Complete Cloud Hosting Guide: AI Systems on Cloud

Budget: €10/month | Use Case: AI systems deployment | Research Date: June 2025

Quick Comparison Table

Provider	Cost	CPU	RAM	Storage	AI Suitable	Setup Time	Risk
Oracle Always Free	€0	4 ARM + 0.5 x86	26GB	220GB	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	1-2h	⚠️ Medium
Hetzner + Coolify	€8.79	2 vCPU	4GB	40GB	⭐⭐⭐⭐	2-3h	🟢 Low
Railway	$8-15	Shared	512MB	1GB	⭐⭐	15min	🟢 Low
Google Cloud Free	€0	0.25-2 vCPU	1GB	35GB	⭐⭐	30min	🟢 Low

Oracle Cloud: Always Free vs Trial vs Paid Specifications

Oracle Always Free Resources (Forever)

Resource Type	Specifications	Limitations	Value
ARM Compute (A1)	4 OCPUs, 24GB RAM total	Must stay within 4 OCPU/24GB limit	~$200/month value
x86 Micro (E2)	2×(0.125 OCPU, 1GB RAM)	Fixed micro instances only	~$15/month value
Block Storage	200GB total	Shared across all instances	~$20/month value
Object Storage	20GB standard tier	Standard tier only	~$1/month value
Autonomous DB	2×(1 OCPU, 20GB storage)	Limited OCPU hours/month	~$100/month value
Network	10TB egress monthly	No premium networking	~$900/month value
Load Balancer	1 flexible + 3 network	10Mbps bandwidth limit	~$20/month value

Oracle Trial Credits ($300 for 30 days)

Service Category	Access Level	Specifications Available	After Trial
All Compute Shapes	✅ Full access	Up to 1,760GB RAM, 114 OCPUs	❌ Reclaimed
GPU Instances	✅ Available	H100, A100, MI300X	❌ Reclaimed
Premium Storage	✅ Unlimited	High-performance, backup	❌ Reverts to 20GB
Advanced Networking	✅ All features	FastConnect, VPN, premium	❌ Basic only
AI Services	✅ Full access	Vision, Language, Speech	❌ Limited/paid
Database Options	✅ All tiers	Enterprise, Exadata	❌ Always Free only

Oracle Paid Compute Specifications (Post-Trial)

Shape Family	CPU Range	RAM Range	Cost per Hour	AI Suitability
VM.Standard.E4.Flex	1-114 OCPU	1-1,760GB	$0.0395/OCPU+$0.0055/GB	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
VM.Standard3.Flex	1-56 OCPU	1-896GB	$0.0405/OCPU+$0.0065/GB	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
VM.Standard.A1.Flex	1-80 OCPU	1-512GB	$0.01/OCPU+$0.0015/GB	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ AI Optimized
BM.GPU.H100.8	112 OCPU	2,048GB + 8×H100	$30.48/hour	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ultimate
BM.GPU.A100.8	128 OCPU	2,048GB + 8×A100	$21.80/hour	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ High-end

Cost Comparison: Free vs Paid for AI Systems

Configuration	Always Free	Trial (30 days)	Paid (Monthly)	AI Capability
Small AI (4GB RAM)	✅ Free (ARM A1)	✅ Free	$6-18	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Medium AI (16GB RAM)	✅ Free (ARM A1)	✅ Free	$24-65	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Large AI (64GB RAM)	❌ Exceeds limit	✅ Free	$96-260	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enterprise AI (256GB RAM)	❌ Exceeds limit	✅ Free	$384-1,040	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
GPU AI (H100×8)	❌ No GPU	✅ Free	$22,550	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What Happens During Trial → Always Free Transition

Resource	During Trial	After Trial (No Upgrade)	Impact
Large Compute	114 OCPU, 1,760GB possible	Max 4 OCPU, 24GB ARM	Major reduction
Storage	Unlimited object storage	20GB limit, excess deleted	Data loss risk
Databases	All database services	2 Always Free DBs only	Service reduction
Support	Limited technical support	Community forums only	Support loss
Advanced Features	GPU, premium networking	Basic networking only	Feature loss
Instance Types	All shapes available	A1 Flex + E2 Micro only	Limited options

Strategic Usage During Trial

Phase	Recommended Actions	Resource Focus	Outcome
Week 1-2	Experiment with large instances	Test 32-64GB AI models	Learn capabilities
Week 3	Test GPU instances for training	H100/A100 experimentation	Understand GPU benefits
Week 4	Plan Always Free architecture	Design within 4 OCPU/24GB	Prepare transition
Before Expiry	Data backup and migration	Export models, databases	Avoid data loss

