Overview
alwaysdata is a French hosting company that sits between classic web hosting and a PaaS. One account can hold unlimited websites, each with its own language and version (PHP, Python, Node.js, Ruby, Java and others), plus unlimited MariaDB and PostgreSQL databases, mailboxes and aliases. You can run programs on demand, on a schedule or as background daemons, and every plan includes SSH, free Let's Encrypt certificates and automatic backups of files, email and databases.
The Free plan costs nothing for life for personal use: 1 GB of SSD, 256 MB of RAM and a quarter of a CPU with three days of backups and every Plus feature. Plus starts at €5 a month (excluding VAT) with 50 GB SSD, 1 GB RAM and one CPU, scalable to 8 CPUs and 8 GB, and longer backup retention. Max, from €369, is a dedicated managed server with 24/7 support.
It is a good fit for agencies and developers running many small PHP or Python sites with email in one place, especially in Europe. It does not offer container images, preview environments or autoscaling in the style of modern PaaS products.
Pricing and plans
checked 28 Sept 2026Free tier · no card
Free for life for personal use: 1 GB SSD, 256 MB RAM, a quarter CPU, 3 days of backups, all Plus features; no card required.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | €0/mo | Personal use, 1 GB SSD, 256 MB RAM, 1/4 CPU |
| Plus | From €5/mo | 50-500 GB SSD, 1-8 GB RAM, 1-8 CPU, unlimited sites, databases and mailboxes, 7-30 days of backups |
| Max | From €369/mo | Dedicated environment, 16 GB-2 TB RAM, 24/7 support, 30 days of backups |
What it does
- Unlimited sites and databases
- No cap on websites, MariaDB/PostgreSQL databases or mailboxes per account.
- Multi-language, multi-version
- Choose the language and version per site: PHP, Python, Node.js, Ruby, Java and others.
- Daemons and scheduled tasks
- Run background services and cron-style jobs alongside websites.
- Email hosting
- Unlimited mailboxes and aliases with filtering, anti-spam and webmail.
- Automatic backups
- Files, email and databases backed up at no extra cost (3 to 30 days depending on plan).
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- Permanent free plan without a card.
- Unlimited sites, databases and mailboxes on one account.
- European company with human support.
- Low entry price for paid capacity (€5/month).
Limitations
- The free plan is limited to personal use and 256 MB of RAM.
- No container images, preview environments or autoscaling.
- 24/7 support only on the Max plan.
- Prices exclude VAT.
Who it suits
Good for
- Agencies hosting many small PHP or Python sites
- European developers who want hosting and email together
- Free personal projects
Look elsewhere if
- Container-based or microservice architectures
- Teams wanting Git-based preview workflows
Alternatives to alwaysdata
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Workers (incl. Pages) Edge serverless platform | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| Deno Deploy Serverless JavaScript platform | $20/mo | Free tier | |
| DigitalOcean App Platform Managed PaaS | $5/mo | Free tier | |
| Fly.io Global VM platform | $1.94/mo | ||
| Google Cloud Run Serverless containers | Usage-based | Free tier | |
| Netlify Frontend and serverless platform | $9/mo | Free tier |
Questions
Is alwaysdata free?
Yes, the Free plan is free for life for personal use with 1 GB SSD and 256 MB RAM, and needs no credit card.
Which languages does alwaysdata support?
PHP, Python, Java, Node.js, Ruby and others, with a choice of version per site.
Which databases does alwaysdata offer?
MariaDB (MySQL) and PostgreSQL, with no limit on the number of databases.
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