Staxly

Render vs Medusa

Unified cloud for apps, databases, and static sites
vs. Open-source commerce engine — build custom storefronts with Next.js + Node

Render websiteMedusa website

Pricing tiers

Render

Postgres — Free
30-day limit. 256 MB RAM, 0.1 CPU, 1 GB storage. Rotates.
Free
Hobby (Free)
Free workspace. 1 project, 2 envs, 100 GB bandwidth. Includes free Web Services + static sites + dev DB.
Free
Key Value (Redis) — Free
25 MB. Ephemeral.
Free
Web Service — Free
Free (spins down with idle). 512 MB RAM, 0.1 CPU.
Free
Postgres — Basic
256 MB RAM, 0.1 CPU. Always-on.
$6/mo
Web Service — Starter
Always-on. 512 MB RAM, 0.5 CPU.
$7/mo
Key Value — Starter
256 MB RAM.
$10/mo
Professional
$19/user/month. Unlimited projects, 500 GB bandwidth, up to 10 team members.
$19/mo
Web Service — Standard
Always-on. 2 GB RAM, 1 CPU.
$25/mo
Organization
$29/user/month. Unlimited members, 1 TB bandwidth, compliance certs.
$29/mo
Postgres — Pro
4 GB RAM, 1 CPU.
$55/mo
Web Service — Pro
Always-on. 4 GB RAM, 2 CPU.
$85/mo
Web Service — Pro Plus
Always-on. 8 GB RAM, 4 CPU.
$175/mo
Enterprise
Custom. Centralized team management, dedicated support.
Custom
Render website

Medusa

OSS (self-host)
$0. MIT license. Run Medusa backend + admin on your infra.
$0 base (usage-based)
Medusa Cloud Free
$0. Hobby projects. Shared infra. Community support.
Free
Medusa Cloud Pro
$99/mo. Production support. Dedicated DB. Priority.
$99/mo
Enterprise
Custom. SSO, SLA, dedicated cluster, PCI.
Custom
Medusa website

Free-tier quotas head-to-head

Comparing hobby on Render vs oss on Medusa.

MetricRenderMedusa
No overlapping quota metrics for these tiers.

Features

Render · 13 features

  • AutoscalingMetric-based autoscale of instances.
  • Background WorkersProcess queue workers. No HTTP entrypoint.
  • Blueprints (render.yaml)Infrastructure-as-code config for all services.
  • Cron JobsScheduled Docker jobs.
  • Custom DomainsFree SSL, automatic cert renewal.
  • DDoS ProtectionBuilt-in.
  • Persistent DisksAttach persistent SSD to services.
  • Preview EnvironmentsPer-PR preview envs with their own DB and services.
  • Private ServicesInternal services not exposed to the public internet.
  • Render Key Value (Redis)Managed Redis-compatible key-value store.
  • Render PostgresManaged PostgreSQL with automated backups.
  • Static SitesGit-backed static hosting with global CDN, free SSL.
  • Web ServicesLong-running HTTP services with auto-scale + health checks.

Medusa · 16 features

  • Admin DashboardReact-based admin UI.
  • AuthCustomer + admin auth with JWT.
  • CartMulti-region carts with tax/pricing logic.
  • CheckoutMulti-step checkout flow.
  • Customers + GroupsCustomer records + B2B groups.
  • Dynamic PricingPrice lists, rules, customer-specific.
  • Event BusAsync events via Redis / RabbitMQ.
  • File ServicePluggable storage (S3, local).
  • Gift CardsNative gift-card support.
  • Inventory + Multi-warehouseStock tracking across locations.
  • Next.js StarterProduction-ready Next.js storefront.
  • Orders + FulfillmentFull order lifecycle (edits, returns, exchanges).
  • Products + VariantsProducts with options, variants, images.
  • Promotions + DiscountsRule-based promos, campaigns.
  • Tax ProvidersPluggable tax calculation.
  • Workflows EngineDurable saga-style business logic.

Developer interfaces

KindRenderMedusa
CLIRender CLImedusa CLI
SDK@medusajs/js-sdk
RESTRender REST APIMedusa Admin API, Medusa Store API
MCPRender MCPMedusa MCP
OTHERMedusa Admin UI, Next.js Starter
Staxly is an independent catalog of developer platforms. Some links to Render and Medusa may be affiliate links — Staxly may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Pricing is verified against vendor pages at publication time — reconfirm before buying.

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