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Hugging Face Spaces

Apps 4.1/10

Python/Gradio/Docker app host that can expose APIs and demos.

Card required
No

Hugging Face Spaces scores 4.1/10 for free value in Apps. The main constraint: Free CPU Spaces exist; sleeping/restarts make realtime bots unreliable.

Category Apps Kind User-owned runtime Caveats Not ideal for always-on Telegram unless paid or externally woken. Renewal monthly Card required No Eligibility anyone

Free value score

4.1 / 10
Show the math
Overall 4.1/10
value = 4.1/100
weighted_components_v1
Runtime value 1/10
value = 0.1 $/mo
fixed_log_v1
Always-on fit 5.9/10
value = 5.9/100
policy_score_v1
Deploy friction 9/10
value = 9/100
policy_score_v1

Key metrics

Bandwidth
Build minutes
n/a Function calls
0 Custom domains PRO required

What you get

Free CPU Spaces exist; sleeping/restarts make realtime bots unreliable.

User-owned AI backend, demos, batch tools, custom agents.

Gotchas

  • Sleeps after inactivity

    Free-tier Spaces automatically go to sleep after a period of inactivity and cold-start on the next request, making always-on services unreliable.

  • CPU Basic only (2 vCPU / 16 GB)

    Free hardware is limited to 2 vCPU and 16 GB RAM; GPU acceleration starts at $0.40/hr and is not available on the free tier.

  • No persistent disk

    The 50 GB disk attached to free Spaces is ephemeral and wiped on each restart; persistent storage requires a paid add-on.

  • No protected/private visibility on free

    Protected Space visibility (private source, public app) requires a PRO or Team/Enterprise plan; free users get only public or fully private Spaces.

  • Port access restricted to 80/443/8080

    Outbound network requests are limited to ports 80, 443, and 8080; other ports are blocked.

  • No GPU on free tier

    All GPU hardware tiers (T4, L4, A10G, A100) are pay-as-you-go and unavailable on the free CPU Basic plan.

  • Unlimited public Spaces

    There is no published cap on the number of free CPU Spaces a user can create; usage is effectively unlimited for public demos.

Sources

python docker ai user-owned

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