Hey everyone! I'm a budding developer and recently created an image tools website with features like an image resizer, compressor, QR code generator, editor, and background remover. The background remover, though, requires Flask, so I need some VPS hosting. My budget only allows for shared hosting, but since I need a VPS just for that Flask function, I'm hoping to find an entirely free option. I tried signing up for Oracle Cloud Free Tier, but I keep running into errors. Can anyone suggest a completely free VPS service I can use?
2 Answers
Honestly, when you're looking at free hosting, you get what you pay for. You'll likely face lots of limitations. That said, some bigger providers do offer free tiers with basic container support—like Google Cloud Run or Fly.io. But honestly, you might be better off getting a cheap VPS; they're pretty affordable if you look around, starting at just a couple of bucks a month.
You can actually get 1 free e2 micro instance on Google Cloud's free tier forever, but there are limits on data egress. Check it out [here](https://cloud.google.com/free?hl=en). Also, VPS options can start as low as $4/month, so it might be worth considering that if shared hosting is in your budget. Google Cloud Functions also have a generous free tier—you could consider using them too for other functions!
Doesn't that pay-as-you-go pricing mean you'd pay full price every month if you leave your VPS on? Like, if I only use it sometimes, do I save money by shutting it down?