Quick comparison for anyone wondering where to host Next.js for free.
TL;DR
- Vercel – Best for Next.js (SSR / API), but free plan doesn’t support private Git deploys and has function/bandwidth limits.
- Render – Lets you deploy private repos and backend servers, but free tier gives 750 instance hours/month total. Even if a service goes idle after 15 min of no traffic, idle time still counts toward your monthly hours.
- Netlify – Unlimited projects, supports private Git, but has monthly quotas on builds, bandwidth, and functions.
Compare Free Plans
| Feature | Vercel | Render | Netlify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Git deploy |  |
 |
|
| Next.js API Support | |
|
(serverless functions) |
| Unlimited projects | |
|
|
| Monthly quota type | functions + bandwidth | 750 instance hours/month | builds + bandwidth + functions |
| Idle spin-down | – |  yes (15 min) |
– |
| Count idle toward quota? | n/a |  yes – idle still uses hours |
n/a |
| Best for | Next.js first party | Node apps / backend services | many small sites |
What Render’s Free Tier Means
- Render provides 750 free instance hours per month for web services. oai_citation:0‡Render
- A single server running 24/7 all month fits within ~744 hours, so one project can run full month on free. oai_citation:1‡Reddit
- Two projects share the same 750 hours. If both run 24/7 (including idle time), you’ll use ~1488 hours = over the free limit, and services will be suspended until next month.
- Even when a service goes idle after ~15 min without traffic, those hours still count against your 750 hours because the instance is still billed (ready to handle traffic). oai_citation:2‡FreeTiers
Notes
- If you try to keep a service alive (e.g., pings every few minutes to prevent sleep), that increases usage toward the 750 h quota. oai_citation:3‡Stack Overflow
- Exceeding the free instance hours means services may be suspended until the quota resets. oai_citation:4‡Render