, customer-facing alerting, and migration tools.
Per-second compute plus $0.02/GB egress makes bills variable; prices differ by region.
Deploy from Git pushNo native git integration; the documented path is flyctl in GitHub Actions.
Partly
Preview deploysPR apps work via the official GitHub Action, not out of the box.
Partly
Official CLIflyctl does everything: launch, deploy, scale, ssh, logs.
Yes
Instant rollbacksRedeploy any previous image; no one-click dashboard rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with free managed certificates.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkAnycast routing sends users to the nearest region, but there is no static-asset CDN.
Partly
Serverless functionsMachines are micro-VMs, not functions.
No
Docker containersA Docker image is the deployment unit.
Yes
SSH / shell accessfly ssh console opens a shell in any running Machine.
Yes
EU hosting regionAmsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, and more.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingMachines autostart and autostop with traffic; scale counts per region.
Yes
Scale to zeroStopped Machines cost only their storage.
Yes
Scheduled jobsScheduled Machines run on fixed intervals; full cron needs a workaround.
Partly
Managed databaseManaged Postgres (MPG) includes HA, backups, failover, and pooling from $38/month; unmanaged Fly Postgres is Unsupported.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inBuilt-in metrics (Grafana), live logs, and log shipping.
Yes
Serverless containers with the best free tier in the business.
Serverless
Yes
$0.40
$10
■ ■ ■ ■ □
Cloud Run is Google Cloud’s serverless container platform, and the reason to consider GCP for a small project: any container scales to zero, the always-free tier (2M requests a month) genuinely covers hobby apps, and deploying is one `gcloud run deploy` from source. We cover Cloud Run rather than Compute Engine because it is the GCP product that competes for indie projects. The risk is the billing model around it: usage-based, no hard spend cap, and a track record of viral surprise-bill stories.
Good for
Container apps with spiky or low traffic that want scale-to-zero economics and can manage billing discipline.
Deploying
Run `gcloud run deploy --source .` — buildpacks containerize the app, or push any Docker image; GitHub continuous deployment is built in.
Watch out
The best free tier and autoscaling here, attached to a billing system with no hard cap and real horror stories.
Free tier
Always free: 2M requests, 180k vCPU-seconds, 360k GiB-seconds per month, plus a $300/90-day new-customer credit.
Plans
Requests
$0.40
$0.40 per million requests (request-based billing), after 2M free per month.
Active compute
$0
$0.000024/vCPU-second and $0.0000025/GiB-second while serving requests; idle time is free without min-instances.
Warm min-instance
$10
Roughly $10/month for one 1 vCPU + 512 MiB instance kept warm at the idle rate.
Cloud SQL db-f1-micro
$7.67
Cheapest managed PostgreSQL/MySQL: shared core, 0.6 GB RAM, no SLA. Storage billed per GiB extra.
Egress: first 1 GiB/month free, then $0.12/GiB to NA/EU/Asia.
Tier 2 regions cost more; committed-use discounts take ~17% off.
The $300 new-customer credit runs 90 days and cannot produce a bill — the account closes instead of charging you.
Why pick it
The most generous always-free tier of any host here: 2M requests a month, commercial use included.
True scale to zero — idle apps cost nothing without min-instances.
Deploy from source with one command, no Dockerfile needed.
Effortless autoscaling from zero to thousands of instances.
Excellent EU coverage: Belgium, Netherlands, Frankfurt, Paris, Warsaw, and more.
Why look elsewhere
No hard spend cap — budget alerts are the only guardrail, and surprise-bill stories keep coming.
Usage-based pricing across vCPU-seconds, GiB-seconds, requests, and egress is hard to predict.
Cold starts on scale-to-zero services; keeping one instance warm costs ~$10/month.
Stateless containers only — no SSH, no persistent disk, WebSockets time-limited.
The cheapest Cloud SQL instance has no SLA, and a production-grade database costs far more.
Catches
There is no hard spend cap anywhere in Google Cloud — budgets only send alerts. The community horror stories ($4.6k on an idle setup, $18k against a $7 budget) are real.
Min-instances are the classic trap: a warm instance bills around $10/month, and old revisions can silently keep their own min-instances.
Egress costs $0.12/GiB after the first free GiB — heavy traffic gets expensive fast.
Since March 2026 Google can automatically raise your spending-tier quotas, which amplifies leaked-API-key incidents.
Deploy from Git pushBuilt-in continuous deployment from GitHub, or deploy from source with gcloud.
Yes
Preview deploysEvery deploy creates a tagged revision you can hit directly and split traffic to — but no automatic PR previews.
Partly
Official CLI`gcloud run` covers deploys, revisions, and traffic splits.
Yes
Instant rollbacksShift traffic back to any previous revision instantly.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSDomain mappings exist but Google steers production setups toward a load balancer, which adds cost and setup.
Partly
Built-in CDN / edge networkCloud CDN is available but requires fronting Cloud Run with a load balancer.
Partly
Serverless functionsThe whole platform is serverless; Cloud Run functions cover event-driven code.
Yes
Docker containersRuns any container image — that is the product.
Yes
SSH / shell accessNo servers to reach.
No
EU hosting regionA dozen-plus EU regions, four of them at Tier 1 pricing.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingScales per request from zero to your max-instances setting.
Yes
Scale to zeroIdle services cost nothing unless you set min-instances.
