Netlify vs Vercel
Choose Netlify for its lower matched-plan cost, managed database and team plan without per-member charges. Choose Vercel if its regional coverage, including Africa, matters to your deployment, or Hobby fits your non-commercial personal project.
| Criterion | Netlify | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| True 3-year price, like-for-like plan | $324 (Personal) ✓ | $720 (Pro) |
| Regions | 14 | 19 ✓ |
| Uptime SLA | 99.99% | 99.99% |
| Developer features | 5 of 8 ✓ | 3 of 8 |
| Managed databases | Yes ✓ | No |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Support channels | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Providers change prices often, and we regularly verify prices against their own pricing pages, though small differences from current prices are possible. Prices checked 10 Oct 2026. Three-year prices in US dollars at a fixed exchange rate.
Choose Netlify if
- You want a managed database with automatic backups.
- Your team benefits from unlimited members on Pro.
- Your expected usage fits the lower-cost matched plan.
Choose Vercel if
- You need regional coverage that includes Africa.
- Your team has few deploying members and benefits from free viewer seats.
- Your personal project fits Hobby's non-commercial restriction and hard usage caps.
Our take
Netlify is the more practical fit when you want application hosting and a managed database together. Its database includes automatic backups on credit-based plans, although retention depends on the plan. Vercel does not include a managed database, so plan that part of your stack separately. Your deployment tooling is less of a deciding factor: each supports an API, CLI and Terraform. Vercel's wider regional coverage matters if it matches where you need to run your app, especially when Africa is a requirement.
The matched-plan totals are $324 for Netlify Personal and $720 for Vercel Pro over the comparison period. Netlify has the lower baseline, but these usage-based plans require a workload estimate before you treat that difference as savings. Netlify draws credits for production deploys, compute, bandwidth and requests; previews and branch deploys do not consume credits. Vercel bills usage beyond its credit and charges for additional deploying seats. For team budgeting, compare Pro with Pro: Netlify includes unlimited members, while Vercel distinguishes paid deploying seats from free viewers.
For personal experiments, choose the free plan whose restrictions you can accept. Netlify Free pauses all web projects when its credits run out, while Vercel Hobby restricts use to non-commercial personal projects and pauses affected features when limits are exceeded. Neither lets you buy extra usage on the free plan. For a customer-facing app, account for interruption risk before treating free hosting as a lasting budget. Contractual uptime does not distinguish the ordinary paid plans: the listed SLA applies only to enterprise arrangements on each platform.
FAQ
Is Netlify cheaper than Vercel for my app?
Netlify has the lower matched-plan total: $324 for Personal, compared with $720 for Vercel Pro over the comparison period. Your actual bill depends on usage and team needs, so include credit consumption, metered charges and deploying seats in your estimate.
Can I use Vercel Hobby for a commercial project?
No, Hobby is restricted to non-commercial personal use. For a commercial project, assess Pro's platform fee, deploying-seat charges and usage billing.
Does Netlify or Vercel include a managed database?
Netlify offers a managed database on credit-based plans, with automatic backups and plan-dependent retention. Vercel does not include a managed database, so arrange database hosting separately if your app needs it.
Should I use Netlify or Vercel for an agent that needs Docker or SSH?
Neither fits that requirement: neither supports Docker or root/SSH access. If your agent depends on a container runtime or direct server access, choose hosting that explicitly supports those requirements.