Render review

Render suits frontend teams that also run an API, workers or a Postgres database and want them in one place. Static sites deploy free from Git with a global CDN, custom domains and DDoS mitigation, while server-rendered apps run as web services that start at $7 per month for a 512 MB RAM instance. The Hobby workspace costs $0 per month plus compute and allows up to 25 services, and Pro at $25 per month plus compute adds unlimited seats, full-stack previews, horizontal autoscaling and isolated environments. Managed Postgres with point-in-time recovery and Key Value stores sit in the same dashboard. The limits are bandwidth and frontend tooling: Hobby includes 5 GB of bandwidth and Pro 25 GB, and Render runs apps as long-lived services rather than edge functions, so framework features tied to edge rendering need more manual setup than on Vercel.

Who it is for

teams hosting a frontend and its backend in one place

Price

Static sites free; web services from $7 per month per instance; Pro workspace $25 per month plus compute.

Free ( limitations apply ) $0/month 512 MB RAM free Less than 1 CPU $7/month 512 MB RAM
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 12, 2026.

Key features

• Static sites deploy for free with a global CDN
• Web services, background workers and cron jobs alongside the frontend
• Fully managed Postgres with point-in-time recovery
• Full-stack previews and horizontal autoscaling on Pro
• Blueprints infrastructure as code with a render.yaml file

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Static sites are free, forever, per Render's product page
• Strength: Frontend, API, workers and database in one dashboard
• Strength: Hobby workspace costs $0 per month plus compute
• Weakness: Hobby includes only 5 GB of bandwidth
• Weakness: Full-stack previews require Pro at $25 per month plus compute
• Weakness: Not built around edge rendering for frameworks like Next.js

Key facts

• Static sites: Free
• Cheapest paid web service: $7 per month, 512 MB RAM
• Pro workspace: $25 per month plus compute

Where it ranks

Render is No. 5 in our Best Frontend Hosting Platforms verdict.