The 100 Free Hours Strategy: How to Deploy Free for 6 Months
You shipped your side project on a free tier. Two weeks later you hit a billing page and your inbox is full of upgrade reminders. The free tier gave you momentum—then took it away at the worst possible moment.
SnapDeploy's model is different. You receive a one-time allocation of 100 container runtime hours that never expire. Hours count only when your container is actively running. That simple change—runtime accounting instead of calendar accounting—lets you control how long free hosting actually lasts.
This guide explains how the model works, why it matters, and exactly how to stretch 100 runtime hours into months of usable deployment time.
How the 100 Hours Work
- Allocation: 100 runtime hours, one-time credit
- Consumption: Hours count only while a container is running
- Pause behavior: Paused or stopped containers consume zero hours
- Persistence: Pausing preserves container state, volumes, environment variables, and custom domains
- Wake time: Containers resume in 10–30 seconds
- Expiry: Hours never expire—use them over any time period
No monthly reset pressure. You decide when runtime is consumed.
The Math: How 100 Hours Becomes 6 Months
How long 100 hours lasts depends entirely on usage patterns:
| Scenario | Usage Pattern | Monthly Hours | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend Developer | 8 hours/weekend | 32 hrs | ~3 months |
| Daily Short Tests | 2 hours/weekday | 40 hrs | ~2.5 months |
| Demo-Only Usage | 2 hours/week | 8 hrs | ~12 months |
| Smart Pause Strategy | 4-hour blocks, never overnight | 16–20 hrs | 5–6 months |
The difference between running out in a week and stretching across months is operational, not technical. A container left running 24/7 burns 100 hours in just over 4 days. The same container used deliberately lasts half a year.
The Pause Feature: Your Most Powerful Tool
Manual pause is the single most impactful control for extending free runtime.
How to Pause and Resume
Pause: Dashboard → Containers → Select container → Click "Stop"
Container stops immediately. Hours stop counting. All data and settings remain.
Resume: Click "Start". Container boots in 10–30 seconds. Hours resume.
What Pause Preserves
- Volumes and persistent data
- Environment variables
- Networking configuration
- Custom domain links (return 503 until resumed)
Manual Pause vs. Auto-Sleep
| Feature | Auto-Sleep | Manual Pause |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | 30 min inactivity | You click a button |
| Wake | Automatic on request | Manual resume required |
| Best for | Variable traffic | Predictable work sessions |
| Hour savings | Moderate | Maximum |
If you know when you won't need a service—nights, long weekends, after a demo—manual pause is always the most efficient choice.
5 Strategies to Maximize Your Free Hours
1. Structured Development Workflow
What to do: Use predictable work blocks. Morning session, pause for lunch, afternoon session, pause at end of day. Never leave containers running overnight.
Why it works: Predictability eliminates accidental idle runtime. When runtime has a cost, scheduled sessions align developer behavior with resource consumption.
Example: A developer with two 3-hour daily sessions uses 30 runtime hours/month instead of 720 hours if left running 24/7. That's 3+ months of free hosting instead of 4 days.
2. Demo Mode
What to do: Keep the container paused by default. Resume 5 minutes before a demo. Pause immediately after.
Why it works: Demos are short and scheduled. Minimal resume time (10–30 seconds) means presentations stay reliable while most calendar hours go unconsumed.
Example: A weekly 1-hour demo uses just ~4 hours/month—your 100 hours last over 2 years.
3. Local-First API Development
What to do: Do core development and unit testing locally with Docker. Deploy to SnapDeploy only for integration testing and external validation, then pause.
Why it works: Local Docker replaces continuous cloud runtime for most development work. Cloud deployment becomes a targeted validation step, not the default environment.
Example: Integration testing windows of 1–2 hours per feature keep cloud runtime efficient while your local environment handles the heavy lifting.
4. Portfolio Showcase
What to do: Keep the project paused and resume only when sharing links with recruiters or interviewers.
Why it works: Recruiters and hiring managers need short, reliable access windows to verify your projects. 10–30 second wake time keeps the experience smooth.
Scenario: You apply to five jobs in a week. For each application, you resume the container for 10 minutes so the recruiter can click through your live project, then pause. Total runtime: under 1 hour/week. Your 100 free hours last well over a year while keeping a live, impressive portfolio ready on demand.
5. Monitoring Discipline
What to do: Before every session, check remaining hours in the dashboard. Estimate your session duration. Pause immediately when finished.
Why it works: The model rewards small operational habits. Preventable idle runtime is the primary cause of credit exhaustion.
The dashboard shows: Total hours allocated (100), hours used, hours remaining, and per-container runtime breakdown. Transparent counters prevent surprises.
The Web Interface: Quick Checks Without Burning Hours
The browser-based interface lets you perform common tasks without keeping the full container running. This is a productivity multiplier that directly saves runtime hours:
- Browse database tables — no pgAdmin or local client needed. Check data instantly.
- Run SQL queries in the browser — quick ad-hoc checks without spinning up a full development environment.
- CSV import/export — move data in and out without writing ETL scripts.
- Saved queries and history — reuse common checks without retyping.
- Role-based access — share read-only views with recruiters or testers while keeping write access locked down.
Interview demo example: You pause your portfolio container by default. For an interview, you resume, open the web console to show the database tables, run a saved query that loads sample data, and walk the interviewer through the app state. Total process: less than a minute to resume, a few clicks to load data. Reliable, professional, and minimal hour usage.
Free Tier Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Runtime hours | 100 (one-time, never expire) |
| Containers | 2 maximum |
| RAM per container | 512 MB |
| Custom domains | Subdomain only (no custom domains) |
| Database add-ons | Available as paid add-ons |
These constraints make the free tier ideal for MVPs, prototypes, portfolios, internal tools, and staging deployments. The runtime model is the differentiator—not raw resource scale.
How It Compares to Other Free Tiers
| Platform | Free Tier Model | Gotchas |
|---|---|---|
| Render | 750 hrs/month, auto-spin-down | Containers sleep after 15 min inactivity. Cold starts can be slow. No manual pause—you can't control when hours are consumed. |
| Railway | $5 one-time trial credit | Credit burns fast if container runs 24/7. ~100 hours at cheapest tier. No pause feature. Post-trial free tier is only $1/month. |
| Fly.io | Trial credits for new users | Complex pricing model. Scale-to-zero is supported but less predictable. Original 3-free-VMs offer grandfathered for legacy users only. |
| Heroku | No free tier (since 2022) | Cheapest option is $5/mo Eco dyno. No free path at all. |
| SnapDeploy | 100 one-time hours, never expire | Manual pause for full control. Transparent counters. Predictable model that rewards deliberate usage. |
When Free Hours Run Out
- Upgrade to Hobby ($9/month): Unlimited runtime hours with auto stop/start features. Best for projects that have validated their use case during the free tier.
- Earn more hours: SnapDeploy offers additional hours through the feedback rewards program and bug reporting bounties.
- Contact support: For burst needs or temporary upgrades, reach out to discuss pay-as-you-go options.
Conclusion
Free container hosting should give you momentum, not take it away. SnapDeploy's runtime-first model transfers control to you. With simple habits—scheduled sessions, demo-mode pauses, local-first development, and the browser console for quick checks—100 runtime hours becomes a practical resource for months of development and professional visibility.
Plan your sessions. Use the pause feature. Rely on the browser console for quick checks. That combination delivers predictable, useful free hosting that supports real-world workflows.
Control runtime. Preserve hours. Ship faster.
Ready to start? Create a free account and deploy your first container. For pause workflow details, see Free Container Hosting. For upgrade options, see Pricing.
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