TL;DR
Render is a secure cloud platform with strong defaults. It offers private services for internal communication, encrypted environment variables with groups, and managed databases with automatic backups. SOC 2 Type II certified with DDoS protection included. A reliable choice for production deployments.
What is Render?
Render is a unified cloud platform for deploying web services, static sites, cron jobs, and databases. Often positioned as a modern Heroku alternative with better pricing and features. Supports Docker, native runtimes, and infrastructure as code via Blueprints.
Our Verdict
What's Good
- Private services option
- Environment groups
- SOC 2 Type II certified
- Automatic HTTPS
- DDoS protection included
What to Watch
- Web services public by default
- Database access configuration
- Build cache considerations
Service Types
Private Services: Render allows you to create private services that are only accessible from other services in your account-not from the internet.
| Service Type | Internet Accessible | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Web Service | Yes (HTTPS) | APIs, web apps |
| Private Service | No | Internal services, workers |
| Background Worker | No | Queue processing |
| Cron Job | No | Scheduled tasks |
Environment Variables
Render provides robust environment variable management:
- Encrypted storage: All variables encrypted at rest
- Environment groups: Share variables across services
- Secret files: Mount sensitive files securely
- Build vs runtime: Control when variables are available
Environment Groups: Create groups for shared secrets (like database URLs) and link them to multiple services. Update once, propagate everywhere.
Database Security
| Feature | PostgreSQL | Redis |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption at rest | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic backups | Daily | N/A |
| Access control | IP allowlist | Password + TLS |
| Private access | Internal URL | Internal URL |
Infrastructure Security
- SOC 2 Type II: Audited security controls
- DDoS protection: Automatic on all services
- Managed TLS: Auto-renewing certificates
- Isolated builds: Each build in fresh environment
Is Render safe for production?
Yes, Render is SOC 2 Type II certified and used for production by many companies. It provides automatic HTTPS, DDoS protection, encrypted secrets, and database backups by default.
How do I keep internal services private?
Use Render's "Private Service" type. These services get an internal URL only accessible from your other Render services, not from the internet.
Are my databases exposed to the internet?
Render databases have both external and internal URLs. Use the internal URL for your services (private network). Use IP allowlisting if you need external access for development tools.