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Cloud Server Decision Table

Choose infrastructure by use case, not by brand loyalty.

Answer six questions first. Static websites, Mini Programs, and AI API gateways have different hosting logic.

6-question selector

Clarify the job before buying.

The first version is static. No backend, no database, no personal-data collection.

Recommendation

Choose a purpose to see a static recommendation.

Scenarios

Core scenarios.

Free website

Free website hosting: useful for validation, risky for real payment flows

Use free static hosting for content, portfolios, and early SEO validation. Do not use it as a shortcut for payment, account, or API-heavy products.

 WeChat Mini Program

WeChat Mini Program backend: mainland hosting and ICP are the normal path

A Mini Program backend needs legal domains, HTTPS, filing readiness, and stable APIs. Overseas hosting is usually not the primary backend path for China-first Mini Programs.

 AI API gateway

AI API gateway: server choice matters, but abuse control matters more

Hong Kong VPS can work for a small gateway MVP, but limits, upstream health, abuse detection, billing evidence, and kill switches decide whether it survives.

 Hong Kong VPS

Hong Kong VPS: good for no-ICP websites and gateway MVPs, not magic

Hong Kong hosting avoids mainland ICP filing and can be workable for developer tools, but bandwidth, latency, overage, and compliance boundaries must be checked.

 10k DAU

10k DAU: stop betting everything on one box

At 10k DAU, peak traffic, database load, cache, CDN, and abnormal traffic matter more than the headline server size.
Core comparison

Candidate plans.

Every price is treated as a verification target. Do not treat promo price as renewal price.

Global

Cloudflare Pages

Official free tier 0 USD
Spec
Verify official page
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_allowed
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Global

GitHub Pages

Official free tier 0 USD
Spec
Verify official page
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_allowed
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Global

Vercel Hobby

Needs verification 0 USD
Spec
Verify official page
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_allowed
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Global

Netlify Free

Needs verification 0 USD
Spec
Verify official page
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_allowed
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Mainland China

Tencent Cloud Lighthouse

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
2C / 4G / 5Mbps
ICP/Mini Program
ICP path / recommended
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Mainland China

Tencent Cloud Lighthouse

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
4C / 8G / 8Mbps
ICP/Mini Program
ICP path / recommended
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Mainland China

Tencent Cloud CVM

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
4C / 8G
ICP/Mini Program
ICP path / recommended
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Mainland China

Alibaba Cloud Simple Application Server

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
2C / 4G / 5Mbps
ICP/Mini Program
ICP path / acceptable
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Mainland China

Alibaba Cloud ECS

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
4C / 8G
ICP/Mini Program
ICP path / acceptable
API gateway
not_recommended
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Hong Kong

Tencent Cloud Lighthouse

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
2C / 4G / 30Mbps / 2048GB
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_primary_backend
API gateway
mvp_ok
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Hong Kong

Tencent Cloud Lighthouse

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
4C / 8G / 35Mbps / 5120GB
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_primary_backend
API gateway
mvp_ok
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Hong Kong

Alibaba Cloud Simple Application Server

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
2C / 4G
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_primary_backend
API gateway
mvp_ok
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Hong Kong

Alibaba Cloud ECS

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
4C / 8G
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_primary_backend
API gateway
scale_ok
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Hong Kong

Vultr Cloud Compute

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
2C / 4G
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_allowed
API gateway
mvp_ok
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Singapore

DigitalOcean Droplets

Needs verification Verify official page
Spec
2C / 4G
ICP/Mini Program
Not ICP primary / not_allowed
API gateway
mvp_ok
Risk
Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Official source
Provider/Product Region Spec Price ICP/Mini Program API gateway Risk note
Cloudflare
Pages 		Global Verify official page Official free tier
0 USD 		Not ICP primary
not_allowed		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
GitHub
Pages 		Global Verify official page Official free tier
0 USD 		Not ICP primary
not_allowed		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Vercel
Hobby 		Global Verify official page Needs verification
0 USD 		Not ICP primary
not_allowed		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Netlify
Free 		Global Verify official page Needs verification
0 USD 		Not ICP primary
not_allowed		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Tencent Cloud
Lighthouse 		Mainland China 2C / 4G / 5Mbps Needs verification
Verify official page 		ICP path
recommended		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Tencent Cloud
Lighthouse 		Mainland China 4C / 8G / 8Mbps Needs verification
Verify official page 		ICP path
recommended		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Tencent Cloud
CVM 		Mainland China 4C / 8G Needs verification
Verify official page 		ICP path
recommended		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Alibaba Cloud
Simple Application Server 		Mainland China 2C / 4G / 5Mbps Needs verification
Verify official page 		ICP path
acceptable		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Alibaba Cloud
ECS 		Mainland China 4C / 8G Needs verification
Verify official page 		ICP path
acceptable		 not_recommended Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Tencent Cloud
Lighthouse 		Hong Kong 2C / 4G / 30Mbps / 2048GB Needs verification
Verify official page 		Not ICP primary
not_primary_backend		 mvp_ok Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Tencent Cloud
Lighthouse 		Hong Kong 4C / 8G / 35Mbps / 5120GB Needs verification
Verify official page 		Not ICP primary
not_primary_backend		 mvp_ok Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Alibaba Cloud
Simple Application Server 		Hong Kong 2C / 4G Needs verification
Verify official page 		Not ICP primary
not_primary_backend		 mvp_ok Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Alibaba Cloud
ECS 		Hong Kong 4C / 8G Needs verification
Verify official page 		Not ICP primary
not_primary_backend		 scale_ok Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Vultr
Cloud Compute 		Hong Kong 2C / 4G Needs verification
Verify official page 		Not ICP primary
not_allowed		 mvp_ok Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
DigitalOcean
Droplets 		Singapore 2C / 4G Needs verification
Verify official page 		Not ICP primary
not_allowed		 mvp_ok Verify pricing, traffic, renewal, and regional network quality before purchase.
Human review

Unsure about the stack? Do not buy blind.

The first version uses static contact only. Send purpose, budget, user region, and payment needs by email before a formal form is added.

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