I’m Kayla. I code on a tiny kitchen table with a cup of cold coffee nearby. I love Replit, but I needed other free spots to code when my projects got weird. So I went hunting. I used each tool below on my M2 Air and my kid’s school Chromebook. Some days I had spotty Wi-Fi. That matters.
Quick note: I later pulled my notes into a separate roundup of free Replit alternatives that actually worked for me if you just want the highlights.
Here’s what clicked, what didn’t, and where I still go when I just need stuff to run.
Fast picks (so you don’t scroll forever)
- Want front-end only? CodePen or StackBlitz.
- Want Node with quick share links? Glitch.
- Want full dev boxes from Git repos? GitHub Codespaces or Gitpod.
- Want React/Vue with live previews and collab? CodeSandbox.
- Want Python notebooks? Google Colab.
- Want quick ML demos in a free space? Hugging Face Spaces.
- Want tiny free back-ends? Deta Space.
And if you’d rather skip code entirely and drop a quick site online, ZyWeb lets you build and publish with drag-and-drop in minutes.
Now, the stories.
GitHub Codespaces — “Feels like my laptop, but in a tab”
I used Codespaces to fix a bug in a Next.js site while on a train. I opened the repo, picked a machine size, and boom: full VS Code in my browser. Node and Git were already there. Ports showed up with nice little links. I even added secrets for a Stripe key without leaking it. Felt safe.
The good:
- Real dev box. Terminal, extensions, the works.
- Port forwarding is clean. Live preview is solid.
- It handled my Django app too. I exposed port 8000 and it just worked.
The rough bits:
- Free tier has limited hours. I blew through them in a week once and had to wait till the next month.
- Cold starts can be slow with big repos. I made tea while it built. Twice.
Who should try it: Folks with GitHub repos who need a real environment, not a toy.
StackBlitz — “Node runs right in the browser. Wild.”
I opened a fresh Next.js project on a plane. No internet for a bit. It still ran. StackBlitz uses WebContainers, so Node runs in your tab. I tweaked a Tailwind class and saw the change right away. It felt like magic.
The good:
- Instant front-end starts. Crazy fast hot reload.
- Works offline for many cases. Saved me when Wi-Fi dropped.
- Great for React, Vue, Svelte demos.
The rough bits:
- No Python or system-level stuff. It’s very JavaScript-y.
- Big monorepos can feel cramped.
Who should try it: Front-end devs who want speed and a quick share link.
CodeSandbox — “Live previews and smooth collab”
I used CodeSandbox to teach my cousin React state. We both typed at once, kind of like the interactive lessons you see on Codecademy. The preview updated as I talked. I also spun up a small Vite app and pushed changes to GitHub without leaving the browser.
The good:
- Live collaboration feels natural.
- Previews are quick. Starter templates are handy.
- Works fine on an iPad with a keyboard case. I tried it on a couch.
The rough bits:
- Free plan is fine, but heavy projects can feel tight.
- Some containers sleep. Wake-ups can take a bit.
Who should try it: Teachers, students, and front-end folks who want a clean, low-friction setup.
Glitch — “Remix, edit, ship a small Node app in minutes”
I made a tiny emoji API on Glitch for my group chat. I hit Remix on a starter, added a few routes, and shared the link. Logs were clear. .env was simple. It felt friendly. For folks comparing Replit's rivals, here’s a play-by-play of what actually worked when I tried them.
The good:
- So easy to start. Share links are instant.
- Great for Node and small Express apps.
- The editor is simple. I never got lost.
The rough bits:
- Free apps sleep when idle. My bot took a nap mid-test. Oops.
- Storage is small. Big node_modules get grumpy.
Who should try it: Quick prototypes, class labs, tiny tools.
Gitpod — “Open a repo, get a real dev box, ship”
I used Gitpod to run a Django app with Postgres. I added a .gitpod.yml, exposed ports 8000 and 5432, and set prebuilds. When a teammate opened it, everything just started. That saved time on setup calls.
The good:
- Clean GitHub and GitLab links. One click from a repo.
- Prebuilds save your future self. Less waiting.
- VS Code feel, with dev container support.
The rough bits:
- Free hours are limited. I hit the cap during a busy sprint.
- First boot can be slow with big images.
Who should try it: Teams who need the same dev box, every time.
CodePen — “Front-end sketches that you can share fast”
I use CodePen for little CSS tests and teach kids how to tweak buttons. HTML, CSS, JavaScript all in one place. You can embed a Pen in a blog post too. Handy for quick show-and-tell.
The good:
- Instant feedback. No setup.
- Great for animations and UI bits.
- Easy to share with non-devs.
The rough bits:
- No back-end. It’s front-end only.
- Asset hosting is limited on free.
Who should try it: Designers, students, and anyone who thinks with their eyes first.
Google Colab — “Python notebooks, free GPUs sometimes”
I trained a tiny model to sort fruit names. I’d actually brushed up on some Python basics over on Exercism beforehand, which helped. It ran fine on the free tier with a CPU. I also used pandas to clean a messy CSV from a school project. It’s not a web app host, but it’s great for data.
The good:
- Python ready with many libs preloaded.
- Good for quick ML, data work, and demos.
- Saves in Drive. Easy to share as notebooks.
The rough bits:
- Sessions time out. I lost a run once after lunch.
- Not for full web apps or long jobs.
Who should try it: Data folks, students, and curious tinkerers.
Hugging Face Spaces — “Share ML demos like candy”
I built a small image caption demo with Gradio. Pushed the repo, and the Space built itself. Friends tried it right away. Logs helped when a pip version clashed.
The good:
- Free CPU Spaces for small apps.
- Clean build logs. Decent web editor for tweaks.
- Great for Streamlit or Gradio apps.
The rough bits:
- Cold starts can be slow.
- Hardware is limited on free. Large models crawl.
Who should try it: Makers who want to show AI demos without fuss.
Deta Space — “Tiny back-ends that stay free”
I used Deta Space to host a FastAPI endpoint for a grocery list app. The web editor was fine, and the CLI felt simple. I stored items in Deta Base and returned JSON. It held up for my small use. I’d been hunting for something lighter than BoltNew for quick endpoints, and this BoltNew alternative actually worked for me.
The good:
- Free for small projects. Friendly docs.
- Easy deploys. Simple DB for little data.
- Good for bots, webhooks, small APIs.
The rough bits:
- Not for heavy traffic.
- Logs are basic. Still okay for tiny stuff.
Who should try it: Folks who need a small, always-on back-end.
So… which one do I pick?
I don’t stick to one. I mix.
- Teaching or fast UI tests: CodePen or StackBlitz.
- Node prototypes with quick links: Glitch.
- Team repos with real Linux boxes: GitHub Codespaces or Gitpod.
- React/Vue work with collab: CodeSandbox.
- Data or ML notebooks: Google Colab.
- Public AI demos: Hugging Face Spaces.
- Tiny free APIs: Deta Space.
You know what? I still use Replit too. It’s comfy. But these fill gaps when I need a different shape of work.
Little tips that saved me
- Keep secrets in each platform’s secret tool. No .env in Git.
- Watch free hour limits. Set a calendar nudge. I forget; maybe you do too.
- Pin your Node version. Mismatch pain is real.
- Use small repos for faster cold starts. Trim dev deps. Your future self will smile.
- Save a README with run steps. Helps when you return after a week.
- Need a brain break? One laugh-inducing scroll through fucklocal.com can shake off tunnel vision and send you back to the editor refreshed, thanks to its