Software · head to head
Render vs Hetzner Cloud
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth; Hetzner Cloud cost-Optimized plans are shown as currently unavailable
- They diverge on capability: Render covers Web services, Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Render and Hetzner Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Render | Hetzner Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, Api | Web, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2019 | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Render
- Web services
- Static sites
- Background workers
- Postgres database
- Redis database
- Scheduled jobs
- Environment variables
- Custom domains
Only in Hetzner Cloud
- Cloud servers
- Block storage
- Object storage
- Load balancers
- Networks
- Firewalls
- Floating IPs
- Backups
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.
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
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Render
Free- FreeFree
- 1 web service
- 1 static site
- Shared CPU
- Starter$7/month
- Unlimited services
- Dedicated CPU
- 2GB RAM
Hetzner Cloud
Free- CX11$3.29/month
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 25GB SSD
- CX21$6.59/month
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 40GB SSD
Which should you pick?
Choose Render if
- You need web services.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want static sites.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Render or Hetzner Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Render starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Render or Hetzner Cloud?
- Render starts at Free and Hetzner Cloud at Free.
- Does Render or Hetzner Cloud run on more platforms?
- Render runs on Web, Api. Hetzner Cloud runs on Web, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Render for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Render best used for?
- Render is most often used for deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a git repository without managing servers, running managed postgres and redis alongside application services, preview environments per pull request for small teams. Of those, deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a git repository without managing servers and running managed postgres and redis alongside application services are not what Hetzner Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Render do that Hetzner Cloud cannot?
- Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Postgres database. Hetzner Cloud covers Cloud servers, Block storage, Object storage, Load balancers. Both handle Docker, DDoS protection, Cloud deployment, Web support.