Cron job hosting: scheduled scripts that run whether you are awake or not
A cron job is a tiny program that wakes on a schedule. It does not need a server of its own: a free 256 MB app running node-cron or APScheduler does it around the clock, and the panel's scheduled commands cover the rest.
Two ways
In the app. A worker that never exits: node-cron in Node.js or APScheduler in Python schedules the work inside the process. The app runs 24/7, so the schedule runs 24/7. Logs go to the console.
From the panel. Scheduled commands run a command inside a running app on an interval: a nightly cleanup, a report, a cache warm-up, without touching the code.
Compared with cron services
Ping services call a URL on a schedule and are fine when the work lives elsewhere; some are free for a handful of jobs and paid past that, and a few generalist platforms have no free cron at all. A worker app runs the code itself, with no per-run limit, and keeps its data on disk or in a managed database between runs.
Typical jobs
- Post a daily summary to Discord or Telegram
- Back up or export data on a schedule
- Poll an API every few minutes and act on changes
- Rotate logs, clean temporary files, send reminders
Frequently asked questions
Does a cron worker fit the free tier?
Almost always: a scheduler idles at a few tens of megabytes. Heavy jobs that load big datasets want a paid tier.
What if the app crashes between runs?
It restarts automatically; schedulers that keep their state in a database or on disk pick up where they left off.
Can a job run every minute?
Yes. Schedules are yours; there is no minimum interval or per-run charge.
Can I run cron for a game server?
Game servers have their own Scheduler tab for restarts and commands; see the scheduled tasks documentation.