Use case
External cron for Replit-hosted apps so they do not need Always On.
Replit's Always On feature keeps a repl running 24/7 for an extra cost. For repls that just need an HTTP endpoint hit on a schedule, Crontap is cheaper: the repl wakes on demand when Crontap calls, runs the work, and goes back to sleep.
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The problem
Why this is painful without the right tool
- Replit Always On is a paid add-on per repl; for a handful of cron triggers, it is overkill.
- Self-hosting cron inside a repl means the cron only runs when the repl is awake, which defeats the purpose.
- Multi-repl projects need a clock outside any individual repl.
The fix
How Crontap solves it
Crontap calls your repl's public URL (https://yourrepl.username.repl.co) on a cron in any IANA timezone. The repl wakes when called, runs the handler, returns 200, and goes back to sleep until the next run. Failures alert to email / webhook (Slack / Discord / Telegram).
0 * * * *FAQ
Common questions
- Will the repl be cold on first call?
- Yes; the first call after a long idle period waits for the repl to spin up. For latency-sensitive jobs, keep Always On. For cron-style work where a few seconds of cold start is fine, the on-demand wake is cheaper.
- What's the shortest interval Crontap supports?
- Every 1 minute on paid plans. Free tier available for slower cadences. Replit cold starts make minute cadence less practical; hourly or slower is the typical pattern.
Adjacent use cases
Ready to fix it?
Point Crontap at any URL. Pick any cron. Done.
WordPress, Shopify, Railway, Cloud Run, Vercel, HubSpot, Ghost, your own box. If it answers HTTP, Crontap can drive it on a clock you can read, in the timezone that actually matters, and page you when something breaks.
Free forever tier ・ No credit card required
/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron=1
Schedule
"every 5 minutes"
Next
in 23s