Yes
Scheduled jobsCloud Scheduler triggers services; Cloud Run jobs handle batch work.
Yes
Managed databaseCloud SQL from ~$7.67/month (no SLA at that size); Firestore and AlloyDB nearby.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inCloud Logging, Monitoring, and request traces are built in.
Yes
The original git-push platform, now without a free tier.
App platform
No
$5
$25
■ ■ ■ ■ □
Heroku invented the git-push deploy and still offers one of the most polished app platforms. Dynos bill by the second up to a monthly cap, and a deep add-on marketplace covers databases, caches, and more — each with its own bill.
Good for
Teams that already know Heroku and value its mature workflow over price.
Deploying
git push heroku main; buildpacks detect the stack and the platform handles the rest.
Watch out
You pay a platform premium — comparable raw compute costs a third as much elsewhere.
Free tier
None.
Plans
Eco dyno
$5
512 MB RAM, sleeps after 30 minutes of inactivity; personal accounts only.
Basic dyno
$7
512 MB RAM, one dyno per process type, $7/month maximum.
Deploy from Git pushgit push heroku main is the original deploy story; GitHub integration too.
Yes
Preview deploysReview Apps create a running app per pull request.
Yes
Official CLIThe heroku CLI covers deploys, logs, scaling, and add-ons.
Yes
Instant rollbacksheroku releases:rollback reverts to any previous release instantly.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with automated certificate management on paid dynos.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkNo built-in CDN — pair with Cloudflare or Fastly yourself.
No
Serverless functionsDynos are long-running processes; there is no function product.
No
Docker containersDeploy container images through the Heroku container registry.
Yes
SSH / shell accessheroku run bash gives a one-off shell in a fresh dyno, not the live one.
Partly
EU hosting regionCommon Runtime offers a Europe region at the same prices.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingBuilt-in autoscaling requires Performance-tier dynos; standard dynos scale manually.
Partly
Scale to zeroEco dynos sleep after 30 idle minutes; Basic and Standard run continuously.
Partly
Scheduled jobsHeroku Scheduler (free add-on) runs tasks on a schedule.
Yes
Managed databaseHeroku Postgres and Key-Value Store are fully managed add-ons.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inLog stream and basic metrics included; serious monitoring means add-ons.
Partly
European servers with huge bandwidth allowances.
VPS
No
€5.49
€8.99
■ ■ □ □ □
Hetzner is the price-performance reference for European hosting: its EU servers include 20 TB of outbound traffic, twenty times what US-based providers bundle. The budget shared-CPU CX line starts under €6 all-in; the dedicated-CPU CCX line costs far more since Hetzner raised prices in June 2026.
Good for
European projects that need serious compute or move a lot of traffic.
Deploying
You get root on a bare server: bring your own setup, or use one-click apps like Docker and WordPress.
Watch out
Self-managed like any VPS, and the bandwidth advantage mostly applies to EU locations.
Deploy from Git pushNo deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIhcloud CLI manages servers, networks, and snapshots.
Yes
Instant rollbacksSnapshots and paid backups restore machines; no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkNo CDN product — put Cloudflare in front if needed.
No
Serverless functionsNot a VPS feature.
No
Docker containersDocker CE one-click app or install it yourself.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH.
Yes
EU hosting regionGermany and Finland are the home turf — this is where the value is.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual resizing or manual fleet management.
No
Scale to zeroServers bill until deleted, even powered off.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseNo managed database product — self-host or go external.
No
Logs & metrics built inBasic server graphs in the console; app-level monitoring is yours.
Partly
Laravel-native deploys with managed databases and scale to zero.
App platform
Yes
$5
$12
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Laravel Cloud is an opinionated app platform for Laravel, Symfony, Next.js, and Nuxt projects. It deploys from Git, builds a managed runtime, puts every app behind a global edge network, and offers first-party MySQL, Postgres, queues, caches, object storage, and WebSockets.
Good for
Laravel teams that want the framework, database, queues, scheduler, cache, and deploy workflow managed as one platform.
Deploying
Connect a Git repository or run cloud ship; Laravel Cloud builds the supported runtime and deploys every push with zero downtime.
Watch out
The excellent Laravel experience comes from an opinionated runtime, so arbitrary containers and server-level access are out.
Free tier
New Starter subscriptions get their first month free; after that, Starter costs $5/month and includes $5 in monthly usage credit.
Plans
Starter
$5
$5/month plus usage, with $5 in monthly usage credit.
Growth
$20
$20/month plus usage; adds autoscaling, Pro compute, worker clusters, WAF, and preview environments.
Flex 1GB app compute
$12
About $0.01786/hour, billed per second and capped at 28 days of runtime per billing cycle.
Every paid plan includes $5 in monthly usage credits, which reset each billing cycle.
Flex compute bills per second while awake, scales to zero when idle, and is capped at 28 days of runtime per billing cycle.
Each compute size earns a data-transfer allowance; overage is $0.10/GB.
Managed databases, caches, queues, object storage, and WebSockets have separate usage charges.
Why pick it
The smoothest path from a Laravel repository to a production app.
First-party MySQL, Postgres, queues, Valkey, object storage, and Reverb fit Laravel conventions.
Flex compute scales to zero and wakes in under 500 milliseconds.
