Northflank

Start with a project and a Git-backed service

Northflank’s documented first deployment begins with a project, whose region determines where its resources are hosted. Add a combined service, choose a repository and branch, then select a Dockerfile or buildpack. You can set runtime variables, build arguments, secret groups, health checks, and ports during setup. The service starts building the latest commit after creation; CI and CD are enabled by default, so later commits to the tracked branch can trigger new builds and deployments.

For a web API, expose the application’s listening port as a public HTTP port. Northflank can detect ports exposed in a Dockerfile, and its docs say it generates TLS certificates for public ports. A project can also contain a database addon and secret groups, allowing same-project resources to communicate over an isolated network without public endpoints. If traffic or build load rises, adjust compute or instance count; the platform distributes incoming traffic across instances.

Infrastructure location and cost

Northflank offers managed cloud and bring-your-own-cloud deployment. The Developer Sandbox is free and is limited to two services, two jobs, one addon, and up to one BYOC cluster; Northflank says this tier is for exploration and hobby work, not production. A payment method is required before creating resources even on the free plan. Managed-cloud resources are usage-billed, while BYOC customers also pay their cloud provider; Northflank charges platform fees for BYOC clusters and provisioned compute, with storage and network costs also relevant.

One planning constraint is that a project’s region cannot be changed after it is created. Choose the region before deploying, and estimate the full bill using current resource and provider rates rather than treating the free account tier as free compute.