"Django Hosting Options"
Tags: django, python, devops, beginners
Published: 2020-09-04 22:02:11

---
title:  "Django Hosting Options"
description: Free and paid Python Django web hosting.
---

[Django](https://www.djangoproject.com/) websites can be deployed on any number of hosting providers. The first choice is deciding whether to use a Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) option or a virtual private server (VPS). A PaaS is an easier albeit more expensive option that can handle many deployment issues with minimal configuration. A VPS is less expensive and provides total control but requires more knowledge and effort to setup.

## Platform-as-a-Service Options

### [Heroku](https://www.heroku.com/)
[Heroku](https://www.heroku.com/) is the original PaaS. It has a free tier for small projects and progressive pricing as a site grows in size. There is also a robust [add-on ecosystem](https://elements.heroku.com/addons/#data-stores) for additional services like database hosting, caching, logging, and more. Check out the [Heroku Django Getting Started Guide](https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/deploying-python).

### [PythonAnywhere](https://www.pythonanywhere.com/details/django_hosting)
[PythonAnywhere](https://www.pythonanywhere.com/details/django_hosting) is another PaaS option that specializes in online Python environments. It also features a free tier and upgraded plans that start at $5/month. [Deploying an existing Django app is straightforward](https://help.pythonanywhere.com/pages/DeployExistingDjangoProject) and also demonstrated as part of the excellent [DjangoGirls Tutorial](https://tutorial.djangogirls.org/en/deploy/).

### [Divio](https://www.divio.com)
[Divio](https://www.divio.com) is a Django-specific platform that comes with pre-configured projects including Django CMS and Wagtail.

### [Microsoft Azure](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/develop/python/)
A managed PaaS option that includes a nice [video tutorial series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLasX02E8BPC8UJKPe1Q43MZbS4OmaCsM) with my [DjangoChat podcast](https://djangochat.com) co-host Carlton Gibson.

### [Render](https://render.com/docs/deploy-django)
[Render](https://render.com/docs/deploy-django) is a new but quite popular cloud option that allows for deploys directly from Github or Gitlab, similar to Netlify. Has options for hosted databases, cron jobs, and more.

### [Google Cloud](https://cloud.google.com/python/django/)
Google provides multiple PaaS options starting with [App Engine](https://cloud.google.com/python/django/appengine) which is where to start but continuing with multiple more advanced options including Kubernetes and Compute Engine.

### [Dokku](http://dokku.viewdocs.io/dokku/)
A lightweight, [open source](https://github.com/dokku/dokku) Docker-powered PaaS that promises to be cheaper than alternatives. There are some [good tutorials](https://www.stavros.io/posts/deploy-django-dokku/) on using it.


## Virtual Private Servers

### [Digital Ocean](https://m.do.co/c/d1f83a0a642d)
If you're comfortable doing basic server configuration, for as little as $5/month you can host your entire Django project on [Digital Ocean](https://m.do.co/c/d1f83a0a642d). They have [fantastic documentation](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tags/django?type=tutorials) and [one-click installs](https://www.digitalocean.com/products/one-click-apps/django/) for common setups like Ubuntu.

### [Linode](https://www.linode.com/?r=70d00cc48f300a318474ba61cb7e7663b6e1531b)
[Linode](https://www.linode.com/?r=70d00cc48f300a318474ba61cb7e7663b6e1531b) is another very popular VPS provider also starting at $5/month that has fantastic customer support.

### [AWS Lightsail](https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/hands-on/deploy-python-application/)
Amazon's AWS is famously complex and Lightsail bills itself as the "easiest way to get started" by offering virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking in a monthly plan. Appropriate for small applications.

### [AWS Elastic Beanstalk](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/elasticbeanstalk/latest/dg/create-deploy-python-django.html)
Elastic Beanstalk is an orchestration tool that provides a layer of abstraction over AWS's 100+ services. It does all the work to create an EC2, install apps, provides a load balancer, and so on. Lightsail is designed for prototypes while Elastic Beanstalk is more suited to **scaling** an existing application. It is likely more expensive than [raw EC2](https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/), which is just a remote Linux machine.