Complete Provider Analysis

Always Free Providers Reality Check

Provider	Free Compute Forever	Trial Value	Geographic Focus
Oracle Cloud	✅ 4 CPU, 24GB RAM	$300, 30 days	Global
Google Cloud	✅ 1 CPU, 1GB RAM	$300, 90 days	Global
Render	✅ 512MB web apps	None	Global
IBM Cloud	❌ APIs only	$200, 30 days	Global
AWS	❌ 12-month limit	None	Global
Azure	❌ 12-month limit	$200, 30 days	Global
Chinese Providers	❌ Credits only	Varies, 15 days-12 months	Asia
European Providers	❌ No free tier	€50-€100 credits	Europe

Cost Effectiveness for AI Systems

Provider	Monthly Cost	RAM for AI	12-Month Total	Large Model Support
Oracle Always Free	€0	24GB	€0	✅ Yes
Hetzner + Coolify	€8.79	4GB	€105.48	⚠️ Medium models
Google Cloud Free	€0	1GB	€0	❌ Small models only
Railway	$12+	0.5GB	€144+	❌ API services only

AI System Requirements & Platform Suitability

AI Model Resource Needs

• Small AI models (1-2GB RAM): Basic NLP, simple computer vision
• Medium AI models (4-8GB RAM): Advanced CV, moderate language models
• Large AI models (16GB+ RAM): Large language models, complex AI systems

Platform AI Capabilities

Provider	Small Models	Medium Models	Large Models	GPU Support
Oracle Cloud	✅ Excellent	✅ Excellent	✅ Yes	❌ Paid only
Hetzner + Coolify	✅ Good	✅ Good	❌ No	❌ No
Railway	⚠️ Limited	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No
Google Cloud	✅ Basic	❌ No	❌ No	❌ Paid only

Setup Complexity Analysis

Provider	Skills Required	Learning Curve	Time Investment
Oracle Cloud	Cloud networking, VCN setup	Medium	1-2 hours initial
Hetzner + Coolify	Docker, Linux admin	Medium	2-3 hours learning
Railway	Git workflow only	Easy	15-30 minutes
Google Cloud	Basic cloud concepts	Easy	30 minutes

Key Research Findings

✅ Major Discoveries

• Only 3 providers offer real always-free compute worldwide
• Oracle Cloud specs rival paid enterprise plans from other providers
• Chinese cloud providers offer no meaningful always-free options
• European providers focus on paid excellence, no free tiers

⚠️ Important Limitations

• Oracle account risk: Suspension reports exist but affect minority
• Technical complexity: Self-hosted options require DevOps knowledge
• Resource constraints: Most free tiers insufficient for serious AI work
• Geographic restrictions: Some providers limited to specific regions

🔍 Surprising Insights

• Oracle 24GB RAM vs Google 1GB RAM shows massive gap in free offerings
• Trial credits disappear but always-free resources continue indefinitely
• ARM processors (Oracle) often outperform x86 for AI inference
• Network egress can be expensive - Oracle’s 10TB free is generous

Final Recommendations

For €0 Budget (Always Free)

• Oracle Cloud - Only viable option for serious AI systems (24GB RAM)
• Google Cloud - Basic AI services and APIs only (1GB RAM)
• IBM Cloud - Watson AI APIs without compute infrastructure

For €10 Budget (Paid Options)

• Oracle Always Free + saved budget - Best overall value
• Hetzner + Coolify - Reliable paid option within budget
• Scaleway - European alternative, slightly over budget

For AI Development Strategy

• Start with Oracle Cloud - Experiment with large models for free
• Use trial credits from multiple providers for additional resources
• Plan migration path to paid services if scaling beyond free limits

Conclusion

Oracle Cloud Always Free tier is unmatched in the cloud industry for AI development. No other provider offers 24GB RAM permanently free, making it the only realistic option for serious AI experimentation without budget constraints.

Key takeaway: For AI systems on cloud with €10 budget constraint, Oracle Cloud’s always-free tier provides enterprise-grade resources at €0, leaving your entire budget available for other tools, data, or paid services when needed.

Risk mitigation: While account suspension risk exists, the value proposition is extraordinary. Keep trial accounts with Google Cloud and Azure as backup options, and maintain good practices to minimize Oracle account risks.

Bottom line: Start with Oracle Cloud for AI development, experiment freely with large models, and upgrade to paid services only when scaling beyond the generous always-free limits.