Why I Chose Oracle Cloud Always Free for My Production Server

Asep Sayyad — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 14:23:29 +0000

When I wanted to host my own applications, I had one big problem---I
didn't want to pay every month for a VPS.

I was still learning Linux, Docker, and DevOps, so I wanted a place
where I could make mistakes, learn, and build real projects without
worrying about monthly costs.

That's when I found Oracle Cloud Always Free.

At first, I thought, "There must be a catch." A cloud server that stays
free forever sounded too good to be true.

After using it for my own projects, I realized it was exactly what I
needed.

Why I Didn't Choose Other Free Hosting

There are many free hosting services, but most of them have limits.

GitHub Pages is great for static websites.
Vercel is excellent for frontend applications.
Some free VPS providers only stay free for a limited time.
Many platforms don't give full control over the server.

I wanted a real Linux server where I could install anything, run Docker
containers, manage my own networking, and learn how production systems
work.

Oracle Cloud Always Free gave me that freedom.

What Oracle Cloud Always Free Gives You

With the Always Free tier, I could get:

A Linux virtual machine
SSH access
A public IP address
Block storage
Full root access
The freedom to install any software I wanted

It felt like having my own server in the cloud.

Why It Was Perfect for Learning DevOps

One of the biggest reasons I chose Oracle Cloud was the experience it
gave me.

Instead of only reading tutorials, I was able to work with real tools
like:

Linux
Docker
Reverse proxies
DNS
SSL certificates
Cloudflare
GitHub Actions
Server monitoring

These are the same technologies used by many companies.

If you're new to DevOps, building your own infrastructure is one of the
best ways to gain practical experience and confidence.

The Challenges I Faced

It wasn't always easy.

I made plenty of mistakes along the way.

Some of the challenges included:

Running everything on just 1 GB RAM
Learning Docker networking
Fixing DNS problems
Setting up SSL certificates
Configuring firewalls
Recovering from server issues

Every problem taught me something new.

Looking back, those challenges helped me learn much faster than simply
following tutorials.

Why I Still Use It

Even today, Oracle Cloud Always Free is still a great platform for:

Hosting personal projects
Learning Linux
Practicing DevOps
Building Docker applications
Running multiple websites
Experimenting without monthly costs

It may not replace a large production server, but it is more than enough
for learning and small real-world projects.

What This Series Will Cover

In this series, I'll share everything I learned while building my own
production infrastructure.

Upcoming articles include:

Building Production Infrastructure on Just 1 GB RAM
Setting Up Docker for Multiple Applications
Managing Multiple Domains with Nginx Proxy Manager
SSL Certificates with Let's Encrypt
Cloudflare Setup for Better Security
Monitoring a Low-Resource Server
Backups and Disaster Recovery
Common Problems I Faced and How I Fixed Them
What I'd Do Differently If I Started Again

Final Thoughts

Oracle Cloud Always Free gave me much more than a free server.

It gave me a place to learn, experiment, break things, fix them, and
gain real DevOps experience.

If you're just starting your DevOps journey, I highly recommend building
your own projects instead of only watching tutorials.

You'll learn much more by doing.

Next Article: Building Production Infrastructure on Just 1 GB RAM

Question for You

If you could build one project on a free cloud server today, what
would it be? Let me know in the comments!

Hello DEV! I'm Asep

Asep Sayyad — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 14:04:21 +0000

I'm Asep, a Linux and DevOps enthusiast from India.

I enjoy working with Linux servers, Docker, networking, Cloudflare, Oracle Cloud, and self-hosted applications. I like building projects, solving technical problems, and sharing what I learn along the way.

This blog is where I'll write about my real experiences, including things that worked, things that failed, and the lessons I learned from both.

Here are some topics you can expect:

Linux administration
Docker and containers
Oracle Cloud Always Free
Self-hosting applications
Networking, DNS, and reverse proxies
AI tools and automation
Open-source projects
Troubleshooting guides

I believe the best way to learn is by building real projects and solving real problems. Every challenge teaches something new, and I want to document that journey so others can learn from it too.

I'll also share updates about my open-source projects, how I build them, the problems I face, and the solutions that work.

If you're interested in Linux, DevOps, self-hosting, or automation, I hope you'll find these posts useful.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to connecting with the DEV Community.

If you'd like to see what I'm working on, you can find me here:

Portfolio: asepsayyad007.in
GitHub: asepsayyad007 on GitHub

I'm always open to feedback, suggestions, and discussions. Feel free to connect!

What's the best self-hosted tool or service you've discovered recently?

DEV Community: Asep Sayyad