Logo of Render

Render

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Company health

Employee growth
22% increase in the last year
Web traffic
No change in the last quarter
Financing
March 2023 - $77M

Ratings

G2
4.7/5
(73)
TrustPilot
2.4/5
(11)
Glassdoor
5.0/5
(1)

Render description

Render is like a magic box for your websites and apps. It takes care of all the complicated technical stuff, so you don't have to. With Render, you can easily launch and manage your company's online presence – from simple websites to complex applications – all in one place. It's fast, secure, and even comes with automatic updates!


Who is Render best for

Render is a user-friendly platform ideal for startups and developers seeking to simplify web deployments. It offers seamless GitHub integration and automated deployments, but users should be aware of potential "free tier" limitations. Despite some support concerns, many praise Render's ease of use and affordability.

  • Best for startups and small businesses needing streamlined web deployments.

  • Suitable for software development teams seeking simplified application management.


Render features

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need
Supported

Render supports autoscaling based on CPU or memory utilization.

Supported

Render natively supports deployment of applications packaged as Docker images.

Supported

Render offers fully managed hosting with instant provisioning and zero server-side setup.

Supported

Render provides hosting for websites and applications, offering computing resources, storage, and networking.

Qualities

We evaluate the sentiment that users express about non-functional aspects of the software

Value and Pricing Transparency

Rather negative
-0.33

Customer Service

Strongly negative
-1

Reliability and Performance

Rather negative
-0.33

Render reviews

We've summarised 84 Render reviews (Render TrustPilot reviews and Render G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.

Pros of Render
  • Render is praised for its user-friendly interface and ease of setting up and deploying applications.
  • Seamless GitHub integration enables automatic deployments and pull request previews.
  • Affordable pricing and transparent billing system for paid services.
  • Offers a wide range of services including web services, databases, cron jobs, and docker containers.
  • Fast and responsive customer support through Slack and Discourse channels.
Cons of Render
  • Unclear free tier limitations often result in unexpected charges for users.
  • Many users report misleading "free" service claims, feeling tricked into paid tiers.
  • Limited documentation and unhelpful customer support, making self-troubleshooting difficult.
  • PostgreSQL free tier has a 90-day limit, after which users are required to pay or lose their data.
  • Some users experience slow loading times, even on paid tiers, particularly after periods of inactivity.

Render pricing

The commentary is based on 14 reviews from Render G2 reviews and Render TrustPilot reviews.

Render offers free tiers, but many reviewers express frustration with unexpected charges and unclear billing practices. Some find Render's pricing reasonable and competitive, while others criticize the free tier limitations and sudden costs for seemingly minimal usage. Several suggest the "free" tier is misleading and designed to incur charges.

Users sentiment

Rather negative
-0.33

See the Render pricing page.

  • Render has a free plan.

Hobby

$0

For hobbyists, students, and indie hackers. Includes 500 free build minutes and 100 GB free bandwidth.

Professional

$19 per user/month

For small teams and early-stage startups. Includes 500 free build minutes and 500 GB free bandwidth per user.

Organization

$29 per user/month

For larger teams with complex needs. Includes 500 free build minutes and 1 TB free bandwidth per user.

Enterprise

Custom

For ultimate power and customization.


Render alternatives

  • Logo of Northflank
    Northflank
    Supports more deployment environments. Offers continuous integration, caching, and multi-step builds. Render alternative. Render competitor.
    Read more
  • Logo of Scalingo
    Scalingo
    Hosts data in Europe and complies with GDPR. Has grown its employee base more rapidly.
    Read more
  • Logo of Platform.sh
    Platform.sh
    More suitable for enterprise clients due to robust features and support. Pricing can be less transparent for larger teams. Render alternative. Platform.sh competitor.
    Read more
  • Logo of Azure App Service
    Azure App Service
    Better for users in IT and less suitable for Education and Professional Services. Stronger Microsoft integrations and hybrid deployments. Render is growing faster. More complex pricing structure. A Render competitor.
    Read more
  • Logo of Google Cloud Run
    Google Cloud Run
    Better for users needing strong integration with other Google Cloud Platform services. More cost-effective for infrequent usage with its pay-per-use model.
    Read more
  • Logo of Google Cloud
    Google Cloud
    Better for users needing broader cloud computing services like data storage, analytics, AI, and machine learning. A good Render alternative for larger enterprises or those in heavily regulated industries. More complex and potentially costly for simpler deployments.
    Read more

Render FAQ

  • What is Render and what does Render do?

    Render is a cloud platform for deploying and managing websites and applications. It offers autoscaling, container deployment, and a managed hosting environment. Render simplifies web development workflows with features like GitHub integration and automated deployments, but some users have found the free tier limitations unclear and customer support lacking.

  • How does Render integrate with other tools?

    Render integrates seamlessly with GitHub, enabling automated deployments and pull request previews. It supports Docker container deployment and offers a range of services including web services, databases, and cron jobs. However, documentation and support regarding integrations could be improved.

  • What the main competitors of Render?

    Render's main competitors include Azure App Service, Northflank, and Platform.sh. These alternatives offer similar features for deploying and managing web applications, providing developers with choices for cloud-based solutions.

  • Is Render legit?

    Render is a legitimate platform, offering convenient features like autoscaling and seamless GitHub integration. However, users have raised concerns regarding unexpected charges and misleading free tier limitations. So, proceed with caution and carefully review their pricing structure.

  • How much does Render cost?

    Render offers a free Hobby plan, while paid plans start at $19/month for the Professional plan and $29/month for the Organization plan. Enterprise pricing is custom. Is Render worth it? The free plan makes it easy to try before committing to a paid plan.

  • Is Render customer service good?

    Render's customer service receives negative feedback. Users report unhelpful support, slow response times, and difficulty resolving issues. While some appreciate the convenient features, the poor customer service experience overshadows these benefits for many.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.