Experiences on free and low-cost hosting for play framework applications? [closed]

Question

I'd like to know your experience finding a host for play applications on free or low-cost servers

So far now I found the following options:

• Playapps (discontinued)

  A cloud hosting solution by zenexity, the company behind play framework
  module: http://www.playframework.org/modules/playapps-1.4/home
  princing: http://www.playapps.net/pricing

• Google Application Engine

  module: http://www.playframework.org/modules/gae-1.4/home
  cons: can't use mysql, should not use JPA
  Instead of JPA it is advised to use siena
  http://www.playframework.org/modules/siena-2.0.0/home

  nice example: http://viralpatel.net/blogs/2011/01/first-play-framework-gae-siena-application-tutorial-example.html

• Cloudbees

  module: http://www.playframework.org/modules/cloudbees
  floss: http://www.cloudbees.com/foss/
  tutorial: http://wiki.cloudbees.com/bin/view/RUN/Playframework

• dotCloud

  module: http://www.playframework.org/modules/cloudbees
  princing: https://www.dotcloud.com/pricing/
  (there's a free plan with 10MB db)

• AWS - Amazon Web Services

  pricing: http://aws.amazon.com/en/ec2/#pricing
  pricing: http://aws.amazon.com/en/elasticbeanstalk/#pricing
  samples:
  http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-javadev2-19/index.html
  http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/java/library/j-javadev2-16/index.html

• Heroku for play!

  princing: http://blog.heroku.com/archives/2011/8/29/play/
  (seems like you get 1 web dyno + 5mb postresql dabate for free)
  sample: http://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/play

Do you have any experience with one of these?

Any other option you know?

Hampden

This is not a forum. You cannot poll people for their opinions as there is no concrete answer to your question. – Rajkot

This is a reasonable question if you interpret it as 'which options exist', albeit a question that is only loosely about programming. The question should probably be 'community wiki'. – Happy

I thought, in fact I still think, it would be a useful thread, although I agree it might not be not exactly a "question", but a wiki page like peter said... – Hampden

Answer 1

I had a bad experience with GAE, as you are forced to work with their API for many things, some components don't work as GAE blacklists some package they require, etc. Also, moving from GAE to another platform can be painful.

Amazon can get expensive depending on the resources you use. I don't know about the others.

The standard option would be Playapps.net, the basic plan is cheap and it provides everything you might need.

Another alternative is to pick a cheap Linode and set it up yourself. It's a bit more expensive and more work, but better value for the bucks.

Frisbee

oh, yes, I forgot about playapps... I guess I was more focused on free alternatives – Hampden

if it's not a big deal, I would recommend spending the 10$ on Playapps.net or 20$ on Linode. Some of the services you get (backup, etc) make them worthy, and they are still relatively cheap. If it absolutely has to be free, go for GAE. You'll be kinda locked in, but it's free :) – Frisbee

Playapps.net appears to be dead. – Ial

Answer 2

I am big fan of Cloudbees. I have hosted a few apps there and the load time is fast. Also, they have good support and a great team.

Larch

Unfortunately they just force us to move out from hosting our apps there: cloudbees.com/faq-customers-runcloud#Q1 – Epiphenomenon

Answer 3

I've just found a new free option

http://community.jboss.org/blogs/thomas.heute/2011/08/12/lets-play-on-the-red-hat-cloud-using-the-play-framework-on-openshift-express-and-jbossas7

Red hat cloud, Openshift express... I'll update the question...

Hampden

Note that this involves packaging the Play application as a WAR and deploying it in a Servlet container, instead of running a native Play application. – Happy

you're right, I hope red had finds a way to provide native support, I mean, netty is part of jboss stack...isn't it? – Hampden

Answer 4

another option I've just found is VmWare's cloudfondry

here is a tutorial on how to configure it for play! apps

http://iambivas.blogspot.com/2011/08/running-play-framework-application-on.html

no pricing yet, but I guess there will be an affordable option...

edit: a new module for play

module: http://www.playframework.org/modules/cloudfoundry

Hampden

Answer 5

an article talking about unexpensive java hosting solutions

http://veerasundar.com/blog/2009/12/hosting-java-applications-in-the-web/

Hampden