I've found AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions super useful to run automations, especially when used with the Shortcuts app on iOS. For example, I have a GCF

I've found AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions super useful to run automations, especially when used with the Shortcuts app on iOS. For example, I have a GCF that checks my clipper card's balance[1] when I touch it with my phone[2], and displays the amount in large font on the screen. It only took an hour or so to write with no experience with it, and costs nothing at all to host since I send only a few requests a month. Being able to run custom code on demand without having to deal with hosting, config, security or any of this cruft is a game-changer. I prefer GCF to AWS Lambda, but they're pretty much interchangeable for most use cases. [1] https://pypi.org/project/clippercard/ https://pypi.org/project/clippercard/ [2] https://gototags.com/blog/understanding-nfc-shortcuts-iphone https://gototags.com/blog/understanding-nfc-shortcuts-iphone