Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Render vs Traefik
Render
Cloud & Infrastructure
A modern cloud platform for the next generation
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Traefik
Network & Connectivity
Modern cloud-native edge router and API gateway
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth; Traefik requires Kubernetes or container knowledge
- They diverge on capability: Render covers Web services, Traefik covers API Gateway.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Render and Traefik actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Render
- Web services
- Static sites
- Background workers
- Postgres database
- Redis database
- Scheduled jobs
- Environment variables
- Custom domains
Only in Traefik
- API Gateway
- Load Balancing
- SSL/TLS Termination
- Kubernetes
- Consul
- etcd
- Linux support
- Docker support
Both cover
- Docker
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 Traefik
- Running managed Postgres and Redis alongside application servicesnot Traefik
- Preview environments per pull request for small teamsnot Traefik
Traefik
- API gateway for microservices architecturenot Render
- Kubernetes ingress controllernot Render
- Container and VM traffic routingnot Render
- Cloud-native application managementnot 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
Traefik
- Requires Kubernetes or container knowledge
- Complex configuration for advanced features
Pricing, plan by plan
Render
Free- FreeFree
- 1 web service
- 1 static site
- Shared CPU
- Starter$7/month
- Unlimited services
- Dedicated CPU
- 2GB RAM
Traefik
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Traefik review.
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 Traefik if
- You need api gateway.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud.
- You also want load balancing.
Questions people ask
- Is Render or Traefik better?
- Neither clearly leads. Render starts at Free and Traefik at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Render or Traefik?
- Render starts at Free and Traefik at Free.
- Does Render or Traefik run on more platforms?
- Render runs on Web, Api. Traefik runs on Kubernetes, Docker, Cloud.
- 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 Traefik is typically brought in for.
- What can Render do that Traefik cannot?
- Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Postgres database. Traefik covers API Gateway, Load Balancing, SSL/TLS Termination, Kubernetes. Both handle Docker.
Related pages
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