alwaysdata vs Clever Cloud for French PaaS
alwaysdata and Clever Cloud are both French platforms for running web apps without managing a server, but they target different people. alwaysdata is flexible classic hosting with a free-forever plan. Clever Cloud is a Heroku-style PaaS built for teams and sovereign hosting.
At a glance
Choose alwaysdata for a free or €5 home for personal sites and small apps with SSH and databases. Choose Clever Cloud for production apps that need Git push deploys, autoscaling, Docker and managed add-ons on European sovereign infrastructure.
Choose alwaysdata if
- You want a free plan that does not expire
- Your project is a personal site or small PHP, Python or Node.js app
- You like SSH access and classic hosting flexibility
Choose Clever Cloud if
- You need Git push deploys, autoscaling and managed database add-ons
- Your app ships as a Docker image
- A client or employer requires a sovereign European PaaS
Key differences
| alwaysdata | Clever Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Free forever: 1 GB SSD, 256 MB RAM | One-time signup credit, no card |
| Paid entry | €5/month excl. VAT | Per-second usage billing |
| Deployment | SSH, SFTP or Git on a hosting account | Git push to a managed PaaS |
| Docker | Not supported | Supported |
| Commercial use on free | Positioned for personal needs | Allowed while credits last |
| Infrastructure | Hosted in France | European sovereign infrastructure with partners |
PaaS
1 GB SSD, 256 MB RAM and a quarter CPU share, positioned for personal needs, with no time limit
Paid from €5/month excl. VAT
- Free for life, not a trial
- 1 GB SSD storage
- 256 MB RAM and a quarter CPU share
- Permanent free plan rather than a trial or one-time credit
- Classic hosting flexibility: many languages, databases, SSH and cron on one account
- 1 GB of storage and 256 MB of RAM fit only small sites and apps
Best for
- Personal sites, small PHP or Python apps and student projects
- Developers who want SSH access and a database without managing a server
PaaS
One-time free credits at signup with no payment card; the amount is not published on the pricing page
Paid from Per-second usage billing
- Free credits at signup, no payment card required
- Per-second billing on actual usage
- Monthly account funding adjusted to real usage
- Heroku-style Git deploys from a European company
- No payment card needed to try it
- No permanent free tier; the signup credit runs out
Best for
- French and EU companies that need a sovereign PaaS
- Teams moving off Heroku who want Git deploys and managed add-ons
The catch?
alwaysdata
- Commercial use restricted
- Some constraints remain unconfirmed
Clever Cloud
- Trial that expires
- Some constraints remain unconfirmed
Detailed comparison
| alwaysdata | Clever Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier & pricing | ||
| Free tier ↑ better | Perpetual ★ | Signup credit |
| Paid from ↓ better | €5/mo | Usage-based |
| Regions ↑ better | 1 region | — |
| PaaS | ||
| Included RAM ↑ better | 256 MB | — |
FAQ
alwaysdata has a free-forever plan with 1 GB of SSD and 256 MB of RAM, positioned for personal needs. Clever Cloud gives free signup credits with no card, but they run out.
Clever Cloud, because it offers Git push deploys, autoscaling, Docker and managed add-ons, and bills per second. alwaysdata suits personal projects and very small sites.
Both are French companies. alwaysdata hosts its platform in France; Clever Cloud runs on European sovereign infrastructure, including partners such as OVHcloud and Scaleway.