Data-app hosting
Host Streamlit apps with auth, secrets, and real compute.
Deploy Python data apps on managed infrastructure — up to 16 GB RAM, login-gated by default, shareable via link. No sleeping apps after 12 hours. No bolting on st-authenticator. No begging IT for a VM.
The problem
Community Cloud is a demo host, not a product host.
You built a Streamlit app that your team actually uses. Then it sleeps after 12 hours of inactivity, cold-starts for 60 seconds, has no authentication, and caps at 1 GB RAM. You paste a link in Slack and half the team sees a spinner. The alternative is Dockerizing it yourself, managing certs, wiring up OAuth, and babysitting an EC2 instance — for what was supposed to be a quick internal tool.
Auth built in
Login-gated apps without Streamlit Authenticator
Every deployed app sits behind Fastero auth by default. Viewers authenticate with their existing Fastero account or via a share link you generate. No custom auth code, no st-authenticator YAML, no leaked secrets in session state.
Secrets management
Secrets that stay out of your repo
Store database credentials, API keys, and connection strings in Fastero's encrypted secrets vault. Your app reads them at runtime via st.secrets — same API, no .streamlit/secrets.toml committed to Git.
Compute tiers
Up to 16 GB RAM per app
Choose from four tiers: 1 GB (free), 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB. Apps handling large DataFrames or ML inference pick the tier they need. No compute-minute billing — you pay for the tier, not per request.
Share via link
Viewers don't need accounts
Generate a shareable link for any app. Stakeholders open it in a browser — no signup, no Python environment, no "ask IT for access." You control whether the link requires Fastero login or is open.
How it works
From local .py to shared app in under five minutes.
No Docker, no Kubernetes, no infrastructure tickets. Write standard Streamlit, push to Fastero, share the link.
Write your app locally
Develop with standard Streamlit (st.dataframe, st.plotly_chart, st.sidebar, etc.). No Fastero-specific imports or SDK. If it runs locally, it deploys.
Push to Fastero
Upload your .py file (or connect a GitHub repo) through the Fastero workbench. Select a compute tier and set secrets. The platform provisions a containerized Streamlit kernel on ECS.
Share or embed
Copy the shareable link, or embed the app in an iframe. Auth is automatic for logged-in users; share links optionally bypass login for read-only viewers.
Monitor and iterate
View logs, restart the kernel, or push a new version. Fastero handles TLS, routing, and process supervision. You handle the Python.
Honest comparison
Fastero vs. Community Cloud, Hex, and Retool.
Community Cloud is free but limited. Hex is a notebook-first tool with compute-minute billing. Retool is powerful but charges per seat and uses a proprietary component model. Fastero is the middle ground: managed Streamlit with auth and compute, priced per app tier.
| Capability | Fastero | Community Cloud | Hex | Retool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App sleep behavior | Always-on (coming soon — currently restarts on visit) | Sleeps after 12h inactivity, cold-starts in 30-60s | Scheduled or on-demand only | Always-on (server-rendered) |
| Authentication | Built-in login gating + shareable links | None — public or SSO via enterprise tier | Workspace-level auth | Per-app RBAC |
| Max RAM per app | Up to 16 GB (selectable tier) | 1 GB hard limit | Tied to compute-minute plan | Not applicable (server-side) |
| Secrets management | Encrypted vault, st.secrets API | secrets.toml UI (limited to 2 KB) | Workspace secrets | Environment variables |
| Pricing (1 developer) | Free tier (1 GB), paid from $49/mo | Free (public apps only) | $36–75/editor + compute minutes | $50/user/month (Standard) |
| Custom domain | Roadmap — not today | Not available | Enterprise only | Available on Business plan |
What this is not
Honest limitations — read before you evaluate.
We would rather you know the gaps upfront than find them during a pilot. Here is what Fastero's Streamlit hosting does not do today:
Always-on is not shipped yet
Today, apps restart when a viewer opens them (typically 5-15s cold start). Persistent always-on processes are in development. If sub-second response on first load is critical for your use case, this is not ready yet.
No custom domains today
Apps are served from a Fastero subdomain. Vanity domains (yourapp.yourdomain.com) are on the roadmap but not available. If white-labeling is a requirement, you will need to wait or self-host.
Streamlit only — not Dash or Panel
The hosting runtime is built around Streamlit's session model. Plotly Dash, Panel, Gradio, and Shiny for Python are not supported. If your team is standardized on Dash, this is not a fit.
Not a replacement for production ML serving
Fastero runs Streamlit apps, not FastAPI/Flask inference endpoints. For high-throughput model serving (hundreds of req/s), use a proper ML platform (SageMaker, Modal, Replicate). Streamlit is for internal tools and dashboards, not production APIs.
Who this is for
Internal tools that outgrew Community Cloud.
Data teams building ops dashboards, sales reporting tools, finance reconciliation apps, or ML model monitoring views — anything where the audience is colleagues (not the public internet) and the data is sensitive enough to need login gating. If your Streamlit app is a weekend hack that only you use, Community Cloud is fine. If five people rely on it Monday morning, you need auth and compute.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
How long does a cold start take?
Typically 5-15 seconds depending on compute tier and package dependencies. The container provisions a fresh Streamlit kernel on ECS with your selected RAM tier. Always-on mode (eliminating cold starts entirely) is in development but not yet available.
Can viewers access my app without creating a Fastero account?
Yes. Generate a shareable link and choose open access. Viewers open the app in any browser without signup. You can also require Fastero login for sensitive internal tools — the toggle is per-app, not global.
What Python packages are available?
The base image includes pandas, numpy, plotly, altair, scikit-learn, and other common data-science packages. You can specify additional pip dependencies in a requirements.txt uploaded alongside your app. System-level (apt) packages are not user-installable.
How does pricing compare to Streamlit Community Cloud?
Community Cloud is free but limited to 1 GB RAM, public-only apps (no auth), and sleeping after 12 hours. Fastero's free tier gives you 1 GB with built-in auth and secrets. Paid tiers ($49/mo+) unlock up to 16 GB RAM per app and priority scheduling.
Can I connect my app to a private database?
Yes. Store connection strings in Fastero's encrypted secrets vault and read them via st.secrets in your app code. The app runs on AWS infrastructure with outbound internet access, so it can reach any database that allows inbound connections from AWS IP ranges.
Stop babysitting infrastructure for a .py file.
Deploy your Streamlit app with auth, secrets, and up to 16 GB RAM. Free tier available — no credit card required.