I'm searching for free WebSocket Secure (WSS) servers to host a small chat application. I've looked around but haven't had much luck. I have a Turbowarp project set up for instant messaging with friends, where we can send binary encoded messages. It uses a cloud variable that updates periodically. I need a free WSS that can handle a single long value – are there any available options? If not, how can I create one myself? I'm not in a position to pay for services, even if they are cheap.
4 Answers
Another idea is to have your friends set up OpenVPN. Then, you could run your server directly from your machine and control everything!
Have you thought about using Deno Deploy? It allows for a free tier and you can use Deno KV. You just need to write your app in TypeScript and you won't have to keep refreshing – the server can just watch for changes.
Free WebSocket servers are pretty rare since they usually require secure backends and certificates for the 'secure' part of the connection. You could consider self-hosting, but that needs some setup on your end.
Check out Socketsbay; they offer a free tier WebSocket service that might suit your needs. Alternatively, setting up your own server on a free cloud VM could be an option as well.
If you're up for it, you can run your own WSS on a free tier virtual machine like AWS EC2, but keep in mind you'll need to use the IP address directly without a domain.