One of the biggest hurdles many users face is the trend toward “everything as a service”, with subscription systems and extra costs piling up. Developers are no exception, and for them the price tags can be even steeper. The portal Free For Dev serves as a directory of free programs and services aimed at infrastructure developers—think system administrators or DevOps specialists—and from what we’ve seen so far, its selection criteria are very demanding.
Something as simple as comparing the price of a final product and its development kit proves that many developers must face astronomical costs to do their work. Software is no exception, and beyond the promises associated with the concept “as a service,” the bills are getting bigger and bigger.
That’s where the so-called “free tiers” come to the rescue: free profiles that let you access a part of those services without leaving a kidney on the table. The Free For Dev portal aims to compile and publish a list of those free tiers across hundreds of services, always prioritizing developers, system administrators, IaaS/PaaS specialists, and everyone who works “behind the scenes.” Are you part of that group? Then you need to see this.
Free For Dev: Directory of free services for developers
One of the first things that stands out about Free For Dev is that its selection criteria are very well defined. All its offerings are “as-a-Service,” and there are no self-hosting alternatives. Another fundamental detail—and one we definitely approve of—is that the services mentioned must offer real free modes, meaning no disguised “free trials” or ridiculous requirements.
In addition, the people behind Free For Dev go a step further by filtering these free tiers by time and security. If there are time limits, the free mode must allow at least 12 months of access. As for security, the list accepts no cuts or restrictions: for example, if a service limits TLS to premium users, it won’t appear in Free For Dev.
Despite these conditions, Free For Dev’s list is enormous. Its table of contents alone has more than 45 entries, and some of them include dozens of additional links. Granted, its content is not meant for the general user, but if you plan to dip your toes into the waters of software development and your budget is limited, you should start with a visit to Free For Dev.
Official site: Click here
