Comparison
PythonAnywhere vs Oracle Always Free
The allowlist blocks most third-party APIs, and the free app must be manually renewed.
What PythonAnywhere gives you today
One small web app on a shared host, with an outbound network allowlist and a daily CPU-seconds quota.
Typical spend: $5-$12/month for the entry paid plan
Side by side
| Feature | PythonAnywhere | Oracle Always Free + Cheaploy |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | Shared CPU seconds per day | Up to 4 ARM OCPUs and 24 GB RAM (Oracle Always Free), yours alone |
| Sleeping / cold starts | Free apps expire unless renewed periodically | None — a long-running VM you own |
| Bandwidth | Not the limiting factor; CPU quota is | 10 TB/month outbound included by Oracle |
| Database | MySQL with a small size cap on free plans | Self-hosted Postgres, MySQL or Oracle Autonomous Database at $0 |
| Background jobs & cron | Usually a paid add-on | Just another container on the same VM |
| Who owns the infrastructure | The provider | Your own Oracle Cloud tenancy |
| What you pay | Per plan, per seat, per bandwidth overage | $0 infrastructure + a flat Cheaploy platform fee |
Stay on PythonAnywhere if
- You want a browser-only workflow with no server administration at all
- Your app is a teaching example that fits the free quota
Switch if
- You need unrestricted outbound HTTPS to third-party APIs
- You want background workers, WebSockets or your own domain with TLS
- You are tired of renewing a free web app every few months
Related
Frequently asked
Is Oracle harder to set up?+
The Oracle signup is the fiddly part; Cheaploy automates everything after it, including Docker, TLS and deploys.
Can I run Django and Flask?+
Yes — both have dedicated deploy guides.
Do I need to know Linux?+
No. You connect the repo and Cheaploy handles the server.
Deploy your project for $0
No credit card. No Oracle sales call. Ship to your own cloud in under 10 minutes.
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