A Cloudflare-powered CDN, DDoS protection, and automatic TLS are built in.
The CLI and API cover deployments, resources, logs, commands, and database access.
Why look elsewhere
Starter is not permanently free: it costs $5/month after the first month.
Autoscaling and dedicated workers start with the $20/month Growth plan.
No custom Docker images or SSH access for workloads outside the supported runtimes.
The final bill combines the plan fee, app compute, and each attached resource.
Catches
Starter costs $5/month plus usage, although its $5 monthly usage credit can cover a tiny app that frequently scales to zero.
Autoscaling and dedicated worker clusters require the $20/month Growth plan or higher.
The platform supports a defined set of frameworks and runtimes; it is not a general-purpose Docker host.
Databases, caches, object storage, and WebSockets bill separately from app compute.
Deploy from Git pushConnect a Git repository and every push to the configured branch deploys automatically.
Yes
Preview deploysStarter includes one preview environment; broader preview workflows are available on higher plans.
Partly
Official CLIThe cloud CLI deploys apps and manages environments, resources, logs, and commands.
Yes
Instant rollbacksYou can redeploy an older Git commit, but there is no documented one-click rollback workflow.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains and automatically renewed TLS certificates are included on every plan.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkA Cloudflare-powered global edge network caches static assets and cacheable responses automatically.
Yes
Serverless functionsLaravel Cloud runs server-based application compute rather than serverless functions.
No
Docker containersThe platform builds its own optimized images and does not accept arbitrary Docker images.
No
SSH / shell accessThere is no SSH shell; use one-off commands, Tinker, logs, or the CLI instead.
No
EU hosting regionFrankfurt, Ireland, and London regions are available alongside North America and Asia Pacific.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingGrowth can autoscale up to 10 replicas; unlimited scaling requires Business or higher.
Partly
Scale to zeroFlex app compute scales to zero when idle and wakes in under 500 milliseconds.
Yes
Scheduled jobsLaravel scheduled tasks are supported and automatically wake sleeping environments.
Yes
Managed databaseManaged Laravel MySQL and serverless Postgres are provisioned directly from the platform.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inApplication logs and CPU and memory metrics are built in, with retention tied to the plan.
Partly
The veteran VPS, now on Akamai's network.
VPS
No
$5
$12
■ ■ □ □ □
Linode (now Akamai Cloud) has sold no-nonsense Linux servers since 2003. Shared CPU plans start at $5/month with pooled transfer allowances and the cheapest bandwidth overage of the US providers at $0.005/GB.
Good for
Developers who want a proven, boring VPS with cheap bandwidth.
Deploying
You get root on a Linux server; the Marketplace offers one-click apps for common stacks.
Watch out
Fully self-managed, with a smaller ecosystem than DigitalOcean's tutorials and tooling.
Free tier
None.
Plans
Nanode 1GB
$5
1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB transfer.
Linode 2GB
$12
1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD, 2 TB transfer.
US and EU core regions share identical pricing; transfer overage is $0.005/GB.
IPv4 is included; private same-datacenter traffic doesn't count against the allowance.
Why pick it
Two decades of running Linux servers — boring in the best way.
The cheapest bandwidth overage of the US providers at $0.005/GB.
Pooled transfer allowances across all servers on the account.
Identical pricing in US and EU core regions.
Why look elsewhere
Fully self-managed — updates, backups, and monitoring are on you.
Charges accrue while a server exists, powered on or off.
A smaller tutorial and tooling ecosystem than DigitalOcean.
Transfer allowances prorate for partial months, which can surprise you.
Catches
Charges accrue while a server exists on the account, powered on or off.
Transfer allowances are prorated for partial months.
Some regions (Jakarta, São Paulo) carry documented higher prices.
Deploy from Git pushNo deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIlinode-cli covers instances, volumes, and DNS.
Yes
Instant rollbacksBackups and images restore machines; no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSFree DNS manager; TLS on the box is yours via certbot.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkAkamai CDN exists as a separate enterprise product; nothing bundled.
No
Serverless functionsNot a VPS feature.
No
Docker containersDocker Marketplace app or install it yourself.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH, plus a web-based LISH console.
Yes
EU hosting regionFrankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and more at US prices.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual resizing only.
No
Scale to zeroServers bill while they exist on the account.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseAkamai Managed Databases (Postgres, MySQL) sold separately.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inLongview basic metrics free for a few servers; app logs are yours.
Partly
German price-performance champion with German contract terms.
VPS
No
€8.26
€12.93
■ ■ □ □ □
Netcup still packs a lot of compute per euro — new orders are G12.5. The entry VPS 500 G12.5 gives 2 vCores, 4 GB RAM, and 64 GB SSD from €8.26 including VAT on a 12-month term, and the Root Server line starts at RS 500 G12.5 from €12.93 with dedicated EPYC cores. Existing G12 contracts keep their old prices. The catch is the paperwork: terms are 1, 12, or 24 months with a 31-day cancellation window, and the abuse team suspends first and asks questions Monday to Friday.
Good for
European projects that want strong specs per euro and can live with German contract formalities.
Deploying
You get root on a bare server: bring your own setup; the Server Control Panel handles images, snapshots, and a remote console.
Watch out
Strong specs per euro, but fixed terms, strict signup checks, and an unforgiving abuse process.
Free tier
None.
