Render.com is a cloud application platform that lets developers deploy and scale web services, private services, background workers, cron jobs, databases, and other cloud-hosted applications.
With Render.com, teams can host full-stack applications and infrastructure without managing servers directly. Render describes HIPAA-enabled workspaces for organizations that process or store protected health information, but only under specific plan and workspace conditions.
Is Render.com HIPAA compliant? Yes, Render.com can be HIPAA compliant, but there are limitations.
What changed this year?
In April 2026, Render updated its workspace plans. Render says the new Scale and Enterprise plans remove the previous $250/month minimum fee for HIPAA-enabled workspaces. HIPAA-enabled workspaces still require a Scale or Enterprise plan, and Render adds a 20% fee to usage in HIPAA-enabled workspaces.
Will Render.com sign a business associate agreement (BAA)?
Yes, Render.com will sign a BAA. Render says workspace admins can start the BAA process from Workspace Settings under the Compliance section. After the confirmation flow, Render emails a link to sign the BAA.
What does the Render.com BAA cover?
The Render.com BAA covers HIPAA-enabled workspaces used for HIPAA-regulated workloads. Render states, “Render provides HIPAA-enabled workspaces for organizations subject to HIPAA requirements.” Render also says these workspaces run services and datastores on access-restricted hosts, and that Render staff access is subject to strict controls.
Their HIPAA-enabled setup covers:
- HIPAA-enabled workspaces
- Services and datastores on access-restricted hosts
- Paid workspace environments under Scale or Enterprise plans
- Persistent disks with encrypted daily snapshots
- Render Postgres databases
- Render Key Value instances
- Infrastructure-level safeguards such as audit logs, role-based access control, data recovery tools, encryption at rest, and TLS encryption in transit
What does the Render.com BAA exclude?
Render does not allow PHI everywhere on the platform, even inside a HIPAA-enabled workspace. Render says, “Never process or store PHI on Render outside of a HIPAA-enabled workspace.” It also says a HIPAA-enabled workspace does not automatically make an application HIPAA compliant because customers remain responsible for HIPAA compliance in their own applications.
Render specifically excludes PHI from static sites, service-generated logs, build artifacts, infrastructure-as-code configuration, and resource names such as service names, environment variable names, secret file filenames, and database table or column names.
Conclusion
Render.com can be HIPAA compliant, but only when a covered entity or business associate signs Render’s BAA and uses a properly enabled HIPAA workspace.
Learn more: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide
FAQS
What is a business associate agreement?
A BAA is a legally binding contract establishing a relationship between a covered entity under HIPAA and its business associates. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure the proper protection of PHI as required by HIPAA regulations.
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA sets national standards for protecting the privacy and security of certain health information.
HIPAA is designed to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ health information and to ensure that healthcare providers and insurers can securely exchange electronic health information. Violations of HIPAA can result in significant fines and penalties for covered entities.
Who does HIPAA apply to?
HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also applies to business associates of these covered entities. These are entities that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of the covered entity.
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