Watch the credit math: deploys cost 15 credits each out of 300.
- Why it fits
- Static sites and frontend apps that deploy from Git and want a generous, mature workflow.
- How deploys work
- Connect the Git repo; pushes build and deploy automatically with previews for every pull request.
- The tradeoff
- The credit system makes bills hard to predict — traffic, deploys, and compute all drain one pool.
- The managed database bills on top of this estimate.
A scale-to-zero service with hobby traffic typically rounds to $0 — the always-free tier absorbs it.
- Why it fits
- Container apps with spiky or low traffic that want scale-to-zero economics and can manage billing discipline.
- How deploys work
- Run `gcloud run deploy --source .` — buildpacks containerize the app, or push any Docker image; GitHub continuous deployment is built in.
- The tradeoff
- The best free tier and autoscaling here, attached to a billing system with no hard cap and real horror stories.
- The managed database bills on top of this estimate.
A small app can stay inside the monthly allowance; it pauses if any enforced Free limit is exhausted.
- Why it fits
- JavaScript and TypeScript sites, full-stack framework apps, and APIs that benefit from built-in previews, databases, cron, caching, and telemetry.
- How deploys work
- Connect GitHub for builds on every push or run deno deploy from the CLI; framework presets configure common JavaScript stacks automatically.
- The tradeoff
- 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.
- The managed database bills on top of this estimate.
