Render

Render hosts the parts of an app that need a server: websites, APIs, background workers, scheduled jobs and databases. Connect GitHub, choose what kind of service it is, and Render builds and runs it, redeploying every time the code changes. Static websites are free for good.

It's a common Heroku replacement, with fixed monthly prices per service that are easier to predict than pure usage billing. A small web service starts at $7 a month and a small Postgres database at $6. Newer features cover AI work too: Workflows for long background jobs, Sandboxes where agents can run code safely, and an MCP server so Claude Code can manage your services.

The catch is the free tier. Free web services go to sleep after 15 minutes without visitors and take about a minute to wake up, and free databases are deleted 30 days after you create them. It's fine for testing, but anything real needs a paid instance.

• Developers
• Startups
• Agencies
• Indie builders

Builders and small teams who want predictable monthly prices for hosting an app and its database.

• Every kind of service

  Static sites, web services, private services, background workers and cron jobs, all from GitHub.

• Managed Postgres and Key Value

  Databases with backups, so you don't have to look after a database server.

• Automatic deploys and previews

  Every push redeploys, and pull requests can get their own preview copy of the app.

• Autoscaling

  Add more copies of a service automatically when traffic rises (Pro and up).

• Workflows and Sandboxes

  Run long background jobs, and give AI agents an isolated computer to run code in.

• MCP server

  Lets Claude Code create services, check logs and change settings for you.

• Our pick

  Hobby

  $0/mo plus computing

  Personal projects and testing.

  • Free static sites
  • Free web service that sleeps after 15 minutes idle
  • Free Postgres that expires after 30 days
  • Paid services from $7/mo

• Pro

  $25/mo plus computing

  Teams running production apps.

  • Unlimited seats and services
  • 25 GB bandwidth included
  • Preview environments and autoscaling
  • Audit logs

• Scale

  $499/mo plus computing

  Teams with governance and compliance needs.

  • Multiple workspaces
  • 1 TB bandwidth included
  • Organisation audit logs and more controls

• Enterprise

  Custom

  Companies that need uptime guarantees.

  • Contractual uptime SLAs
  • Dedicated account team and Slack support

Prices in USD unless noted, checked 3 November 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.

Ways Render can slot into your week.

1. 1

   Host an API or backend

   Deploy the backend Claude Code wrote from GitHub, with a managed Postgres database next to it.

2. 2

   Free marketing site

   Host a static website at no cost with your own domain and SSL.

3. 3

   Nightly jobs

   Run a cron job that pulls reports, sends emails or cleans data every night.

It runs backends, workers and databases, while the front end can sit on Render too or on Vercel. GitHub holds the code, and the MCP server lets Claude manage it.

The closest alternatives to Render in the library, best rated first.

• 

  Cloudflare

  4.5

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  Clerk

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  Vercel

  4.4

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• 

  Supabase

  4.3

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