A PythonAnywhere and Replit alternative: where to move
PythonAnywhere, Replit and Glitch are the familiar first platform: code right in the browser, one button to run, nothing to configure. The trouble starts when the project stops being a classroom exercise. The free plan cuts down internet access and running time, the project sleeps or stops, the browser editor is cramped for a real codebase, and the paid plan asks for a foreign card that many people simply do not have.
Netrun solves the same problem from the other end: it is not an editor, it is a place to run things. You write code where you are used to — in your own editor, together with an AI, in GitHub. Here you bring a finished project: as an archive or by importing a repository. The platform then detects the language, builds the project and issues a public link. Let us go through what changes when you move.
Take your code out of the browser editor
Download the project from PythonAnywhere, Replit or Glitch as an archive, or push it to a GitHub repository. You do not need to take the folders with installed dependencies or the virtual environment — we rebuild those. What matters is the code itself, the dependency list file and the list of settings you configured in the panel.
Move settings into secrets
Write down every key, token and password that lived in the old platform panel, and make sure your code reads them from environment variables rather than from strings. During project setup Netrun asks for these values and stores them encrypted.
Check how the app listens on its port
On browser platforms the port is often set for you. Here a web app must listen on the port from the PORT environment variable, and on all addresses rather than only the local one. For popular frameworks — Django, Flask, FastAPI, Express, Next.js — we work out the start command ourselves, but a port hard-coded in your code still has to go.
Upload the project
Upload the archive or connect a GitHub repository, including a private one. Netrun detects the language, installs the dependencies, builds the project and starts it. Build and startup logs are visible in your dashboard in real time, so if something does not add up the reason is right in front of you.
Pick a plan that fits your project type
This is an important difference from the platforms you are used to. A website on the free plan lives with no time limit: it sleeps when idle and wakes up when someone opens the link. A bot or a background script runs for three days for free — enough to check everything — and then needs the Pro plan. Payment works with a Russian card, a bank transfer or cryptocurrency; no foreign card is needed.
Moving off a browser platform is mostly about carrying settings over and checking how the app listens on its port. In exchange you get a normal workflow: your code on your side, publishing from an archive or a repository, and payment the way you are used to. Try Netrun.
Common questions
How is Netrun different from PythonAnywhere and Replit?
Netrun is not a code editor in the browser, it is a place to run things. You write the code in your own editor or generate it with an AI, and bring the finished project here as an archive or from GitHub. In exchange there is no cramped web editor and no stripped-down free environment: the platform detects the language, builds the project and issues a public link.
Do I need a foreign card to pay?
No. You can pay with a Russian card, a bank transfer or cryptocurrency. That is one of the main reasons people leave foreign platforms: the service itself is fine, but there is no way to pay for it.
Will my project sleep on the free plan?
A website will: it sleeps when nobody uses it for a while and wakes up when someone opens the link. The first response after a pause is a little slower. There is no overall time limit for a website. A bot or a background script runs for three days on the free plan and then shuts down — permanent operation needs the Pro plan.
Can I edit code directly on the platform?
No, we do not replace a browser code editor. To publish a new version, update the code in the project — the platform rebuilds it at the same address. That is different from the Replit habit of editing and running in one window.
Which languages are supported besides Python?
Python, Node.js, Go, Rust, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Deno, Bun, Elixir, static sites and bash scripts. The language is detected from your code automatically.
Which languages and technologies are supported?
Python, Node.js, Go, Rust, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Deno, Bun, Elixir, static sites and bash scripts. You can bring your own Dockerfile or docker-compose, but more often the stack is detected from your code automatically.
Can I pay with a Russian card or via SBP?
Yes. You can add funds with a Russian card or via SBP, even though prices are shown in dollars. Your card is charged the ruble amount at the current rate — no foreign card and no currency exchange on your side. Besides card and SBP we also accept cryptocurrency.
Why does my website sometimes sleep?
On the free plan, websites sleep after being idle and wake up in a couple of seconds on the first request. On the Pro plan your project runs without sleeping.