Plans
VPS 500 G12.5
€8.26
2 shared vCores, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB SSD, traffic included. From-price incl. 19% VAT, 12-month term (1-month is €9.50).
Terms are 1, 12, or 24 months — longer terms cost less. Existing G12 contracts keep old prices; new orders are G12.5.
IPv6-only saves €0.60/month, but you cannot add a public IPv4 later.
Named locations carry a surcharge that scales with the plan (on VPS 500: EU/US named +€1.04, Singapore +€7.66).
Why pick it
Strong specs per euro: VPS 500 G12.5 from €8.26, dedicated EPYC Root Servers from €12.93.
Truly unmetered traffic with no fair-use asterisks published.
Root Server line has a 99.9% availability guarantee and 30-day money-back.
DDoS protection and copy-on-write snapshots included free.
Why look elsewhere
You pick a 1-, 12-, or 24-month term, and missing the 31-day cancellation window renews the contract.
Abuse handling is aggressive: instant suspensions with the abuse team only reachable on weekdays.
No managed databases, no automatic backups (snapshots are manual), no platform features.
Only a handful of EU locations (Vienna, Nuremberg, Amsterdam), fixed at setup.
Catches
Minimum terms are 1, 12, or 24 months; longer terms cost less. Cancellation must arrive at least 31 days before term end or the contract renews.
G12 is gone for new orders — new plans are G12.5. Existing G12 contracts keep their old prices until they end.
The abuse team can suspend servers instantly (including Friday night) and works Mon–Fri office hours; out-of-hours phone support costs €40 per 15 minutes.
Sign-up identity checks are strict and some orders get rejected.
Prices are displayed including 19% German VAT — your actual VAT depends on your country.
Deploy from Git pushNo deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIThe Server Control Panel exposes a webservice API; there is no first-class official CLI.
Partly
Instant rollbacksManual copy-on-write snapshots restore machines; no automatic backups, no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkNo CDN product — put Cloudflare in front if needed.
No
Serverless functionsNot a VPS feature.
No
Docker containersInstall Docker yourself on any image.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH.
Yes
EU hosting regionVienna, Nuremberg, and Amsterdam are the core locations.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual plan upgrades only.
No
Scale to zeroThe contract bills until cancelled, powered off or not.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseNo managed database product — the closest thing is a fully managed vServer.
No
Logs & metrics built inBasic graphs in the Server Control Panel; app-level monitoring is yours.
Partly
Git-push hosting for static sites and frontend apps.
Serverless
Yes
$9
$9
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Netlify pioneered git-based static hosting and now hosts full frontend apps with serverless functions. Since 2025 it bills through a credit system: requests, bandwidth, compute, and production deploys all consume a shared monthly credit pool.
Good for
Static sites and frontend apps that deploy from Git and want a generous, mature workflow.
Deploying
Connect the Git repo; pushes build and deploy automatically with previews for every pull request.
Watch out
The credit system makes bills hard to predict — traffic, deploys, and compute all drain one pool.
Free tier
Free: 300 credits per month with a hard stop. Commercial use is allowed; enough for a small site with modest traffic and few production deploys.
Plans
Free
$0
300 credits/month, hard limit, 1 member.
Personal
$9
1,000 credits/month, overage packs available.
Pro
$20
3,000 credits/month, unlimited team members, 3 concurrent builds.
Credit rates: 10,000 requests = 2 credits, 1 GB bandwidth = 20 credits, production deploy = 15 credits, 1 GB-hour of function compute = 10 credits.
Deploy previews and branch deploys are free; only production deploys cost credits.
Pro tiers: $20 for 3,000 credits without rollover; $33 for 5,000, $63 for 10,000, $95 for 15,000, or $126 for 20,000 with one-cycle rollover.
Why pick it
The most mature git-push workflow: builds, previews, redirects, and forms all just work.
Deploy previews and branch deploys are free — only production deploys cost credits.
The free tier allows commercial projects, unlike Vercel’s.
Great framework support beyond React — Astro, Hugo, Eleventy, and friends are first-class.
Why look elsewhere
Credit billing is genuinely confusing: requests, bandwidth, compute, and deploys drain one pool.
Production deploys cost 15 credits each, which eats the 300-credit free tier fast.
If one project uses all account credits, every project on the account pauses until the next billing cycle.
Function compute is weaker and pricier than what Cloudflare offers at the same price point.
Catches
Every production deploy costs 15 credits, so the 300-credit free tier covers only about 20 deploys a month even with zero traffic.
The free tier has an account-wide hard stop: if one project uses all credits, every project on the account pauses.
Deploy from Git pushConnect GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Azure DevOps; pushes deploy.
Yes
Preview deploysDeploy previews per pull request and branch deploys, free of credit cost.
Yes
Official CLIThe netlify CLI runs local dev, deploys, and manages functions.
Yes
Instant rollbacksEvery deploy is kept; publish any previous one instantly.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with automatic TLS on all plans, including Free.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkGlobal edge CDN serves all sites by default.
Yes
Serverless functionsNetlify Functions (AWS Lambda under the hood) plus edge functions.
Yes
Docker containersNo container deploys — builds run in Netlify’s build image.
No
SSH / shell accessNo shell access; logs are the debugging surface.
No
EU hosting regionThe CDN is global, but functions default to a US region; region choice needs higher tiers.
