
How to Deploy a Web Application for Free – Frontend & Backend Guide (2025)
Introduction
Deploying a web application doesn’t have to be expensive. In 2025, several free hosting platforms allow you to deploy both frontend and backend applications without any cost. Whether you’re building a React, Angular, or Vue frontend or a Node.js, Python, or Django backend, you can host your application for free using the right tools.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
✅ Best free hosting platforms for frontend & backend
✅ How to deploy a full-stack web application step by step
✅ Free databases, domains, and SSL options
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a live web application running without spending a dime! 🚀
1. Free Hosting for Frontend Applications
If your application has a React, Angular, Vue, or static frontend, here are the best free hosting platforms:
📌 GitHub Pages (Best for Static Websites & Basic React Apps)
GitHub Pages is a free and easy way to host static websites (HTML, CSS, JS) or basic React applications.
🔹 Steps to Deploy:
- Push your project to GitHub
- Go to Settings → Pages and select the branch to publish
- Your website will be live at your-username.github.io/project-name
🔹 Best for:
✔ Personal portfolios, documentation, static HTML/CSS pages
🔹 Limitations:
❌ Doesn’t support server-side rendering or databases
📌 Netlify (Best for React, Vue, Angular Apps)
Netlify is an excellent choice for deploying modern frontend frameworks with continuous deployment from GitHub.
🔹 Steps to Deploy:
- Sign up at Netlify.com
- Connect your GitHub repository
- Set the build command (
npm run build
) and deploy - Your site will be live with a free Netlify subdomain
🔹 Best for:
✔ Single-page applications (React, Vue, Angular)
✔ Serverless functions and custom domains
📌 Vercel (Best for Next.js & Full-Stack Frontend)
Vercel is the ideal platform for Next.js, React, and frontend projects.
🔹 Steps to Deploy:
- Sign up at Vercel.com
- Import your GitHub project
- Configure the build settings (
next build
) - Deploy instantly with a free Vercel subdomain
🔹 Best for:
✔ Server-side rendering (SSR)
✔ Static site generation (SSG)
🔹 Limitations:
❌ Backend needs a separate hosting service
2. Free Hosting for Backend Applications
For backend services like Node.js, Python, Flask, Django, here are the best free hosting solutions:
📌 Render (Best for Full-Stack Backend Apps)
Render allows you to host APIs, databases, and full-stack applications for free.
🔹 Steps to Deploy:
- Sign up at Render.com
- Connect your GitHub repository
- Choose your backend framework (Node.js, Python, Ruby, etc.)
- Click Deploy and get a live API endpoint
🔹 Best for:
✔ Express.js, Django, Flask, Ruby on Rails backends
✔ Free PostgreSQL database included
📌 Railway.app (Best for Simple Backend APIs & Databases)
Railway is a simple and fast hosting platform for backend services with free tier options.
🔹 Steps to Deploy:
- Sign up at Railway.app
- Import your GitHub repository
- Select your backend framework (Node, Python, Go)
- Click Deploy
🔹 Best for:
✔ APIs, microservices, and databases
✔ Free MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and MySQL support
📌 Deta.sh (Best for Python & Serverless Apps)
Deta.sh is an easy-to-use platform for deploying Python apps and serverless functions.
🔹 Steps to Deploy:
- Install Deta CLI (
pip install deta
) - Run
deta new
to create a new project - Deploy using
deta deploy
🔹 Best for:
✔ Flask, FastAPI, Django applications
✔ Serverless applications and APIs
3. Free Databases for Web Applications
If your web app needs a database, here are the best free database solutions:
📌 MongoDB Atlas (Best for NoSQL Databases)
- Free 512 MB cluster
- Ideal for Node.js and JavaScript-based applications
📌 Firebase (Best for Real-Time Databases & Authentication)
- Free 25 GB storage
- Great for real-time chat apps, analytics, and authentication
📌 Supabase (Best Open-Source Alternative to Firebase)
- Free PostgreSQL database with authentication
- Supports APIs, storage, and edge functions
4. Free Domain & SSL for Web Apps
You can get a free domain and SSL to make your site look professional.
📌 Freenom (Free Custom Domains – .tk, .ml, .ga, etc.)
- Get free domain names like yourwebsite.tk
- Works with Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages
📌 Cloudflare (Free SSL & Security)
- Free SSL certificate and DDoS protection
- Boosts website performance with CDN caching
5. Deploying a Full-Stack Web App for Free (Step-by-Step Guide)
Here’s how to fully deploy a frontend + backend application for free:
1️⃣ Frontend Deployment:
- Use Netlify (React, Angular, Vue) or Vercel (Next.js, SSR)
2️⃣ Backend Deployment:
- Use Render (Node.js, Flask, Django) or Railway (Express, APIs)
3️⃣ Database Setup:
- Choose MongoDB Atlas, Firebase, or Supabase
4️⃣ Domain & SSL:
- Get a free domain from Freenom
- Secure it with Cloudflare SSL
By following these steps, you’ll have a fully functional web application deployed for free! 🚀
Conclusion
You don’t need expensive hosting to launch a web application in 2025. With free hosting solutions like Netlify, Vercel, Render, and Firebase, you can easily deploy frontend, backend, and databases without spending money.