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Free hosting for an app an AI built.

An app an AI wrote can have its own web address on Tofu's Free plan. Here is what Free includes, what saved data and sign-in take, and when another free service may suit the app.

Updated

The short answer

Tofu's Free plan puts 1 app online at a time, with HTTPS and no credit card. It works with any coding agent: connect yours to Tofu and ask it to put the app online.

Free also includes saved data for the app (a managed database), with Google or email sign-in. Tofu sets up both from the same account. The pricing page shows what each plan includes today.

What Free includes

The Free plan and the paid plans are open to everyone. The Free plan keeps 1 app online for as long as you like. Every update gets a safety check, and earlier versions stay available to restore.

Free hosts the app's pages and the code that runs behind them.

Free includes 1 managed database for its app, which Tofu runs and pays for. Tofu keeps it for as long as the app is in your account, even when nobody uses the app.

The Free app's database also holds its sign-in accounts. People can use Google or email, and Tofu supplies the sign-in emails.

Step by step

  1. Prepare the app’s complete code

    Have your coding agent gather the app's files. If the app saves data, this guide follows one built with React and Vite that keeps its data in Supabase; your coding agent can set it up that way. Ask for a shared database and rules that keep each person's private records private. The database docs explain what the app's code needs.

  2. Connect the coding agent to Tofu

    Use the agent setup page with your coding agent. Sign in on Tofu's own page and approve the connection in your browser. No secret key goes into the conversation.

  3. Put the app online

    Ask your coding agent to put the app online on Tofu. Tofu checks the files before publishing. Wait for the result and the app's address; if the build is still running, ask for its status.

    Ask your coding agent whether the app runs code on a server or only in the browser. If it runs code on a server, ask for the database the first time you put it online. If it only runs in the browser, put it online first, then ask for the database and put it online again. The agent asks before creating a database. The app's Database page shows how its tables are set up.

  4. Connect the sign-in button

    With the Free app's database ready, ask your coding agent to add Google or email sign-in. Tofu supplies the Google connection. The app needs a button that uses it and code that keeps the person signed in. The Google sign-in guide shows the setup.

  5. Try the app before sharing it

    Open the live address and try the app's main action. If it saves data, save something and reload to check it stayed. If it has sign-in, try another account and check that private records stay private.

The choices side by side

ChoiceWhat it providesWhen it fits
Tofu FreeHosting for 1 app, with HTTPS. A managed database and Google or email sign-in are included.A first app or a small project, with your coding agent handling the setup through Tofu.
Tofu paid plansHosting with managed databases and sign-in. New versions go online without the “Shipped live by Tofu.” line.The app needs Tofu’s Stripe setup, or your account needs more room than Free offers. The pricing page lists each plan’s allowance.
Vercel HobbyHosting for personal, non-commercial projects.A personal app whose hosting you want to manage directly, with its database and sign-in arranged separately if needed.
Supabase FreeA database and sign-in for up to 50,000 monthly active users. Free projects pause after 1 week of inactivity.An app with many people signing in that already has a host for its pages, and can pause when unused.

Supabase counts the people who sign in during a month. Tofu counts every account an app holds, whether or not it signed in this month, so the two numbers are not the same thing. For the work involved in connecting the services yourself, see Tofu vs. Vercel and Supabase.

When the app grows

A paid plan adds room: more apps online at once, while the app you already have keeps its address. An app that is online keeps what it has until you publish a new version.

A new version published on a paid plan goes online without the “Shipped live by Tofu.” line. A site that went online as finished pages stays on that hosting after an upgrade; if it later needs code that runs on a server, that version goes online as a new app.

Each plan's allowances, including a custom domain, are on the pricing page. The docs cover what each step above asks for in full.

What Tofu does not do

  • Host any number of apps on Free. Free hosts 1 app at a time. A paid plan makes room for more.

  • Publish without daily or size limits. Free allows 20 uploads and 20 deployments per UTC day. The count starts again the next UTC day; the app already live keeps serving. A static site published on Free can contain up to 500 files and 50 MB.

  • Remove its line from Free pages. A small “Shipped live by Tofu.” line sits at the bottom of the pages, where Tofu can add it. An upgrade leaves an already published version as it is. Publish a new version on a paid plan to remove the line.

  • Give every app a database before it goes live. An app that only runs in the browser goes online first and gets its database after; an app whose server code Free runs can get one the first time it goes online. A site made only of finished HTML pages does not get a database; an app built with Vite can have one.

  • Give sign-in more room than the plan allows. Free has room for 5 people per app and 10 sign-in emails an hour. When the app is full, existing people can still sign in; a new person needs a free place or a larger plan. Tofu sets up Google and email sign-in. Google's window shows Tofu's name.

  • Run tasks on a timer or in the background. Tofu hosts apps that people open in a browser. It does not run tasks on a timer or programs that keep running in the background. On Free, the code behind the app has up to 60 seconds for each request it answers. A paid plan allows longer.

  • Give a finished-pages site server code at the same address. A site that went online as finished pages stays that way, even after an upgrade. If it later needs code that runs on a server, that version goes online as a new app.

  • Set up Stripe payments on Free. Tofu's Stripe connection needs a paid plan and an app that runs code behind its pages. Live payments open after the plan's first payment goes through. A link you make in your own Stripe account can go on a site without that connection. The payments docs explain both paths.

Questions

Does the Free plan expire?

No. It keeps 1 app online for as long as you like, within the Free allowance. It needs no credit card. The daily upload and deployment counts start again each UTC day.

Does a free app get a database?

Yes, Free includes 1 managed database for its app. Tofu runs it and pays for it, and keeps it for as long as the app is in your account, even when nobody uses the app. The steps above explain when to add it.

Can people sign in to the app?

Yes. The Free app can use Google or email sign-in through its managed database. Your coding agent adds the sign-in screens and the rules for what each person may see.

Can the app use a domain of its own?

Yes, on a plan that includes one. The pricing page lists the current allowance, and the app's Domains page checks it. Buy the name separately, then connect it to the app. See the domain guide for that step.

Does upgrading change the app’s address?

A site already live on Free keeps its address when you upgrade. A paid plan adds room for more apps. See the pricing page for each plan's allowance; the limits above explain when a new version or a new app is needed.

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