Partly
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingCDN and functions scale automatically with traffic.
Yes
Scale to zeroNothing runs (or bills) while the site has no traffic — apart from credits.
Yes
Scheduled jobsScheduled functions run on a cron expression.
Yes
Managed databaseNetlify Database is managed Postgres. Its compute and bandwidth consume regular Netlify credits.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inFunction and deploy logs included; analytics is a paid add-on.
Partly
Europe’s biggest host, with truly unmetered VPS traffic.
VPS
No
€3.81
€10.40
■ ■ □ □ □
OVHcloud is the largest European hosting company, and its VPS 2027 range is aggressively priced: the entry plan starts under €4 with unlimited traffic, an included IPv4, daily backups, and anti-DDoS. The catch is that headline prices assume a commitment, and support below the premium tiers has a poor reputation.
Good for
Traffic-heavy European projects that want unmetered bandwidth and an included IPv4 at rock-bottom prices.
Deploying
You get root on a bare server: pick a distro or an app image (Docker, WordPress, cPanel) and set everything up yourself.
Watch out
Entirely self-managed, headline prices need a commitment, and support below premium tiers is slow.
Free tier
None.
Plans
VPS-1
€3.81
2 shared vCores, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe, unlimited traffic at 500 Mbps. IPv4 and daily backup included.
Deploy from Git pushNo deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIFull REST API and Terraform provider; no first-class official CLI like hcloud or doctl.
Partly
Instant rollbacksIncluded daily backups and paid snapshots restore machines; no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkOVHcloud sells a separate CDN product; nothing is integrated with the VPS.
Partly
Serverless functionsNot a VPS feature.
No
Docker containersDocker app image at install time, or install it yourself.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH.
Yes
EU hosting regionFrance, Germany, Poland, and the UK — OVHcloud is EU-headquartered.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual plan upgrades only.
No
Scale to zeroA monthly subscription bills until cancelled, powered off or not.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseManaged databases exist on OVH Public Cloud (from ~$64/month) — a separate product, not part of the VPS.
Partly
Logs & metrics built inBasic usage graphs in the control panel; app-level monitoring is yours.
Partly
Push a repo, get an app and a database.
App platform
Yes
$5
$10
■ ■ ■ ■ □
Railway deploys apps, workers, and databases from a Git repo or Docker image with almost no configuration. Billing is pure usage: you pay a monthly minimum that becomes credit, then per-second rates for the CPU, memory, disk, and egress you actually consume.
Good for
Full-stack apps and APIs where you want the app and its database running in minutes.
Deploying
Connect a repo or image; Railway detects the build, deploys it, and adds databases with one click.
Watch out
Pure usage billing means the bill moves with your traffic — predictable only while the app is small.
Free tier
Free: $1 of monthly usage credits, capped at 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB per service, one replica, and 3-day log history.
Plans
Free
$0
$1/month of usage credits. Up to 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB per service, one replica, 3-day logs.
Hobby
$5
$5/month minimum, credited against usage. Single developer.
Usage rates: about $20 per vCPU-month, $10 per GB of RAM-month, $0.15 per GB of volume storage, $0.05 per GB of egress — all metered per second.
Postgres, MySQL, Redis, and other databases deploy as one-click services and bill through the same usage meters.
The built-in CDN is free on every plan; cache hits skip origin compute and egress.
Why pick it
App plus database running in minutes — Postgres, MySQL, and Redis are one click away.
Per-second usage billing means a small or sleeping app costs very little.
Deploys work from a repo or any Docker image with almost no configuration.
Pull-request environments spin up a full copy of the project automatically.
Why look elsewhere
The Free plan's $1 monthly credit won't keep anything always-on — the $5 Hobby minimum is the realistic floor, and it covers one developer only.
Usage billing has no hard cap; a traffic spike or a bug moves the bill.
Sleeping services wake slowly on the first request, and chatty apps never sleep.
The built-in CDN is off by default — leave it off and static-heavy sites still pay full egress.
Catches
Usage billing has no hard cap — a busy or misbehaving app can outgrow any estimate.
Services can sleep after 10 idle minutes to save money, but outbound database connections or telemetry can keep them awake, and the first request after sleep is slow.
The $5 Hobby plan is limited to a single developer.
Config as Code (railway.toml / railway.json) is deprecated in favor of the IaC SDK (.railway/railway.ts). From 2026-08-28, new services in new projects no longer deploy via Config as Code; the old system is gone on 2026-12-01.
Deploy from Git pushConnect a GitHub repo; Railway detects the stack and deploys on push.
Yes
Preview deploysPR environments deploy a copy of every service in the project.
Yes
Official CLIThe railway CLI links local dev to project env vars and deploys.
Yes
Instant rollbacksRedeploy any previous deployment from the dashboard.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with automatic TLS on all plans.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkBuilt-in edge CDN on every plan at no extra fee; off by default, enabled per service, with Edge Rules and CLI controls.
Yes
Serverless functionsEverything is a long-running service, not functions.
No
Docker containersDeploy from a Dockerfile or a public/private image.
Yes
SSH / shell accessrailway ssh opens a shell inside the running container.
Partly
EU hosting regionEU (Amsterdam) region available alongside US and Asia.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingVertical usage scales within plan limits; horizontal replicas exist but need Pro.
