I'm working on an interactive tool for my university research that will utilize a RESTful API for handling data inputs and performing computations. The outputs will be displayed on a web page. I anticipate needing fewer than 1,000 API requests each month since users will make a few requests and the results will be saved in a database for future access. I'm considering using AWS Lambda functions for API hosting and a web hosting service, but I'm open to better alternatives as I'm new to web hosting. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!
2 Answers
Just a heads up, running APIs can be pricey. Generally, I’m not aware of any that offer a free tier, but Lambda can be costly if you're not careful. Have you considered using Cloudflare or even something like a Raspberry Pi for a low-cost option?
There are a couple of affordable options you might want to consider:
1. AWS Lambda or something like Cloudflare Workers could work well for you. It's low cost and possibly even free depending on your usage, but just keep in mind that if things go sideways, costs can add up since you can't set spending limits for new accounts.
2. Alternatively, look into cheaper hosting solutions that offer Linux boxes for about $5 a month. You should be able to run both your database and app server there, but remember to make backups just in case something goes wrong!
I've read that Lambda gives you 1 million free requests monthly plus a good amount of compute time, which should fit my needs. Is there a catch I should know about?