Render

Render supports deploying Docker images as Web Services.

Steps

1. Create a Web Service

In the Render dashboard, click New → Web Service → Deploy an existing image from a registry.

Enter the image URL:

ghcr.io/awaitstep/awaitstep:latest

Set the Instance Type to at least Starter (free tier does not support persistent disks).

2. Set environment variables

First, generate two secret keys:

openssl rand -hex 32   # use as TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY
openssl rand -hex 32   # use as BETTER_AUTH_SECRET

Then under Environment Variables, add:

TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-first-generated-key
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-second-generated-key
BETTER_AUTH_URL=https://awaitstep.onrender.com
PORT=8080

# Auth — configure at least one
# GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=
# GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=
# GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=
# GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=
RESEND_API_KEY=

Set BETTER_AUTH_URL to your Render service URL or a custom domain.

3. Configure storage

Under Disks, add a persistent disk and mount it at /app/data.

4. Set the port

Set the Port to 8080.

5. Create the service

Click Create Web Service.

Notes

• Render's free tier spins down after inactivity. Use a paid plan for always-on availability.
• Render provides a managed PostgreSQL service. Set DATABASE_URL to the internal connection string from the database dashboard.
• Set the Health Check Path to /api/health in the service settings.