Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PythonAnywhere VS surge.sh

Compare PythonAnywhere VS surge.sh and see what are their differences

PythonAnywhere logo PythonAnywhere

Host, run, and code Python in the cloud: PythonAnywhere

surge.sh logo surge.sh

Static website hosting for front-end developers.
  • PythonAnywhere Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • surge.sh Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-20

PythonAnywhere features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    PythonAnywhere provides a user-friendly interface with pre-configured settings, which makes it simple for beginners to deploy and manage Python applications without the need to manage server infrastructure.
  • Integrated Development Environment
    It includes an in-browser code editor and Python console, making it convenient to edit and run code on the go without needing to install any software locally.
  • Affordable Pricing
    Offers various pricing tiers, including a free tier, which is very attractive for small projects, prototypes, and learning purposes.
  • Scalability
    Offers options to scale applications as needed, making it suitable for growing projects that may require additional resources over time.
  • Built-in Python Libraries
    Comes pre-installed with many common Python libraries and frameworks, saving users the time and effort of setting up dependencies.
  • Built-in MySQL Support
    Provides built-in support for MySQL databases, making it straightforward to set up and manage databases for your applications.
  • Automated Backups
    Includes automated backup features to help secure your data and provide peace of mind.

Possible disadvantages of PythonAnywhere

  • Limited Customization
    The pre-configured environment limits customization options, which may be a drawback for more advanced users who require specific configurations or installations.
  • Free Tier Limitations
    The free tier has significant limitations, including restricted CPU time and storage space, which can hinder more demanding applications.
  • Performance
    Shared plans might experience slower performance during peak times due to the shared nature of the infrastructure.
  • Lack of Root Access
    Users do not have root access to the underlying system, which can be a limitation for deploying certain types of applications or custom services.
  • Support Limitations
    While it offers community support and documentation, the level of professional support might not meet the needs of all users, especially those on lower-tier plans.
  • Limited Language Support
    Primarily focused on Python, which may not suit all projects, especially those requiring multi-language support.
  • Resource Constraints
    Lower-tier plans have stringent resource limits (CPU, RAM, storage), which can be restrictive for resource-intensive applications.

surge.sh features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Surge.sh offers a simple and intuitive interface for developers to deploy static websites quickly with a minimal learning curve.
  • Free Tier
    It provides a generous free tier, allowing developers to deploy sites without cost, which is beneficial for hobby projects or initial development stages.
  • Custom Domain
    Surge.sh supports custom domains, giving users the ability to deploy their site under a personalized web address easily.
  • Instant Deployment
    Deployments on Surge.sh are incredibly fast, often taking just seconds, which enhances productivity and reduces downtime.
  • HTTPS Support
    It includes built-in HTTPS support, ensuring that sites are secure without the need for manual SSL certificate management.

Possible disadvantages of surge.sh

  • Static Sites Only
    Surge.sh is designed specifically for static sites, so it does not support server-side logic, databases, or back-end functionality.
  • Limited Configuration Options
    It offers fewer customization options compared to other more complex deployment services, potentially limiting flexibility for advanced use cases.
  • File Size Limits
    There are file size and total site size limitations, which could be restrictive for large projects or media-heavy websites.
  • No Built-in CI/CD
    Surge.sh lacks integrated continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) workflows, which are available in other services like Netlify and Vercel.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Services for Enhancements
    For added features like backend services, developers will need to integrate third-party services, which could complicate the deployment architecture.

Analysis of PythonAnywhere

Overall verdict

  • Overall, PythonAnywhere is considered a good option for those seeking a reliable, straightforward, and affordable way to host Python applications. While it might not cater to the needs of very large scale or highly customizable environments, it is well-suited for personal projects, small to medium-sized applications, and educational purposes.

Why this product is good

  • PythonAnywhere is a popular choice for hosting Python applications because it offers a convenient and user-friendly platform for both beginners and experienced developers. Its cloud-based service allows for easy deployment and execution of Python scripts without the need to manage physical servers. The platform supports web development frameworks like Flask and Django, provides a variety of integrations and is equipped with a web-based interactive console, which makes it highly accessible for many users.

