Render is one of the most common names that comes up when developers look for Heroku alternatives. Both platforms promise simple Git-push deploys, managed infrastructure, and zero-ops hosting. But they differ in meaningful ways — pricing, architecture, free tiers, and what you actually get for your money.
Here’s an honest comparison to help you decide.
Quick Overview
| Feature | Heroku | Render |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2018 |
| Free tier | Gone (Eco dynos sleep, $5/mo) | Yes (sleeps after 15 min) |
| Cheapest always-on | $7/mo (Basic dyno) | $7/mo (Starter instance) |
| Database | $5/mo add-on (Postgres) | $7/mo (managed Postgres) |
| Git deploy | Yes | Yes |
| Docker support | Yes (container registry) | Yes (native) |
| SSH access | No | Yes (paid plans) |
| Auto-scaling | Yes (Performance dynos) | Yes (paid plans) |
| Background workers | Yes (separate dyno = separate cost) | Yes (separate service = separate cost) |
| Cron jobs | Via Heroku Scheduler add-on | Built-in |
Pricing: The Real Difference
On paper, both start around $7/mo for always-on hosting. But the total cost diverges quickly.
Heroku’s add-on model means your database, logging, monitoring, and caching are all separate line items. A basic Node.js app with PostgreSQL and Redis:
- Basic dyno: $7/mo
- Heroku Postgres Mini: $5/mo
- Heroku Data for Redis Mini: $3/mo
- Total: ~$15/mo
Render bundles more into the base service but still charges separately for databases:
- Starter instance: $7/mo
- PostgreSQL Starter: $7/mo
- Redis: $10/mo
- Total: ~$24/mo
Neither is cheap for a side project. If cost matters, platforms like InstaPods offer a different model — $3-7/mo flat with databases included at no extra cost, no add-on stacking.
The Sleep Problem
Both platforms have sleep behavior on their cheapest tiers:
- Heroku Eco dynos ($5/mo): Sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity. Monthly limit of 1,000 dyno hours shared across all Eco apps.
- Render free tier: Sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity. Spin-up time of 30-60 seconds on first request.
For anything user-facing — a demo, a portfolio, a client project — sleeping containers are a dealbreaker. Both platforms require their $7/mo tier for always-on.
Developer Experience
Heroku has decades of documentation, a massive add-on marketplace, and a workflow every developer knows. The Procfile + buildpack model is battle-tested but aging.
Render feels more modern. The dashboard is cleaner, Docker is a first-class citizen, and Blueprint specs (YAML-based infrastructure-as-code) let you define your entire stack in a file. Preview environments for PRs work out of the box.
For greenfield projects, Render’s DX is better. For migrating an existing Heroku app, the similarity between platforms makes the switch straightforward.
When to Pick Heroku
- You have an existing Heroku app with complex add-on dependencies
- Your team already knows the Heroku workflow and doesn’t want to retrain
- You need a specific Heroku add-on that has no Render equivalent
When to Pick Render
- You’re starting a new project and want modern tooling
- You need Docker support as a first-class feature
- You want Blueprint specs for reproducible infrastructure
- You value a cleaner, faster UI
When to Pick Neither
Both Render and Heroku share the same fundamental model: abstracted containers with no real server access, add-on pricing for databases, and sleeping on cheap tiers.
If you want:
- Real servers with SSH access — neither gives you that on low-cost plans
- Flat pricing with databases included — both stack add-on costs
- AI agent deployment — neither has MCP/CLI support for AI tools
For a full breakdown of Heroku alternatives — including options with flat pricing and real server access — see our comprehensive Heroku alternative comparison.
Bottom Line
Render is the better platform for new projects in 2026. It’s more modern, has better Docker support, and the free tier (despite sleeping) is more generous than Heroku’s Eco plan.
But if the Heroku problems that bother you are sleeping containers, add-on pricing, and lack of server access — Render only solves one of those. The add-on model and abstracted infrastructure are the same.
Choose based on what actually matters for your project, not just brand familiarity.