Appwrite Sites vs Render (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Render grades higher than Appwrite Sites: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Render grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Appwrite Sites
Git-based hosting for static and server-rendered sites on Appwrite
Render
Cloud hosting for web services, databases and workers
Which one is for you
Pick Appwrite Sites if
- Fits if you already use Appwrite for your backend
- Works for small front-end projects deployed from GitHub
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: 2 projects, 5 GB of bandwidth and pausing after a week idle
- Watch out: usage counts against the organization's shared limits
- Skip it if you use GitLab or Bitbucket, listed as coming soon
- Pricey if traffic grows, with extra bandwidth at $15 per 100 GB
Pick Render if
- Fits if you want web services and Postgres together
- Works for backends that need cron jobs and background workers
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: free instances have limits and 5 GB of bandwidth
- Pricey if you add it up: workspace plus each service's instance
- Watch out: full-stack previews and autoscaling need Pro
- Watch out: HIPAA workspaces, SAML SSO and SCIM start at $499 on Scale
- Watch out: no bandwidth overage price is named
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAppwrite SitesFair | 2.4GPARenderFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is from $25 a month with pay-as-you-go usage, such as $15 per extra 100 GB of bandwidth. | CPro is $25 a month plus compute, above the dearer quarter's $19 as a floor, but Hobby is $0. A $7 instance buys 512 MB RAM and Postgres starts at $6. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free plan has 2 projects, 5 GB bandwidth and 2 GB storage, and projects pause after 1 week of inactivity. | CHobby is $0 with up to 25 services, but free instance types come with limitations and bandwidth is 5 GB. |
| Features | CGit deploys, static and server-side rendering, rollbacks, domains, CDN and logs. Only GitHub and Origin are listed as Git providers, with others coming soon. | BWeb services, workers, cron, Postgres, Key Value, previews, autoscaling, API and infrastructure as code. The listing names no core gap. |
| Ease of use | CYou set up builds and deploys, with a learning curve and no store rating. | CNo store rating on record. You define services, instance types and databases. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb dashboard on the Appwrite platform with several integrations. | BWeb only, with Docker, a CLI, a REST API and an MCP server. |
| Best for | deploying web apps next to an Appwrite backend | web services and Postgres in one place |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Appwrite Sites and Render. How we grade
Price against what you get
Appwrite Sites starts at $25 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Render starts at $25 a month and scores 2.7.
Render scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 7 score higher than Appwrite Sites for less, and none scores higher than Render for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Appwrite Sites also covers web analytics.
- Render also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Appwrite Sites | Render | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $25 per month on the Pro plan, with a free plan available | $25 per month plus compute (Pro workspace) |
| Free plan | Unlimited sites, 5 GB bandwidth, 2 GB storage and 15-minute builds, with projects paused after 1 week of inactivity and a limit of 2 projects. | Hobby workspace: $0 a month, up to 25 services, 5 GB of bandwidth, and free instance types for web services, Postgres and Key Value (limitations apply). |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Appwrite | Render |
| Price read from | appwrite.io | render.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Appwrite Sites
- Sites are priced as part of an Appwrite organization, so usage counts against shared bandwidth, storage, execution and build limits.
- Free projects are paused after one week of inactivity and limited to 2 projects; Pro removes pausing.
- Pro shows a "From $25" price with pay-as-you-go overage, including $15 per 100 GB of extra bandwidth.
- The Git provider list shows GitHub and Origin, with GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea and others listed as coming soon.
Render
- The workspace fee is only part of the bill: every service pays for its instance, for example $7 a month for 512 MB RAM or $25 for 2 GB.
- Free instance types carry limitations, and Postgres on a paid plan starts at $6 a month for 256 MB RAM.
- HIPAA-compliant workspaces, SAML SSO and SCIM start on the $499 Scale plan.
- Bandwidth is included per workspace plan (5 GB, 25 GB, 1 TB), with the page naming no overage price.
Key features
Appwrite Sites
- Deploy from Git
- GitHub and Origin are supported, with commits to the production branch deployed and other branches given preview links.
- Several deploy paths
- Sites can also be deployed with the Appwrite CLI in CI or by uploading a .tar.gz archive from the Console.
- Static and server-side rendering
- Static, single-page and server-rendered apps are supported, with 14 framework presets including Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit and Astro.
- Rollbacks and domains
- Instant rollbacks promote an earlier deployment without a rebuild, and custom domains, DNS and automatic TLS are managed in the Console.
- CDN and edge delivery
- Sites run on the Appwrite Network with a global CDN, DDoS protection and edge server-side rendering.
- Traffic and logs
- Requests, bandwidth, builds and compute are tracked, with request logs and SSR output in the Console.
Render
- Services and workers
- Web services, private services, background workers and cron jobs run Node, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Elixir or custom Docker containers.
- Managed Postgres and Key Value
- Fully managed PostgreSQL with point-in-time recovery and connection pooling, plus a Redis-compatible Key Value store.
- Preview environments
- Pull requests can get their own preview, single-service on Hobby and full-stack on Pro and above.
- Autoscaling and zero-downtime deploys
- Horizontal autoscaling is a Pro feature, and deploys are listed as zero downtime in the product menu.
- Infrastructure as code and API
- Services can be defined as code, managed with the Render CLI and REST API, or driven from an MCP server.
- Persistent disks
- SSD disks can be attached to services at $0.25 per GB per month.
Plans
Appwrite Sites
Free$0
2 projects, 1 member, 5 GB bandwidth, 2 GB storage, 15-minute builds and community support. Projects pause after a week of inactivity.
Pro$25
per month and up, shown as "From $25" with pay-as-you-go usage
No project pausing, unlimited members, 2 TB bandwidth, 150 GB storage, 45-minute builds, daily backups and email support. Extra bandwidth is $15 per 100 GB.
EnterpriseCustom
Uptime SLAs, a success manager, SSO, log drains, volume discounts, bring-your-own-cloud and SOC 2, HIPAA and BAA terms. Sold through sales.
Render
Hobby$0
per month, plus compute
Up to 25 services, 5 GB of bandwidth, single-service previews, custom domains, database PITR and chat support.
Pro$25
per month, plus compute
Unlimited seats and services, 25 GB of bandwidth, full-stack previews, horizontal autoscaling and isolated environments.
Scale$499
per month, plus compute
Multiple workspaces, 1 TB of bandwidth, HIPAA-compliant workspaces, SAML SSO and SCIM, and advanced RBAC roles.
EnterpriseCustom
Contractual uptime SLAs, a dedicated technical account team, a support Slack channel and support response SLAs.
Ways to pay less
Appwrite Sites
No public discounts listed.
Render
- Startups
Up to $100K in credits for VC-funded startups
The pricing page links to Render for Startups, which offers up to $100K in credits to VC-funded startups.
- Other savings
Up to $10K in migration credits
Teams moving to Render can get up to $10K in credits through the migration program linked from the pricing page.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Appwrite Sites or Render?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Appwrite Sites starts at $25 per month on the Pro plan, with a free plan available, and Render starts at $25 per month plus compute (Pro workspace).
Which has a free plan, Appwrite Sites or Render?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Appwrite Sites and Render have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.