How to Deploy Templates on Render (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

Introduction

Render is another popular platform for hosting websites and apps. Like Netlify and Vercel, it offers a free plan, automatic HTTPS, and easy GitHub integration.

This tutorial will walk you through deploying a template on Render, whether it’s a simple HTML site or a React project.

Why Use Render?

Free plan with 750 build minutes per month
Can host static websites, Node.js apps, and more
Automatic SSL certificates
Easy GitHub/GitLab integration

Step 1: Push Your Template to GitHub

Render works best when your code is in GitHub (or GitLab). If you haven’t already:

Code · batchfile

git init

git add .

git commit -m "Initial commit" 

git branch -M main

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/my-template.git 

git push -u origin main

Step 2: Create a Render Account

Go to Render.com
Sign up with GitHub or GitLab

Step 3: Deploy a Static Site

In Render dashboard, click New → Static Site
Choose your GitHub repo
Fill in details:
- Name: anything you want
- Branch: main
- Build Command:
  - For React → npm run build
  - For static HTML → leave blank
- Publish Directory:
  - For React → build
  - For HTML → root folder

Click Create Static Site.

Step 4: Visit Your Live Site

After a short build, your template will be live at something like: https://my-template.onrender.com.

Step 5: Add a Custom Domain (Optional)

Render lets you connect your own domain:

Go to Settings → Custom Domains
Add your domain and update your DNS
Render gives you free HTTPS automatically

Troubleshooting Tips

Build failed? Check the command in package.json.
React routing issues? Add a _redirects file just like on Netlify.
Deploy taking too long? Free plan builds are queued — try again later if it’s busy.

Conclusion

Render is a great alternative to Netlify and Vercel. It’s flexible, beginner-friendly, and supports both static and dynamic apps. Next, in Hosting Academy, we’ll look at Cloudflare Pages, another free option that’s blazing fast.