What to choose
Timeweb Cloud Apps or Netrun: which one to pick
In short
Timeweb Cloud Apps is part of a large cloud platform, and platforms like that usually work as a construction kit: you pick a service, a machine size and a region, then wire the pieces together. Netrun does one thing: it takes your code and turns it into a working HTTPS link, with no server size, region or service list to choose. If your project needs a full set of cloud services, stay with the big provider. If you only need a site, a bot or a script to stay online without you touching infrastructure, Netrun is the simpler fit.
People usually look for a Timeweb Cloud Apps alternative not because something there is broken, but because the job turned out smaller than the tool. Timeweb Cloud Apps is part of a large cloud platform, and such platforms are generally built as a kit of services you wire together for your scenario. That breadth is a strength, and it comes with an entry cost. Before you see your site in a browser you have to decide which service you need, at what size, in which region, and how it connects to the rest.
The usual path to a live link runs through picking a service, a machine size, a region and an environment. Netrun has none of those choices: you upload your code, the platform works out the language, builds the project, starts it and hands you a public HTTPS address. Below is an honest look at who each approach suits, and how to move a project across if you decide to try.
Say out loud what you actually need#
Describe the job in one sentence without using the word "cloud". If it comes out as "I need this site to open at a link" or "I need my bot to answer around the clock", the job is small and a full cloud provider is probably more than you need. If it comes out as "I need a database somebody else administers, file storage and several servers for different roles", that is an infrastructure job and it belongs in a big cloud.
Compare the approach, not the service list#
A large cloud platform usually hands you a construction kit: services you wire together for your scenario, with the freedom to tune almost everything. Netrun works the other way around: one prepared route from a folder of code to a link. We deliberately do not ask about machine size, region or base image, because for a typical site, bot or script those questions do not move you closer to the result.
Stay with the big provider if you need the full set of services#
To be blunt: we do not offer a managed database as a separate service, we have no object storage or CDN, and there is no SSH access inside the container. If your project needs those, or several servers for different roles, the right choice is a large cloud platform rather than Netrun. Trying to assemble that on our side through workarounds is a bad idea, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
Pick Netrun if the job is turning code into a live link#
Our scenario is a pet project, a portfolio, a Telegram bot, a dashboard, a small service or a site you want people to see today. Upload an archive or import a repository from GitHub, answer a couple of questions about secrets, and you get an HTTPS address. No Docker, no nginx, no certificates: if none of that interests you, you never have to learn it.
Get the project ready to move#
Moving usually takes minutes, because the requirements are much the same. Check three things: the app listens on the port from the PORT environment variable rather than a hard-coded one, it binds to 0.0.0.0 instead of localhost, and keys and tokens are read from environment variables rather than sitting in the code. Strip installed dependencies and build output from the archive, because they are installed again during the build.
Upload the code and check the link#
Upload the project as a ZIP archive or import a repository, including a private one, and set the same secrets you had before. Logs and publishing status show in your dashboard in real time, so a startup error is visible immediately instead of appearing as a blank page. If you want to check first without signing up, the project check page takes an archive and tells you whether the language is detected and the project will start.
This is not a question of who is better, but of how big the job is. Real infrastructure with managed databases, storage and a fleet of servers belongs with a cloud provider. One working link without reading infrastructure documentation belongs with us: the free plan holds one project, which is enough to see how it feels, and the Pro plan adds round-the-clock uptime and your own domains. Current prices and limits are shown in your dashboard. Try Netrun.
Common questions
How is Netrun different from Timeweb Cloud Apps?
The difference is the size of the job. Timeweb Cloud Apps is part of a large cloud platform, and such platforms usually give you a set of services you assemble into infrastructure for your project. Netrun does one thing: it takes your code and turns it into a working HTTPS link, without asking about machine size, region or base image.
Can I move a project from Timeweb Cloud Apps to Netrun?
Usually yes, and with almost no code changes. If the app already reads the port from the PORT environment variable, binds to 0.0.0.0 and takes its keys from environment variables, you just upload an archive or import the repository from GitHub and set the same values as secrets. The project gets a new link, so remember to update it wherever you had published it.
What if my project needs a database?
We do not offer a managed database as a separate service. There are two workable paths: run the database as a second service in your own docker-compose file next to the app, or connect an external database and pass the connection string as a secret. If you specifically want a database administered for you, with backups and monitoring from the provider, that belongs in a big cloud.
Does the project redeploy itself after a git push?
No, there is no automatic deploy on git push. Updating the code is an action in your dashboard: upload a new version as an archive, or refresh from GitHub. The link stays the same, so nobody has to change it.
Is there object storage, and do files survive a code update?
We have no separate object storage and no CDN. For files that must survive a code update and a restart there is a persistent /data folder with its own tab in the dashboard: file list, download, upload and delete. For projects with their own docker-compose, the named volumes from your file play that role instead.
Do I have to pick a server size and a region?
No, that choice does not exist in Netrun. The platform decides where and on which machine to run the project and hands you a public HTTPS address. It is a deliberate limitation: fewer decisions at the start, but also less control over placement than a cloud provider gives you.
Do I need my own server or VPS?
No. Netrun deploys your project on its own servers. There is no VPS to rent, no systemd or nginx to configure and no certificates to renew — all of that runs for you.
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.
How much does it cost, and is there a free plan?
There is a free plan for one project. A website on it lives as long as you like: it sleeps when idle and wakes up on request. A bot or a background script runs for 3 days — enough to try everything out — and after that it needs the Pro plan. The paid plan works from your balance: you add funds, and payments are charged according to the plan. Current prices are shown on the plans page in your account.
Can I connect my own domain?
Yes, on the Pro plan, and not just one: you can connect as many of your own domains to a website as you need. Open the “Domains” tab on the project page, enter the domain you bought from a registrar, and add the DNS record shown in the hint — every next domain is added the same way. Once the domains are ready, press “Check”: Netrun checks them all at once and issues a separate HTTPS certificate for each, so a hiccup with one domain does not hold up the others. The site opens at any of your addresses, and the Netrun link stays as a backup. If you connect a whole domain (for example myshop.com), you can add one more record so the site also opens with www. This is for websites — a bot or a background script does not need a domain.