Partly
Scale to zeroApp sleeping stops compute billing after 10 idle minutes.
Yes
Scheduled jobsAny service can run on a cron schedule instead of continuously.
Yes
Managed databaseOne-click Postgres, MySQL, Redis, and Mongo billed through the same usage meters.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inLogs, CPU/RAM metrics, and usage graphs built into the dashboard.
Yes
Heroku-style deploys with clearer per-service prices.
App platform
Yes
$7
$7
■ ■ ■ ■ □
Render deploys web services, static sites, workers, and databases from Git with fixed per-instance prices. On top of per-service compute sits a workspace plan that carries the bandwidth, build minutes, and team seats.
Good for
Apps and APIs that want git-push deploys with a fixed, understandable instance price.
Deploying
Connect the Git repo; Render builds and deploys on push, with Docker support and instant rollbacks.
Watch out
The workspace-plus-services model means several line items, and bandwidth overage is pricey.
Bandwidth beyond the workspace allowance bills at $0.15/GB; build minutes beyond it at $5 per 1,000.
Managed Postgres bills separately: $6/month for Basic-256mb, $19/month for Basic-1gb. The Redis-compatible Key Value store starts at $10/month for 256 MB.
Why pick it
Fixed per-instance prices — a $7 Starter service costs $7, not "it depends".
Static sites, web services, workers, cron jobs, and managed Postgres under one roof.
Deploys from Git or a Dockerfile with zero-downtime rollouts and instant rollbacks.
Free static site hosting with a global CDN.
Why look elsewhere
The bill assembles from parts: instance + workspace plan + bandwidth overage.
Bandwidth overage at $0.15/GB is among the highest rates on this site.
The $7 Starter instance is small — half a CPU and 512 MB of RAM.
Preview environments and autoscaling sit behind paid tiers.
Catches
Costs assemble from parts: per-service compute, plus the workspace plan, plus bandwidth overages. The advertised $7 is rarely the whole bill.
The free Hobby workspace includes only 5 GB of bandwidth; overage bills at $0.15/GB, among the highest rates here.
The $7 Starter instance is small: half a CPU and 512 MB of RAM.
Deploy from Git pushConnect GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket; pushes build and deploy.
Yes
Preview deploysFull preview environments exist but require a paid workspace plan.
Partly
Official CLIThe render CLI manages services, deploys, and logs.
Yes
Instant rollbacksOne-click rollback to any previous deploy.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom domains with automatic TLS on all plans.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkStatic sites are served from a global CDN; web services run in one region.
Partly
Serverless functionsServices are long-running processes, not functions.
No
Docker containersDeploy from a Dockerfile or a pre-built image.
Yes
SSH / shell accessSSH into any running paid instance.
Yes
EU hosting regionFrankfurt region alongside US regions and Singapore.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingHorizontal autoscaling is available from the Pro workspace up.
Partly
Scale to zeroFree web services spin down when idle; paid instances run (and bill) continuously.
Partly
Scheduled jobsCron jobs are a first-class service type from $1/month.
Yes
Managed databaseManaged Postgres and key-value stores with backups and metrics.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inLogs, metrics, and alerts in the dashboard; log streams can export.
Yes
The French cloud: hourly billing, EU-only regions, à la carte pricing.
VPS
No
€6.55
€25.65
■ ■ □ □ □
Scaleway is the most cloud-like of the European providers: hourly pay-as-you-go instances, a first-class CLI and Terraform provider, managed PostgreSQL from €11.40/month, and EU-only regions (Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Milan). Watch the à la carte pricing — list prices exclude the public IPv4 (~€3.65/month) and storage, so the real bill is instance + volume + IP.
Good for
EU projects that want real cloud ergonomics — hourly billing, CLI, Terraform, managed databases — without a US hyperscaler.
Deploying
Spin up an instance from the console or the scw CLI, then manage it like any VPS; Terraform and cloud-init are first-class.
Watch out
À la carte pricing makes the real cost higher than the sticker, and account verification can be painful.
Deploy from Git pushNot on Instances — bring your own CI, or use Scaleway’s separate serverless products.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIThe scw CLI covers instances, volumes, IPs, and snapshots.
Yes
Instant rollbacksSnapshots and images restore machines; no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the server; TLS is yours via certbot or a proxy.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkEdge Services adds a CDN in front of load balancers and object storage; nothing automatic on a bare instance.
Partly
Serverless functionsNot on Instances — Scaleway sells separate Serverless Containers and Functions products.
No
Docker containersDocker-ready images or install it yourself.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH.
Yes
EU hosting regionParis, Amsterdam, Warsaw, and Milan — EU-only by design.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual resizing on Instances; autoscaling lives in the serverless products.
No
Scale to zeroA fully powered-off (archived) instance stops compute billing, but IPs and volumes keep billing.
Partly
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseManaged PostgreSQL/MySQL from ~€11.40/month plus storage; Redis and MongoDB too.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inCockpit collects instance metrics and logs into managed Grafana; app-level instrumentation is yours.
Partly
Deploy APIs with keys, gateways, and observability built in.
App platform
No
$5
$18
■ ■ ■ ■ □
Unkey is an API-focused app platform that builds from Git or runs a Docker image, then puts a programmable gateway in front of the service. API keys, rate limits, request analytics, preview environments, autoscaling, and multi-region routing live in the same product and bill through one usage meter.
