Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Hetzner Cloud vs Render
Hetzner Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Affordable cloud servers in Europe
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Render
Cloud & Infrastructure
A modern cloud platform for the next generation
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable; Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
- They diverge on capability: Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Render covers Web services.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hetzner Cloud and Render actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hetzner Cloud | Render |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Web, Api |
| Category | Unknown | Cloud & Infrastructure |
| Founded | 1997 | 2019 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
Only in Render
- Web services
- Static sites
- Background workers
- Postgres database
- Redis database
- Scheduled jobs
- Environment variables
- Custom domains
Both cover
- Docker
- DDoS protection
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hetzner Cloud
- Low-cost virtual servers for development and testingnot Render
- European hosting with data held in Germany or Finlandnot Render
- Workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic mattersnot Render
- Self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalersnot Render
Render
- Deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a Git repository without managing serversnot Hetzner Cloud
- Running managed Postgres and Redis alongside application servicesnot Hetzner Cloud
- Preview environments per pull request for small teamsnot Hetzner Cloud
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hetzner Cloud
- Cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- The shared-resource tiers are positioned for variable usage and development rather than sustained production workloads
- Regions are limited to Germany, Finland, the United States and Singapore, so latency to other markets is a real constraint
- The uptime guarantee is 99.9 percent, below what the large hyperscalers offer on comparable services
- Support is 24/7 by email, without a phone channel
Render
- The free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
- Every paid plan charges the workspace fee plus compute on top, so $25 per month for Pro is a floor rather than a total
- SAML SSO and SCIM require the Scale plan at $499 per month
- HIPAA-compliant workspaces, inbound IP rules and advanced RBAC roles are Scale plan features
- Organization-level audit logs require Scale; Pro provides only workspace audit logs
- Contractual uptime SLAs, support response SLAs and a technical account manager are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
- Included bandwidth is 25 GB on Pro and 1 TB on Scale, with usage beyond that billed separately
Pricing, plan by plan
Hetzner Cloud
Free- CX11$3.29/month
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 25GB SSD
- CX21$6.59/month
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 40GB SSD
Render
Free- FreeFree
- 1 web service
- 1 static site
- Shared CPU
- Starter$7/month
- Unlimited services
- Dedicated CPU
- 2GB RAM
Which should you pick?
Choose Hetzner Cloud if
- You need cloud servers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want block storage.
Choose Render if
- You need web services.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want static sites.
Questions people ask
- Is Hetzner Cloud or Render better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Render at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hetzner Cloud or Render?
- Hetzner Cloud starts at Free and Render at Free.
- Does Hetzner Cloud or Render run on more platforms?
- Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli. Render runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Hetzner Cloud for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Hetzner Cloud best used for?
- Hetzner Cloud is most often used for low-cost virtual servers for development and testing, european hosting with data held in germany or finland, workloads with heavy egress, where included traffic matters, self-hosting applications away from the hyperscalers. Of those, low-cost virtual servers for development and testing and european hosting with data held in germany or finland are not what Render is typically brought in for.
- What can Hetzner Cloud do that Render cannot?
- Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Postgres database. Both handle Docker, DDoS protection, Cloud deployment, Web support.