PythonAnywhere Hosting Review
Tags: python, webdev, django
Published: 2021-04-05 14:41:01

<h4>Looking For Python Webhosting?</h4>
<p>I'm a programmer by day and aspiring blogger/product reviewer by night so I needed somewhere to host <a href="https://www.iceorfire.com/index">IceOrFire</a>. I write Python in my spare time so I wanted somewhere to host a Python based website. <strong>Spoiler:</strong> I chose PythonAnywhere.</p>
<h4>So What Is PythonAnywhere?</h4>
<p>PythonAnywhere is a full hosting solution for Python-based websites. Basically, it offers an online file editor, full linux terminal access, MySQL/Postgres databases, and web hosting options like Let's Encrypt,  and DNS setup.</p>
<h4>Full Disclosure</h4>
<p>This post contains affiliate links.</p>
<h2>What Are The Perks Of PythonAnywhere?</h2>
<p>Here's what I found in no particular order...</p>
<h4>No System Administration Required</h4>
<p>I'm not a system administrator or devops expert and honestly it doesn't interest me that much. I just want to write some code and not worry about the infrastructure. That's where <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pythonanywhere.com/?affiliate_id=002e0d0f">PythonAnywhere</a> shines for me: they handle everything except for the code. All you have to do is install packages in pip, create your virtual environment, and write your code.</p>
<h4>It's Cheap</h4>
<p>I pay $5 per month for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pythonanywhere.com/?affiliate_id=002e0d0f">PythonAnywhere</a> hosting. You just need a domain name such as (Google Domains which I use) and you have a website. $5 x 12 months + $10 for hosting = $70 per year in webhosting costs.</p>
<h4>Reliability</h4>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.pythonanywhere.com/?affiliate_id=002e0d0f">PythonAnywhere</a> has great uptime. Other than the occasional planned downtime for maintenance, it's never been down for me.</p>
<h4>Great Support</h4>
<p>Any time you have a question, you can message the admins and they'll get back to you by email. They only focus on Python so they're going to know the answer to your problem.</p>
<h2>What Are The Cons Of PythonAnywhere?</h2>
<p>No honest review would only focus on the positives. Here's my gripes with the service...</p>
<h4>Postgres Costs Extra</h4>
<p>If you want to use Postgres instead of MySQL, you'll have to pay more than $5 per month. MySQL works fine for IceOrFire so it's not really a problem for me. It might be a problem for you depending on your use case.</p>
<h4>PythonAnywhere Is In London And I'm American</h4>
<p>This isn't a problem for me unless I'm running into a problem <strong>Now</strong> and it's night time in London. They are very good at answering questions but depending on the time of day that I ask, I may have to wait until the next morning to get a response. I don't blame <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pythonanywhere.com/?affiliate_id=002e0d0f">PythonAnywhere</a> because they're responsive and I can't expect them to answer me in the middle of the night (London time).</p>
<h4>The Service Is For Small/Medium Sites</h4>
<p>Yet again, this may not apply to you. IceOrFire isn't Reddit: I don't need a super powered server that handles millions of hits per hour. For a small to medium site, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pythonanywhere.com/?affiliate_id=002e0d0f">PythonAnywhere</a> is responsive and works great. If (fingers crossed) this site ever gets HUGE, I will need a more powerful service. Honestly, you can't expect the world for $5 per month.</p>
<h2>Verdict: Do You Recommend PythonAnywhere?</h2>
<p>Obviously, I do recommend using PythonAnywhere because I'm hosting <a href="https://www.iceorfire.com/index">IceOrFire</a> on it. It's a great deal at $5 per month for a small to medium site with the ease of use and great customer support.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.pythonanywhere.com/?affiliate_id=002e0d0f">Sign me up!</a></p>
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