Coming Soon: Flexible Plans for Render PostgreSQL

In summer 2024, Render will release new, flexible plans for Render PostgreSQL. With these plans, you’ll be able to:

• Increase your database’s storage at any time, without downtime
• Adjust your database’s CPU and RAM, totally independent of storage
• Choose from a much wider range of compute options, up to 128 CPUs and 1 TB RAM

Additionally, we’re expanding the availability of certain PostgreSQL features. For example, point-in-time recovery will be added to all paid databases.

Existing databases will keep their current plan and pricing.

After the update, you can switch your database to a flexible plan by moving it to any new paid instance type. Note that your database will be unavailable for a few minutes during the switch.

What’s changing

Independent storage and compute

Currently, a database’s instance type determines both its storage and compute specs:

Following the update, Render’s new PostgreSQL instance types will only determine compute specs—you’ll be able to set storage independently. Each database will be billed according to its particular combination of instance type and storage, so you can pay for exactly the resources you need.

• As with other Render services, instance types will be billed according to their compute specs, prorated to the second.
• Storage will be billed at a fixed rate per GB per month, prorated to the second.
• You’ll be able to add more storage to your database at any time, in multiples of 5 GB.
  • Adding storage will not require any downtime for your database.
  • You will not be able to reduce storage for a database.

New instance types

Following the refresh, Render will offer four tiers of PostgreSQL instance types:

Tier	Description
Free	Equivalent to Render’s existing Free instance type. Storage will remain fixed at 1 GB. Learn more about free PostgreSQL databases.
Basic	Instance types with compute and pricing comparable to Render’s existing Starter, Standard, and Pro instance types.
Pro	Instance types with a 1:4 CPU-to-RAM ratio, suitable for production workloads. Smallest: 1 CPU / 4 GB RAM Largest: 128 CPU / 512 GB RAM Note that Render’s existing Pro instance type maps to an instance type in the new Basic tier.
Accelerated	Instance types with an 1:8 CPU-to-RAM ratio, suitable for memory-intensive workloads. Smallest: 1 CPU / 8 GB RAM Largest: 128 CPU / 1 TB RAM

Each new instance type will have a name that reflects its specs, such as mem-8-64 for an Accelerated instance with 8 CPU and 64 GB of RAM.

Expanded feature availability

The following Render PostgreSQL features (some of which are currently limited to team accounts) will be made available to any database with eligible specs:

Feature	Newly Eligible Databases
Point-in-time recovery	All paid databases Your retention period for point-in-time recovery will depend on your account type: Individual account: 3 days Team/Organization account: 7 days Preexisting paid databases will receive point-in-time recovery following their first maintenance period after the update.
Read replicas	Any database on a new instance type with at least 0.5 CPU and 10 GB of storage
High availability	Any database on a new Pro or Accelerated instance type

FAQ

Will Render automatically migrate my existing databases to a new plan?

No. By default, your existing databases will keep their current specs and pricing.

You’ll be able to move your existing database to a flexible plan by changing its instance type in the Render Dashboard.

Note the following:

• If you move to a new instance type, your database will be unavailable for a few minutes while the new instance spins up.
• You won’t be able to move a database back to its pre-update instance type.

Will I be able to change my database’s instance type?

Yes. You’ll be able to change your database’s instance type at any time in the Render Dashboard. You can change to a smaller or larger instance type, without changing your storage.

Note the following:

• Your database will be unavailable for a few minutes while the new instance spins up.
• You won’t be able to move a paid database to the Free instance type.
• If you’ve enabled a PostgreSQL feature with minimum spec requirements (such as high availability), you’ll only be able to move to another instance type that meets those requirements.

How will flexible database plans be billed?

Each database on a new flexible plan will be billed according to its combination of instance type and storage.

• As with other Render services, instance types will be billed according to their compute specs, prorated to the second.
• Storage will be billed at a fixed rate per GB per month, prorated to the second.