Good for
Production APIs that want hosting, gateway policies, API keys, rate limits, and request analytics in one place.
Deploying
Connect GitHub for automatic builds and branch previews, or deploy a Docker image from the Unkey CLI.
Watch out
It is a young, API-specific platform with metered billing, ephemeral storage, and no managed database.
Free tier
None.
Plans
Starter
$5
Includes $5 usage credit, 2 vCPU / 2 GB per instance, one seat, and one custom domain.
Pro
$25
Includes $25 usage credit, 8 vCPU / 8 GB per instance, unlimited seats, and unlimited custom domains.
Business
$50
Includes $50 usage credit, 16 vCPU / 32 GB per instance, and unlimited custom domains.
Usage rates are $0.000006944 per vCPU-second, $0.000003472 per GB-second of memory, $0.00000006 per GB-second of ephemeral disk, and $0.05 per GB of egress.
API-key authentication through the gateway adds $0.002 per active key each month. The plan minimum is included usage credit rather than an extra charge on top.
Log retention is 3 days on Starter, 7 days on Pro, and 14 days on Business.
Why pick it
Git builds, Docker deploys, branch previews, promotions, and instant rollbacks are built in.
API keys, rate limits, firewall rules, request validation, and analytics share the same gateway.
CPU-based autoscaling and multi-region routing are available without assembling separate infrastructure.
Published per-second resource rates and included usage credits make the billing model inspectable.
Why look elsewhere
The hosting product is new in 2026 and has a much shorter public track record than established PaaS providers.
No free tier: Starter has a $5 monthly minimum even when the app uses less.
No managed database or persistent volume; the built-in disk is temporary and disappears with the instance.
CPU, memory, egress, disk, and active keys all move the bill as usage grows.
Catches
Unkey only launched public app hosting in 2026, so its production track record is much shorter than established platforms such as Heroku, Render, or Railway.
The monthly plan price is a minimum with matching usage credit, not a compute bundle: CPU, memory, ephemeral disk, egress, and active keys are metered separately.
Storage is ephemeral and there is no managed database, so persistent data must live with another provider.
Deploy from Git pushConnect GitHub; pushes to the default branch deploy production automatically.
Yes
Preview deploysNon-default branches and pull requests receive isolated preview deployments.
Yes
Official CLIThe Unkey CLI deploys local build contexts or pre-built container images.
Yes
Instant rollbacksRollbacks atomically switch traffic to a previous immutable deployment.
Yes
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSCustom apex domains and subdomains include automatic TLS; plan limits apply.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkThe global gateway routes API traffic but is not a static-asset caching CDN.
No
Serverless functionsApplications run as container instances rather than per-request functions.
No
Docker containersBuild from a Dockerfile or deploy a pre-built image from a registry.
Yes
SSH / shell accessThe documented workflow exposes logs and metrics, not an interactive SSH shell.
No
EU hosting regionEU (eu-central-1) is available; every Compute plan can use up to 5 regions per environment.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingHorizontal autoscaling adjusts instance count from configured minimums and maximums based on CPU load.
Yes
Scale to zeroPreview environments sleep automatically when idle; apps can also be stopped and started manually.
Partly
Scheduled jobsThere is no documented first-class scheduler for cron jobs.
No
Managed databaseNo managed database is included; connect an external database service.
No
Logs & metrics built inRuntime logs, CPU and memory metrics, request analytics, and gateway decisions appear in the dashboard.
Yes
The smoothest deploy for Next.js and frontend apps.
Serverless
Non-commercial
$20
$20
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Vercel hosts frontends and full-stack JavaScript apps with git-push deploys, preview URLs for every branch, and a global CDN. It is the company behind Next.js, and Next.js apps work with zero configuration.
Good for
Next.js and frontend apps where you want deploys and previews to just work.
Deploying
Connect the Git repo; every push builds and deploys with a preview URL per branch.
Watch out
Usage pricing past the credit can climb fast with real traffic, especially data transfer.
Free tier
Hobby: free for personal, non-commercial projects — 100 GB data transfer, 1M function invocations, and 4 active CPU hours per month.
Plans
Hobby
$0
Non-commercial. 100 GB transfer, 1M function invocations, 4 active CPU hours/month.
Pro
$20
Per deploying seat. Includes $20 usage credit, 1 TB fast data transfer, 10M edge requests.
Hobby has no paid overage — features pause when an allowance runs out.
Deployment Storage is $0.10/GB-month; Hobby includes 10 GB. Existing teams keep their current Deployment Storage pricing for now.
Databases come from partners (Neon, Supabase, and others) and bill separately.
Why pick it
Zero-config deploys for Next.js and every major frontend framework.
The best preview-deploy workflow in the business — every push gets a URL.
Scaling is automatic; you never think about servers or capacity.
Instant rollbacks to any previous production deploy.
Why look elsewhere
The free Hobby plan bans commercial projects.
Usage charges past the $20 Pro credit are hard to predict and add up with real traffic.
Every deploying team member costs another $20/month.
No containers and no shell access — you live inside the serverless model.
Catches
The free Hobby plan does not allow commercial projects.
Pro usage beyond the included $20 monthly credit bills on demand: edge requests from $2 per million, fast data transfer from $0.15/GB after the first 1 TB.
