The Challenge
Can you run a real tech business — with users, content, and revenue — without paying for any infrastructure?
After a month of experimentation, the answer is yes.
The Complete Free Stack
Compute & Hosting
| Service | Free Tier | What I Use It For |
|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud VM (e2-micro) | 1 instance always free | 24/7 automation scheduler |
| Vercel Hobby | 100 GB bandwidth | 8 web apps deployed |
| Cloudflare | Unlimited CDN | DNS + SSL |
AI & APIs
| Service | Free Tier | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini API | 25,000 credits/month (AI Ultra) | Content generation |
| GitHub API | 5,000 requests/hour | App data |
| Dev.to API | Unlimited | Article publishing |
| X/Twitter API | 1,500 tweets/month | Social automation |
Storage & Database
| Service | Free Tier | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | 500 MB database | User data |
| GitHub | Unlimited repos | Code + assets |
| Google Drive | 15 GB | File storage |
Business Tools
| Service | Free Tier | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | No monthly fee | Payment processing |
| Gumroad | No monthly fee | Digital products |
| Product Hunt | Free listing | Launch platform |
| Google Search Console | Free | SEO monitoring |
Total Monthly Cost
$0.
The only costs are transaction fees when you actually make money (Stripe 2.9% + $0.30, Gumroad 10%).
The Catches
- Google Cloud VM — e2-micro has 0.25 vCPU and 1 GB RAM. Enough for Node.js schedulers, not enough for heavy computation.
- Vercel — 100 GB bandwidth sounds like a lot until you go viral. Have a backup plan.
- API Rate Limits — Design your automation to respect limits. Use exponential backoff.
When to Start Paying
The $0 stack works until you hit real traction. Scale when:
- You consistently exceed free tier limits
- You need better uptime guarantees
- Revenue covers the cost with comfortable margin
The Strategy
Launch free. Validate with real users. Only pay for infrastructure when the revenue justifies it.
The old startup model of “raise money, burn through it on servers” is dead. In 2026, your first dollar of revenue can be pure profit.