> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gateways.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gateways vs Render

> Multi-cloud canvas in your accounts vs Render’s unified PaaS.

# Gateways vs Render

**Render** is a clean PaaS for deploying web services, workers, cron jobs, databases, and static sites on Render’s managed infrastructure. It is a good fit when you want a straightforward hosting platform with fewer cloud decisions.

**Gateways** is built for teams that have chosen, or are required to use, their own AWS, Azure, or GCP accounts. It gives those teams a visual operations layer for real cloud resources: compute, data, DNS, functions, storage, connections, environments, activity, and APIs.

## At A Glance

| Decision area               | Gateways                                                        | Render                                   |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Infrastructure boundary** | Your cloud accounts                                             | Render-managed platform                  |
| **Primary workflow**        | Model and operate cloud resources                               | Deploy services on a PaaS                |
| **Best fit**                | Existing cloud estates, platform teams, compliance, multi-cloud | Simple app hosting with managed services |
| **Operational view**        | Architecture canvas plus API-backed resources                   | Render dashboard and service model       |

## Choose Render When

* You want a hosted PaaS and do not need to manage cloud accounts directly.
* Your services fit Render’s platform model cleanly.
* You value a simple deployment experience over direct control of cloud primitives.

## Choose Gateways When

* Your workloads must run in AWS, Azure, or GCP under your organization’s accounts and policies.
* You need to visualize how servers, databases, DNS, storage, and functions relate across environments.
* You want a developer-friendly console without losing cloud-level ownership.
* You want the option to inspect and recover resources directly in the cloud provider instead of depending entirely on a hosting control plane.
* You need API automation around the same resources shown on the architecture canvas.

## Bottom Line

Render reduces infrastructure decisions by giving you a managed hosting surface. Gateways keeps infrastructure in the clouds you already govern, while still giving your team one place to design, operate, SSH, audit, and automate it.

[Compare hub](/platform) · [Console canvas](/gateways/canvas)