Karunya Students: Deploying a Full Stack Internship Project on Free Hosting Tiers

Yes, you can deploy a complete full stack internship project for free: a static or framework front end on one free host, an API on a free web-service tier, and a small managed database on a free plan. The catch is that free tiers sleep, expire, cap storage and change their terms, so the skill is choosing a combination whose limits you understand and recording everything so the project still works when a mentor opens it. This guide gives you the comparison, a deployment checklist and a table for settings and live links.

What a 14-day deployment plan looks like for a full stack project

A two-week internship leaves little room for deployment surprises. The most common failure is leaving hosting for the last evening, then discovering that a build fails, an environment variable is missing, or the database refuses connections from the host. Deploy a skeleton early and keep it live as you build.

The free two-week online internship from CareerSwami runs for 14 days, includes a free offer letter, and gives a free completion certificate after successful completion. A project that is live and documented gives you something concrete to show for those two weeks. Here is a schedule that works with that length.

Comparing free hosting options for the front end, back end and database

Free plans change often. The figures below are categories of limits to look for, not promises. Open each provider’s current pricing page on the day you sign up and note the limits in your own records.

Front end hosting

For an internship project, a static build talking to a separate API is the simplest to reason about. GitHub Pages has no server runtime at all, so it is suitable only if all logic lives in your API.

Back end hosting

The sleeping behaviour matters most for demos. If the API sleeps after inactivity, the first request can take a long time and may look like a broken app to a reviewer. Plan to open the API URL a few minutes before anyone evaluates your work, and mention this in your README.

Database hosting

Choosing a combination

• MERN project: static front end host, Node API on a free web service, MongoDB Atlas.
• React with SQL: static host, Express or FastAPI on a web service, managed PostgreSQL.
• Next.js project: one platform for pages and API routes, plus an external managed database.
• Low-risk demo: pick hosts whose free plans do not need a payment card, so you are not worried about accidental charges.

Free tier limits that quietly break internship demos

1. Idle sleep: the API or database pauses after inactivity. Test after an hour of no traffic.
2. Expiring plans: some free databases or trial credits end after a fixed period. Note the expiry date in your table.
3. Storage caps: uploaded images fill a small database quickly. Store files in object storage or use small, compressed images.
4. Ephemeral disk: files written to the server disappear on restart. Never keep user data in local files.
5. Build minutes and deploy counts: repeated failed builds can use up your allowance. Build locally first.
6. CORS and URL mismatches: a front end on one domain calling an API on another needs the API to allow that origin.
7. Secrets in the repository: committing an API key or database password exposes it publicly. Rotate it if this happens.
8. Region latency: a database in a distant region makes every query slow. Choose the closest available region, such as one in Asia, if offered.

Deployment checklist for a full stack internship project

Before you deploy

• The repository has a .gitignore that excludes .env, node_modules and build folders.
• A .env.example lists every variable name without real values.
• The app reads the API URL, database URL and secrets from environment variables, not from hard-coded strings.
• The front end build command and output folder are known (for example npm run build and dist).
• The back end listens on the port provided by the host, usually through process.env.PORT or the equivalent.
• A health route such as /health returns a simple success response.

During deployment

• Create the database first and copy its connection string into the host’s secret settings, not into code.
• Run migrations or a seed script against the live database once.
• Deploy the API, then test the health route in a browser.
• Set the front end’s API base URL variable, then deploy the front end.
• Add the front end’s live address to the API’s CORS allow-list.
• If the database has an IP allow-list, confirm the host can reach it.

After deployment

• Register, log in, create, edit and delete a record on the live site.
• Check the host’s log view for errors during those actions.
• Reload a deep link (for example /dashboard) to confirm routing works on refresh.
• Test on a mobile screen and in a private browser window.
• Remove test accounts or leave clearly labelled demo accounts.
• Export or back up the database and keep the copy outside the hosting account.
• Write the README with live links, setup steps, demo login and the sleep warning.

Environment settings and live links record

Copy this table into your README or a private document. Never write real secret values in a public repository; record where each one is stored instead.

Illustrative example: deploying a campus event board

This example is illustrative; no code was run for this article. Suppose a student builds an event board where users post and browse campus events. The stack is React for the front end, Express for the API and PostgreSQL for data.

