Can anyone recommend a free hosting service for hosting a nodejs + mongodb project (for a portfolio)?

I can recommend a few free hosting services for hosting a Node.js + MongoDB project:

1. Heroku: Heroku offers a free tier that allows you to deploy and host your Node.js application easily. It also provides an add-on called mLab (now MongoDB Atlas) that allows you to integrate with a MongoDB database.

2. Glitch: Glitch is a platform specifically designed for hosting and sharing web projects. It supports Node.js and offers a free tier with generous resource limits.

3. Vercel (formerly Zeit): Vercel specializes in static and serverless deployments. While it may not directly support MongoDB, you can use external services like MongoDB Atlas as a separate backend.

couple more free hosting services you can consider:

1. Firebase Hosting: Firebase provides a free tier that includes hosting for static websites. While it doesn't directly support Node.js and MongoDB, you can use Firebase as a backend, with its Realtime Database or Firestore for database needs.

2. Netlify: Netlify is another popular platform for hosting static websites. It offers a free tier with features like continuous deployment, custom domains, and form handling. Like Firebase, it doesn't directly support Node.js and MongoDB, but you can use external services for your backend needs.

3. GitHub Pages: If your project is primarily static and doesn't require server-side functionality, you can consider hosting on GitHub Pages. It's free and easy to set up. However, since it only supports static content, you will need to find an alternative method for hosting your MongoDB database.


few more free hosting services you can consider:

1. InfinityFree: InfinityFree offers free web hosting that supports Node.js and databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL. While it doesn't have direct support for MongoDB, you can use one of the supported databases as an alternative.

2. 000webhost: 000webhost is another free web hosting provider that supports PHP, MySQL, and FTP. While it doesn't offer direct support for Node.js and MongoDB, you can look into using alternative databases or explore workarounds.

3. Render: Render provides a generous free tier that supports Node.js applications and MongoDB. It offers automatic SSL certificate generation, auto-scaling, and other useful features. It's worth considering if you want a hassle-free hosting experience.

Please note that while these hosting services offer free plans, they may have limitations on resources, bandwidth, and storage. Consider these factors and read their dоcumentation to ensure they meet your project's requirements.

- netlify.com - 3 years of excellence
- vercel.app - combining simplicity and power
- repl.it - offering great features for Python, Go, and other languages. Impressive!

Everyone knows how to deploy their code from GitHub to Netlify, as well as from GitLab and Bitbucket. Just push to the master branch and magically, your project is live! The best part? It's all free, and you can even use your own domain.

And let's not forget about VScale! With 8 years of experience, they provide full control over your infrastructure for a smooth and hassle-free experience.

Deploy a NodeJS app on Google Cloud Platform using the free plan

To accomplish this, you will need:
- Google App Engine (which serves as the Node server)
- Google Cloud Storage (for hosting static files like HTML, CSS, and JS, though you can also use GitHub Pages for this if the repository is not private)
- Google Firebase (for data storage, read operations, and simple non-competitive queries). Alternatively, you can use a database on another site by making a request to retrieve data using $.fetch/ axios.get/ $.post.

Are there any limitations? They are sufficient for small projects and tests. As for billing data, you can search for more information on Google.

Here's how you can set up the server:

1) Register on Google Cloud Platform and create an application. Provide billing information (don't worry, you won't be charged until you need to pay, and you'll receive a notification to confirm the payment).
2) Open the Cloud Shell console for the server.
3) Upload the necessary code to the server using git clone or any other convenient method.

For the initial setup, you can follow the Quickstart instructions provided by Google.

Once your site/application is uploaded and running on the server, and you have checked its functionality and want to publish it, follow these steps:

1) Open the application folder in the console and execute the command:

gcloud app deploy

2) Wait for the process to complete, and then enter the command:

gcloud app browse

This will provide you with a URL that you can share—a link to your Node project.
The URL will resemble this: https://YOUR_PROJECT_ID.appspot.com

Consider Render. It offers a free tier with easy deployment from GitHub and supports Node.js out of the box. However, the free plan has limitations on uptime and resources, which might be a dealbreaker for a serious portfolio.

Next up is Glitch. It's user-friendly and perfect for prototyping. You can quickly spin up a Node.js app, but performance can be sketchy, especially with MongoDB integrations. If you're looking to showcase a polished project, Glitch might not cut it when you need reliability.

Lastly, there's Vercel. It's primarily geared towards front-end frameworks, but you can deploy serverless functions for Node.js. MongoDB can be integrated, but if you're looking for a full-fledged backend experience, this might feel like a workaround rather than a robust solution. If your portfolio is your calling card, don't settle for subpar hosting—invest in something that reflects your skills.