Quick answer
LeanCloud - LeanCloud wins for small backend apps that need chat, push, or game backend features, while Leapcell wins for most general-purpose app builders who want more room to run web apps, APIs, and background jobs on a broader free plan.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers solve different problems. LeanCloud is a backend service bundle: it gives you API quotas, storage, realtime messaging, push notifications, and even multiplayer game features, so it fits apps that need those built-in primitives without assembling many separate services. Its limits are tighter and the paid jump can get expensive fast because Business starts with a $5/day minimum charge. Leapcell is a more conventional PaaS for deploying web apps and APIs, with more obvious compute and project headroom, plus Redis, async tasks, logs, metrics, and custom domains on the paid side. Its free tier is broader for app hosting, but it does not offer LeanCloud’s messaging and game-specific surface area. For most builders choosing a free tier, Leapcell is the safer default unless LeanCloud’s specialized backend features are the point.
LeanCloud vs Leapcell free tier, side by side
| LeanCloudFTV 54 | LeapcellFTV 56 | |
|---|---|---|
| ProjectsLeapcell exposes project-based hosting; LeanCloud’s free plan is organized around service quotas instead. | Not listed | 20 |
| API requestsLeanCloud includes daily API request limits; Leapcell’s provided free-tier data does not list API call quotas. | 30K/day shared across services | Not listed |
| StorageLeapcell’s provided free-tier data does not include a general storage quota in the excerpt provided. | 1 GB | Not listed |
| Messaging / realtimeLeanCloud has explicit realtime quotas; Leapcell’s free tier is centered on hosting and serverless usage. | 100 LiveQuery subscriptions/day and 5K LiveQuery messages/day | Not listed |
| Compute / hostingThese are not directly equivalent, but both describe free compute ceilings. | 3 threads | Up to 3 vCPUs per project |
| Async or background workLeapcell includes async task quotas in the free tier. | Not listed | 10,000 async invocations/month |
| Build timeLeapcell includes build execution limits; LeanCloud’s provided free-tier data does not mention builds. | Not listed | 60 minutes/month |
| Data transferLeapcell explicitly caps transfer in the free tier. | Not listed | 2 GB/month |
After you outgrow the free tier
LeanCloud’s first paid step is Business, which is usage_based and starts with a minimum charge of $5/day, so the economics can jump quickly even before heavy usage. Leapcell’s first paid step is Plus, which is per_seat pricing at $5.9 per seat/month for the first month and $12.9 thereafter, with higher included quotas than Hobby. For a small team, Leapcell is easier to budget because it is seat-based. LeanCloud can be cheaper at very low usage if you stay near free limits, but once you need the paid tier, the minimum daily charge makes it the pricier path.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | LeanCloud | Leapcell |
|---|---|---|
| 1 seat, small app beyond free limitsLeanCloud’s Business plan has a daily minimum charge; Leapcell prices by seat. | $5/day minimum, about $150/mo minimum | $5.9/mo first month, then $12.9/mo per seat |
| 2 seatsLeapcell scales linearly with seats; LeanCloud pricing here is not seat-based. | $5/day minimum, about $150/mo minimum | $11.8/mo first month, then $25.8/mo thereafter |
| 1M serverless invocations/moLeanCloud’s provided paid rates include API requests, DAU, and minimum charge, but not a serverless invocation rate. | Not enough data to estimate from the provided plan rates | $29.9/mo if you need Pro, or within Hobby if still under that tier’s quota |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick LeanCloud when…
- You are building an app that needs built-in chat, push notifications, or messaging workflows.
- You want a backend for a multiplayer game with leaderboards and LiveQuery-style realtime features.
- You need server-side logic plus storage in one package and can stay within relatively small daily quotas.
- You are testing LeanMessage or push notification flows and want those features available in the free plan.
Pick Leapcell when…
- You are deploying a web app or API and want a more standard hosting setup.
- You need multiple projects, builds, logs, metrics, and async jobs in the free tier.
- You want to run serverless workloads with monthly quotas rather than daily caps.
- You expect to grow into persistent servers, PostgreSQL, or broader app-hosting features.
Bottom line
If you are building a generic web app, API, or background-workload service, Leapcell is the better free-tier starting point because it gives you more hosting-oriented headroom and a clearer upgrade path. If your app needs chat, push, LiveQuery, or game backend features, LeanCloud is the more relevant free tier because those primitives are built in. The main tradeoff is specialization versus breadth: LeanCloud is narrower but stronger for realtime app backends, while Leapcell is the better all-around PaaS for most builders.
Read the full listings: LeanCloud and Leapcell. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.