Status: inferred · Last reviewed: 2026-07-09
PocketBase is a single-binary backend with SQLite, auth, file storage and an admin UI. Free deployment is possible for experiments, but persistence is the hard part: the SQLite database and uploaded files must survive restarts.
Use Fly.io when you are comfortable with containers and persistent volumes.
Use Render for a simple web service demo, but free services have an ephemeral filesystem.
Use Railway when the developer workflow matters more than a permanent free tier.
Fly.io Fly.io Inc. Fly.io transforms containers into micro-VMs that run on their hardware in cities close to your users.
Free tier
7-day trial capped at 2 total VM hours; no always-free tier for new organizations
Usage-based · 18 regions
Trial that expires · Sleeps when idle
Render Render Services Inc. Render is a unified cloud to build and run all your apps and websites with free TLS certificates, a global CDN, private networks and auto deploys from Git.
Free tier
512 MB web service, 750 hours/month, sleeps after 15 minutes; free Postgres expires after 30 days
Paid from $7/mo · 5 regions
Sleeps when idle · Suspends at the limit
Railway Railway Corp Railway is an infrastructure platform where you can provision infrastructure, develop with it locally, and then deploy to the cloud.
Free tier
30-day trial with $5 credit, then $1 monthly usage credit on Free
Paid from $5/mo · 4 regions
Credit-based allowance · Suspends at the limit
PocketBase is easier to deploy than most backends because it is one binary, but that simplicity hides the main free-tier risk. Hosts that restart, redeploy or sleep without persistent disk support can erase local data.
Fly.io is the most natural free-ish fit when you want a container and volume model. Render and Railway are easier for a quick test, but read their current free/trial terms before you put real data there.
Only for very small demos and only if the platform preserves the SQLite file. Most serious projects should pay for persistent storage and backups.
PocketBase stores application data in a local SQLite file and may store uploaded files on disk. Losing the disk means losing the app data.
It can work as a demo web service, but Render's free web services have an ephemeral filesystem and sleep after inactivity, so do not rely on local files there.