Railway vs Render
A detailed comparison to help you choose the right hosting & deployment solution for your project.
Quick Verdict
Both tools are excellent choices with similar feature sets. Your decision should be based on pricing, ecosystem fit, and specific use case requirements.
Railway
Deploy anything, anywhere
Best for
Render
Cloud for the modern developer
Best for
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Railway | Render |
|---|---|---|
| Static Hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Serverless Functions | No | No |
| Edge Functions | No | No |
| Preview Deployments | Yes | Yes |
| Custom Domains | Yes | Yes |
| CI/CD | Yes | Yes |
| Docker Support | Yes | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
Railway
Render
Railway Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Supports any stack (Docker)
- +Great for databases
- +Simple pricing
- +Good DX
Cons
- -No true free tier
- -Less optimized for static/edge
- -Smaller ecosystem
Render Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Simple Heroku alternative
- +Good managed databases
- +Clear pricing
- +Background workers support
Cons
- -Free tier has sleep
- -No edge/serverless
- -Build can be slow
Railway Verdict
Railway is perfect when you need containers, databases, or non-serverless workloads. The Heroku successor many were waiting for.
Render Verdict
Render is the cleanest Heroku replacement with transparent pricing. Great for traditional web apps and services.
More options in Hosting & Deployment
Looking for different tradeoffs? Explore alternatives to each tool.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Railway vs Render
Is Railway or Render better?
It depends on your use case. Railway is best for full-stack apps and backend services. Render is best for full-stack apps and heroku migration. Railway is perfect when you need containers, databases, or non-serverless workloads. The Heroku successor many were waiting for.
Is Railway free?
Yes, Railway offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $5/mo.
Is Render free?
Yes, Render offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $7/mo.
Can I migrate from Railway to Render?
Yes, you can migrate from Railway to Render, though the complexity depends on how deeply integrated your current solution is. Most developers recommend evaluating both tools in a test environment before committing to a migration.
Which is more popular, Railway or Render?
Both Railway and Render are popular choices in their category. The best choice depends on your specific requirements, team expertise, and budget rather than popularity alone.