Prompt
What's the cheapest option for a side project?
Latest observation
Sep 23, 2026
OpenAI APIWeb search: off
The cheapest option for a side project is usually:
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Use free tiers
- Frontend: Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages
- Backend/API: Cloudflare Workers, Supabase free tier, Firebase free tier
- Database: Supabase/Postgres free tier, Neon free tier, MongoDB Atlas free tier
-
Start with the simplest stack
- If it’s just a small app: static site + serverless functions
- If you need auth/db quickly: Next.js + Supabase
- If you want ultra-low cost: plain HTML/CSS/JS + Cloudflare Pages
-
Avoid paid services early
- Skip custom domains at first
- Skip managed Kubernetes, VPSs, and overbuilt backend setups
- Don’t pay for email/SMS until you actually need them
-
Use open-source tools
- Auth: Supabase/Auth.js
- Forms: Formspree free tier or serverless endpoints
- Analytics: Plausible alternative? Often self-hosted or skip initially
If you mean cheapest in money, the winner is often:
- Static site on Cloudflare Pages
- Free serverless backend if needed
- Free DB only if necessary
If you mean cheapest in time, it’s often:
- Next.js + Vercel + Supabase
If you want, I can recommend the cheapest stack based on what you’re building.