1. On Day 1 the student creates a managed PostgreSQL project, notes the free storage cap and records the connection string in a password manager.
2. A minimal Express app with a /health route is pushed to GitHub and connected to a free web-service host. The connection string is added as DATABASE_URL in the host’s settings.
3. A Vite React app is deployed to a static host with API_BASE_URL pointing to the API.
4. The first browser test fails with a CORS error. The student sets CORS_ORIGIN to the front end’s address and redeploys the API.
5. On Day 8 images are being stored as base64 in the database and storage climbs. The student switches to small compressed images and limits uploads to one per event.
6. On Day 13 the API has been idle overnight. The first request is slow, so the student writes in the README: “Open the API health link and wait a minute before using the demo.”

The lesson is that every problem was found because the app was live early and the settings were written down.

Karunya students: how deployment fits your internship paperwork

Deployment is only part of what your university may expect. Karunya’s Academic Regulations 2022 describe credit-bearing internships for UG students: 0:0:1 credit for a 2-week internship, 0:0:2 for 4 weeks and 0:0:6 for 45 working days. They describe these as training in a reputed industry or research lab, and the text does not address online internships. Do not assume a CareerSwami internship counts for credit; CareerSwami does not offer academic credit, and the question must be settled with your department.

The same regulations say industrial training, mini-project and internship courses are assessed out of 100: 30 for a satisfactory certificate, 30 for the report and 40 for the end-semester exam and viva voce. The exam is conducted by two university experts appointed by the Director, and one may be the supervisor. That makes a working, explainable deployment useful: in a viva, you can open the live site, show logs and explain why you chose each host. Your settings table also gives you material for the report. These are 2022 rules, so check which regulation applies to your batch.

The university also publishes an Academic Calendar 2026-2027. Check it for dates that affect when you can work on the project and when reports or exams fall, because free-tier expiry dates should not land before your viva.

Verification steps for Karunya students before you rely on this internship

1. Ask your department internship coordinator in writing whether an online internship of two weeks can be accepted for the 0:0:1 credit course, and who must approve it.
2. Confirm which regulation year (2022 or a newer one) applies to your batch and read its internship section.
3. Ask whether the certificate must come from an industry or research lab, and what format of certificate is called “satisfactory”.
4. Ask for the report template and whether live links and screenshots are acceptable as evidence of work.
5. Check the current academic calendar for semester dates and plan your hosting expiry dates beyond your viva.
6. Ask who your viva examiners are likely to be and whether a live demonstration is allowed.

Keeping the project alive after the internship ends

• Add a calendar reminder two days before each free plan’s expiry or review date.
• Keep a short screen recording of the working app as a fallback if a host pauses it.
• Pin the repository on your GitHub profile with live links at the top of the README.
• Keep a database dump and a seed script so you can rebuild the data on a new provider in under an hour.
• If a free plan ends, moving the front end is easy; the database is the part to export first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I host a full stack project completely free?

Usually yes for a small demo, by combining a static host, a free web-service tier and a free managed database. Expect limits such as sleeping servers, storage caps and expiring plans, and check each provider’s current pricing page.

Which free database is best for a 14-day project?

Choose the one that matches your data model: managed PostgreSQL for relational data, MongoDB Atlas for document data. Pick one that does not need a card if you want to avoid accidental charges, and note any inactivity pause.

Why is my deployed API so slow on the first request?

Many free web services sleep after inactivity and need time to start again. Open the health route before any demo and mention the behaviour in your README.

Why does my front end work locally but fail online?

The usual causes are a hard-coded localhost API address, a missing environment variable, a CORS setting that does not include the live front end address, or a build setting pointing to the wrong output folder. Check the browser console and the host’s logs.

Is it safe to put my database password in GitHub?

No. Keep it in the host’s secret settings and commit only an example file with variable names. If a secret was ever committed, change it immediately.

Will this internship give me credit at Karunya?

CareerSwami offers a free offer letter and a free completion certificate after successful completion, but not academic credit. Karunya’s 2022 regulations describe credit for internships in industry or research labs and do not address online ones, so ask your department in writing.

What should I submit besides the live link?

Submit the repository link, the filled settings table, a README with demo login and setup steps, screenshots, and a short note on hosting limits. These also help in a report or viva.

What if a free plan expires before my evaluation?

Export the database, redeploy on another free provider using your seed script, update the settings table and links, and keep a screen recording as a backup.