i generally deploy apps via Heroku.

it's not the cheapest... it's definitely not the cheapest. starts at $7 per month, per "dyno," which is their unit of measure for a virtual server.

other platforms offer the ability to host a bunch of apps on 1 (saving money at scale), but for me, $7 and a lot of nice dev ops automation are worth it.

in one click you get 40,000 transactional emails /month for free via Sendgrid. in another click you can activate cron jobs on 10 minut intervals, also free. and in just a few more clicks you get free app logging, free database storage, and on and on.

the couple apps i own that are hosted via Digital Ocean or Engine Yard, i regret hosting there. for the rapid maker, long live Heroku.