Railway

Deploy apps, databases, and services with zero configuration

Visit Website Free tier, usage-based from $5/mo

Railway removes the DevOps from deploying full-stack apps. Connect your repo, it detects your framework, provisions databases, and handles environment variables — you go from code to production in minutes without touching a Dockerfile.

The usage-based pricing is a double-edged sword. A side project that gets light traffic costs almost nothing. A production app with background workers and a database can easily run $30-50/month. Great for quick deploys and prototypes; keep an eye on costs if your app runs 24/7.

What's good

  • One-click Postgres, Redis, and MySQL — databases ready in seconds
  • Auto-detects your framework and sets up the build pipeline
  • Usage-based pricing means you only pay for what you actually use

Watch out for

  • Always-on services can cost $20-50/month or more — not cheap for background workers
  • Less control over infrastructure than a VPS
  • Newer platform with occasional growing pains

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