Deployment Storage is $0.10/GB-month (Hobby includes 10 GB). Hobby now keeps only the 3 most recent production deploys plus 3 most recent deploys of any type past the retention window; over 10 GB, non-protected deploys delete immediately (not after 30 days).
Every additional team member who deploys costs $20/month.
Serverless functionsServerless and edge functions are the core compute model.
Yes
Docker containersNo container deploys — code must fit the serverless build.
No
SSH / shell accessNo shell; debugging happens through logs and tracing.
No
EU hosting regionFunction region is selectable, including EU locations.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingServerless scales per request with no configuration.
Yes
Scale to zeroFunctions cost nothing while idle by design.
Yes
Scheduled jobsCron jobs trigger functions; all plans allow 100 crons per project. Hobby crons may run at most once per day (±59 min precision).
Yes
Managed databaseNo own database — the marketplace resells Neon, Supabase, Upstash, and others.
Partly
Logs & metrics built inRuntime logs and Web Analytics built in; deeper observability is a paid add-on.
Yes
Five-dollar servers in 30+ locations worldwide.
VPS
Non-commercial
$3.50
$5
■ ■ □ □ □
Vultr sells straightforward cloud servers starting at $5/month, with one of the widest location maps in the business — the same USD prices apply across the US and EU, with a few documented regional exceptions.
Good for
Developers who want a cheap server near their users, wherever those users are.
Deploying
You get root on a fresh Linux server; setup and deploys are yours to script.
Watch out
Fully self-managed, and the hour-based billing model is less forgiving than per-second rivals.
Free tier
Limited early-access plan: 1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, and 10 GB disk in Seattle, Frankfurt, or Miami. Confirm access in your account before relying on it.
Deploy from Git pushNo deploy pipeline — script your own.
No
Preview deploysNothing built in.
No
Official CLIvultr-cli manages instances, snapshots, and DNS.
Yes
Instant rollbacksSnapshots restore a machine; no deploy-level rollback.
Partly
Platform
Custom domains + HTTPSPoint DNS at the server; TLS via certbot or a proxy is on you.
Yes
Built-in CDN / edge networkVultr sells a separate CDN product; nothing is bundled with the server.
Partly
Serverless functionsNot a VPS feature.
No
Docker containersDocker marketplace image or install it yourself.
Yes
SSH / shell accessFull root SSH.
Yes
EU hosting regionAmsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Paris, and more at the same USD prices.
Yes
Runtime & operations
Automatic scalingManual resizing only.
No
Scale to zeroPowered-off servers still bill; destroy to stop charges.
No
Scheduled jobsClassic cron on the box.
Yes
Managed databaseVultr Managed Databases (Postgres, MySQL, Kafka) sold separately.
Yes
Logs & metrics built inBasic usage graphs; application monitoring is yours to set up.
Partly
No host matches those filters.
03
Compare two
Pick two hosts and see them side by side. Rows where they differ are in bold.
This post is an app. Answer the four questions at the top and you get the three hosts that fit your project best, each with a realistic monthly price and its main catch.
Under the picker you’ll find every host with its plans, catches and features, and a tool to compare any two of them side by side.
It started as a separate site, hostingpicker.dev. I moved everything here, so the data and the explanation live on the same page.
How the picks are ranked
The picker first drops every host that can’t run your kind of project, or can’t give you the database you asked for.
Then it looks at your budget. It keeps the hosts whose estimate fits, and adds hosts above the budget only when fewer than three fit. Those are marked “over budget”.
What’s left is sorted by how easy the host is to deploy to. When two are equally easy, the cheaper one at your traffic goes first, and when they also cost the same, the one that stays cheaper as traffic grows wins. You get at most one option per provider.
The order is the same for everyone. Nobody pays to be in it, and none of the links in the app are affiliate links.
What the prices mean
Every price comes from the provider’s own pricing page. I checked all 21 providers on October 1, 2026, and each host shows that date in its details.
“Paid from” is the cheapest paid plan. The monthly estimates are what a small app would cost at three stages: just starting, steady (real users every day) and growing.
The estimates cover the app itself. A managed database usually bills on top, and the picker reminds you when you ask for one. Email, payment fees and the model API calls of an AI app aren’t included either.
A few hosts price in euros. The app shows those prices in euros, and converts them at 1.1 only to compare them with your budget.
Quick answers for common projects
Each link opens the picker with the answers already set for that kind of project.
Project
What to keep in mind
A Next.js app, with a database from a service like Neon or Supabase
Next.js runs anywhere Node.js runs. A managed platform builds and deploys on every push, while a VPS leaves the server, updates and backups to you. Vercel’s free Hobby plan is for personal, non-commercial projects only.
A static site, a blog, an Astro site or a client-side React app
You can almost always start for free. Bandwidth and build limits matter more than server power, and Cloudflare doesn’t charge for bandwidth. If you add server rendering, pick a full-stack host instead.
You need a process that keeps running and restarts after a crash, so request-only functions are out. A worker costs money even when the queue is empty.
Serverless platforms like Vercel, Netlify and Cloudflare serve your static files and run your code on each request. App platforms like Railway, Render and Heroku run your app as a long-lived process and deploy it from Git. A virtual server (VPS) from Hetzner, DigitalOcean and the others is a small Linux machine where you set up everything yourself.
A VPS usually gives you the most machine for the money, and also the most work.