Softwr

Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Vercel

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Cloud & Infrastructure

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vercel logo

Vercel

Technology

Develop. Preview. Ship.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Vercel usage-based pricing can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges or DDoS attacks
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, Vercel covers Instant deployments.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Vercel actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Vercel differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)Vercel
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileWeb, CLI
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureTechnology
Founded20062015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in Vercel

  • Instant deployments
  • Preview deployments
  • Serverless functions
  • Edge network
  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Custom domains
  • Git integration
  • Real-time collaboration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot Vercel
  • Data storagenot Vercel
  • Machine learningnot Vercel
  • Big data analyticsnot Vercel
  • Application developmentnot Vercel

Vercel

  • Static sitesnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • JAMstack applicationsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Serverless APIsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • E-commerce sitesnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Documentation sitesnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

Vercel

  • Usage-based pricing can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges or DDoS attacks
  • No spending limit controls or automatic shutoff mechanisms
  • Bandwidth costs ($0.15/GB) quickly accumulate for high-traffic applications

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

Vercel

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • Non-commercial use only
    • 100GB bandwidth
    • Community support
  • Pro$20/user/month
    • Commercial use
    • 1TB bandwidth
    • $20 usage credit
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom infrastructure
    • Premium support
    • Compliance add-ons

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose Vercel if

  • You need instant deployments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want preview deployments.
Vercel review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Vercel better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Vercel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Vercel?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Vercel at Free.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Vercel run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Vercel runs on Web, CLI.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Vercel is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Vercel cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Vercel covers Instant deployments, Preview deployments, Serverless functions, Edge network.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Vercel: What are Vercel's main pricing tiers?

Vercel offers a free Hobby plan (non-commercial), Pro at $20/user/month with $20 usage credit, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Additional compliance add-ons cost $150-$350/month.

Source
Vercel: How much do bandwidth overages cost on Vercel?

Bandwidth overages cost $0.15/GB after plan limits are exceeded. Hobby plan includes 100GB free bandwidth; Pro includes 1TB. Usage-based billing can cause unexpected bills.

Source
Vercel: Is Vercel free for Next.js projects?

Yes, Vercel offers a free Hobby plan for non-commercial Next.js projects with automatic deployments from git. Commercial projects require Pro plan or higher.

Source
Vercel: Can I set spending limits on Vercel?

No, Vercel does not offer hard spending caps or automatic shutoff. High traffic, DDoS attacks, or misconfigured functions can result in unexpectedly large bills.

Source
Vercel: What is included in the Pro plan?

Pro ($20/user/month) includes $20 usage credit, 1TB bandwidth, support for commercial projects, git integration, and preview deployments.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on AWS (Amazon Web Services)

More on Vercel

Keep looking

Other head to heads