Expense problem due to removal of Heroku's free tier from November 2022

[DB-db-dron]

Any suggestions and opinions are gratefully welcomed. Thanks in advance.

The Problem

Hi, I am the maintainer of this API.
As you already know this is a free API and I want to keep it free always. This has been possible so far only because of Heroku's free tier. I was working on handling the increasing traffic and making the API available 100% of the time by distributing the functionality.

But Heroku recently announced that they would be removing the free tier entirely. They mentioned a student plan but details about it were not clearly stated.

Because of this, all the planning and implementation that I was doing to improve API performance while minimizing expenses so that the API can continue to be free is now wasted as it will be very expensive for me.

The API depends on the build-pack feature provided by Heroku which I have not found in other similar services. So, to shift the codebase to a different hosting, I have to modify a major portion of the source code.

As of now, I am not certain about what to do next about this soon-arriving problem though I am eager to continue maintaining and improving the API.

Heroku announcements

https://help.heroku.com/RSBRUH58/removal-of-heroku-free-product-plans-faq
https://blog.heroku.com/next-chapter

[SHASWAT2000-loves-logic]

Hi,

So, what have you thought about this issue, because I think your website is down.

[shlomo20]

Hi, have you looked at https://railway.app
I have been using them and only have positive feedback.

[Tarctic]

You can get the heroku student plan if you're a student. I got it through signing up for GitHub Pro for students and then linking it to my heroku account. For getting the GitHub Pro plan, you just need a document or ID that proves that you're a student. Also, the heroku student plan is only for 1 year.

You can also check out other free website hosting sites:
https://themeisle.com/blog/best-free-website-hosting/

[KudahShambare]

Cyclic is also an option. I use it for Free to deploy node.js backend APIs

[DB-db-dron]

I am planning to resume the API service with some due improvements, which I believe will enhance its overall performance and functionality. In doing so, I believe it is necessary to charge a minimum fee to prevent excessive and unchecked usage while also covering the cost of maintaining a paid deployment.

Although my intention is not to earn a profit from this API service, I want to ensure it's smooth running without crashes and limited availability. Therefore, I am proposing a pricing plan of

• 2 dollars per 10,000 requests or
• 2 dollars per 5,000 requests

However, I am open to suggestions and flexible with the pricing.

I highly value your thoughts and ideas on this matter, as your feedback will help me to make informed decisions. Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions on this matter.

Thank you in advance for your time and input.

Best regards,
Dron

[KudahShambare]

I agree with you, $2 for 10 000 or even 5 000 is reasonable, you can actually setup a GoFundMe for the API, I can help by sharing with contacts