Recommended for

    PythonAnywhere is especially recommended for Python developers (beginners and intermediates), educators, students, and hobbyists who are looking for an easy and quick way to deploy and host their Python applications or who need an online python environment for coding practice.

PythonAnywhere videos

Python Anywhere with pythonanywhere - Simplified Python VPS hosting

More videos:

  • Review - Deploy Python Flask App on Pythonanywhere.com
  • Review - PythonAnywhere in one minute

surge.sh videos

Introducing Surge

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PythonAnywhere and surge.sh)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Static Site Generators
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
53 53%
47% 47
Website Builder
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PythonAnywhere should be more popular than surge.sh. It has been mentiond 55 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PythonAnywhere mentions (55)

  • [Offer] I need someone to set up a webhook in my WordPress site and a Python server with listener + bot
    The website is already built. Each comment will have a reddit post URL, and the bot should leave a comment on that URL. We can use pythonanywhere.com for this to make it easiest. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Flask and web hosting
    If you are learning, use pythonanywhere.com as they specialize in python, and make setup easy. Only $5 a month. Start with a barebones flask app, get it to run, then follow a tutorial. Actually better to build the app locally, easier to test with IDE like Pycharm. Then upload to the net. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Redirecting client to my server via a external server
    Hello, I have a Minecraft server running on a Rpi with Paper. It works great and I use it to play with some of my friends. However, the server's public IP address often changes, meaning that I have to give my friends the new IP address daily. Being a programmer, I feel this could be automated. I don't want to buy a domain, so I want to try and setup a system where the server sends Its IP to my PythonAnywhere... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Question Gallery WebApp Django or Flask?
    Hosting wise, I would reccomend pythonanywhere.com, combined with either https://imagekit.io or https://cloudinary.com. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Cheap Heroku alternative for PHP MySQL app
    So what is the best alternative? I have one Plotly Dash app on pythonanywhere.com where I spend 6 bucks a month so I don't want to spend anymore than 5 dollars per month on the PHP + MySQL. Source: over 3 years ago
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surge.sh mentions (29)

  • Cloudflare Drop
    I found https://surge.sh to be a nice version of this kind of thing. Just go into a folder and type `surge` and there you go. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Have a Fucking Website
    If you already have your HTML and CSS, just upload it to https://surge.sh/ or another one of the bajillions of static site hosting services. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • I tested free subdomain hosting for WebTiles so you don't have to
    Yoursite.surge.sh - normal usage requires the surge NPM module installed, then to be invoked from the exact folder on your system within the commandline terminal, but has multiple alternative deployment guides. Unlimited free subdomains. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • 100+ FREE Resources Every Web Developer Must Try
    . Netlify : Deploy your web projects with ease. . Render : Host web applications and static sites effortlessly. . GitHub Pages: Host your static websites directly from your GitHub repository. . Firebase Hosting: Scale your web apps effortlessly with Firebase. . Vercel: Deploy websites and applications with automatic deployments. . Cyclic.sh: Host your static sites with zero configuration. . Appwrite:... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Automated delivery React / Vue app for each Pull Request.
    We need to have a unique name per each PR to differentiate the builds. In order to release an app with a unique name, we are using PR number from CircleCI and deploy it via Surge service. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PythonAnywhere and surge.sh, you can also consider the following products

Heroku - Agile deployment platform for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala. Setup takes only minutes and deploys are instant through git. Leave tedious server maintenance to Heroku and focus on your code.

GitHub Pages - A free, static web host for open-source projects on GitHub

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

Vercel - Vercel is the platform for frontend developers, providing the speed and reliability innovators need to create at the moment of inspiration.

DigitalOcean - Simplifying cloud hosting. Deploy an SSD cloud server in 55 seconds.

Netlify - Build, deploy and host your static site or app with a drag and drop interface and automatic delpoys from GitHub or Bitbucket