HACKER Q&A
📣 dfdeath

Simple paid deployment service for monetizing an open source app?


I have an open source app that's moderately successful and a few folks have shown interest in paying for a cloud/hosted version. However, setting up and managing a cloud service isn't something I'm particularly interested in doing, so I've been looking for an out-of-the-box option that seems like it should exist.

Basically it'd allow me to provide a docker image and config info, maybe some other setup, and then allow the user to easily deploy it on infrastructure somewhere.

It'd be awesome if they could choose the infrastructure they want, pay them directly, and just pay me a separate fee for on-going support, early updates, etc.

Things are containerized enough these days it seems like it should be possible, but I haven't found anything like this.

Any recommendations?


  👤 PaulHoule Accepted Answer ✓
It's funny how many startups crowd into certain areas but often miss the critical point.

About 10 years ago I was interested in offering a paid API based on some code I wrote. I was absolutely overwhelmed with the number of "API Management" startups but could not find a single one that integrated a payment gateway so I could sell access.

I really couldn't get it because every other feature offered by these vendors was a "nice to have" feature but having the payment gateway is the difference between having a business and not having a business.

I talked to plenty of people at these companies and never got a clear pictures of why it was that way but I think you're facing the same problem today.


👤 rishabhkaul1
There seem to be MANY companies in this space.

One I am aware of is https://www.restack.io/