How to deploy a React app for free in 2026
You have a Vite or Create React App project. You want it live at a real URL, over HTTPS, with a database if you need one — and you don't want to pay. Here's the honest ranking of the free-tier options, and the fastest path with Cheaploy.
The 2026 free-tier landscape for React apps
| Option | What's actually free | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Vercel Hobby | 100GB bandwidth, static + SSR | No commercial use, function timeout, cold starts |
| Netlify | 100GB bandwidth, 300 build min | Hard caps, project frozen when hit |
| Cloudflare Pages | Unlimited bandwidth, static only | 500 builds/mo, no SSR without Workers |
| GitHub Pages | Static only, 1GB soft limit | Public repos, no serverless |
| Cheaploy + Oracle | 10TB egress, 2 ARM CPU, 12GB RAM, DB | One-time OCI signup with card verification (no charge) |
The 4-step path with Cheaploy
- Push your repo to GitHub, or drop a ZIP of your project.
- Cheaploy detects Vite/CRA and generates a Dockerfile you can review before deploy.
- Connect Oracle Cloud once (browser flow, ~2 minutes). Credentials are encrypted and never leave your account.
- Click Deploy. Watch the terminal stream: build, image push, ARM instance boot, load balancer, SSL. Done in under 10 minutes.
When you should NOT use Cheaploy
- Your React site is 100% static and gets less than 10GB/mo traffic — Cloudflare Pages is simpler.
- You need edge SSR in 30+ regions — stick with Vercel or Fly.io.
Frequently asked
Do I need to eject or change my build?+
No. Cheaploy auto-detects Vite or CRA and generates a multi-stage Dockerfile that builds your assets and serves them from an nginx layer with gzip + brotli.
What about environment variables?+
Add them once in the Cheaploy dashboard. Build-time vars (prefixed VITE_ or REACT_APP_) get baked in; runtime vars for API keys stay server-side.
How do I add a custom domain?+
Point your domain's A record at the Oracle load balancer IP Cheaploy gives you. SSL is auto-provisioned via Let's Encrypt within a minute.
Deploy your project for $0
No credit card. No Oracle sales call. Ship to your own cloud in under 10 minutes.
Start free