I'm a total beginner and need some advice on hosting a digital menu for a restaurant, which includes an admin panel for updates. The catch is that the restaurant isn't willing to cover any hosting fees, and I want the URL to stay the same since it's going to be printed on QR codes. So far, I'm thinking of hosting the frontend on GitHub Pages, which I think will be stable for a long time. However, I'm stuck on the backend since all I can find are unreliable free options. I've come across possibilities like Render, Cloudflare Workers, and even Google Sheets via API, but I'm not sure how solid they will be. Any guidance from people more experienced would be greatly appreciated!
6 Answers
I have experience with Google Sheets for similar projects and can help with what you need. Feel free to reach out for advice!
You might want to check out Supabase, MongoDB Atlas, or Firebase’s free tier. They’re pretty reliable for small applications.
Surprisingly, I've been hosting my projects at home on a static IP for free. It’s been working out well for over three years! Just keep in mind, while it's free, setting up and maintaining a server does have some costs involved.
Going for free hosting can lead to hidden costs like maintenance and downtime. Just keep in mind that if you’re dealing with real customers, a budget-friendly solution might save you future headaches when it’s crucial for operations.
If the restaurant is actually operational with customers, it’s surprising they can’t cover a small server fee. For free backend options, I recommend looking at Supabase or Convex—both have generous free tiers for small projects.
That sounds good! But can I deploy an entire Express.js backend on Supabase? I haven’t used it before.
I’ve created a similar solution with features like a permanent link, QR code customization, and an admin panel. Check out my site for examples! Happy to help you if you want—just ask!
Thanks! Just how reliable are those options? Any downsides I should be aware of?