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Developer Tools · head to head

Steampipe vs Vercel

Steampipe logo

Steampipe

Developer Tools

Query cloud APIs, SaaS tools and code with SQL, with no extract or load step

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Vercel logo

Vercel

Technology

Develop. Preview. Ship.

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Steampipe aGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.; Vercel usage-based pricing can spike unexpectedly during traffic surges or DDoS attacks
  • They diverge on capability: Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs, Vercel covers Instant deployments.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Steampipe and Vercel actually diverge.

Attributes where Steampipe and Vercel differ
AttributeSteampipeVercel
Pricing modelOpen source, with paid hosting through Turbot PipesUnknown
PlatformsmacOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, WebWeb, CLI
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
FoundedUnknown2015

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 Steampipe

  • SQL over live APIs
  • Wide plugin set
  • Embedded Postgres
  • Compliance benchmarks
  • Joins across providers
  • Hosted option

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.

Steampipe

  • Security teams answering posture questions against live cloud accounts rather than a nightly exportnot Vercel
  • Compliance evidence gathering where the answer must reflect the account at the moment it is askednot Vercel
  • Inventory and drift questions spanning several cloud providers in one querynot Vercel
  • Engineers who would rather write SQL than learn each provider command line toolnot Vercel

Vercel

  • Static sitesnot Steampipe
  • JAMstack applicationsnot Steampipe
  • Serverless APIsnot Steampipe
  • E-commerce sitesnot Steampipe
  • Documentation sitesnot Steampipe

Where each one falls short

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

Steampipe

  • AGPL-3.0 across all four engines is a procurement blocker at organisations that ban the licence outright, and the network clause reaches any internal portal or service that puts a web interface in front of it.
  • Dashboards, benchmarks and mods were removed from Steampipe entirely at version 1.0 in October 2024 and now live in a separate product, so pre-2024 documentation and tutorials describe commands that no longer exist.
  • Live querying is bound by cloud provider API rate limits and keeps no persistent store by default, which is why a separate DuckDB-backed product exists for log volumes and why large accounts return slowly.
  • The company is fifteen people and bootstrapped, maintaining four command line tools plus a hosted service plus two further products, and the newer tools have thin community traction relative to that surface area.
  • Hosted tiers include only three users regardless of tier, with additional Enterprise users charged separately, so a team of thirty costs an order of magnitude more than the headline figure before compute and storage are counted.

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

Steampipe

Free
  • Steampipe CLIFree
    • AGPL-3.0
    • All plugins
    • No user or query limits
  • Pipes DeveloperFree
    • One user
    • 400 compute minutes
    • 3GB storage
  • Pipes Team$49/month
    • Three users
    • 2,000 compute minutes
    • 20GB storage
  • Pipes Enterprise$249/month
    • Three users
    • 10,000 compute minutes
    • 100GB storage

Vercel

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Steampipe if

  • You need sql over live apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web.
  • You also want wide plugin set.
Steampipe 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 Steampipe or Vercel better?
Neither clearly leads. Steampipe 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, Steampipe or Vercel?
Steampipe starts at Free and Vercel at Free.
Does Steampipe or Vercel run on more platforms?
Steampipe runs on macOS, Linux, Windows, Docker, Web. Vercel runs on Web, CLI.
Can I use Steampipe for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Steampipe best used for?
Steampipe is most often used for security teams answering posture questions against live cloud accounts rather than a nightly export, compliance evidence gathering where the answer must reflect the account at the moment it is asked, inventory and drift questions spanning several cloud providers in one query, engineers who would rather write sql than learn each provider command line tool. Of those, security teams answering posture questions against live cloud accounts rather than a nightly export and compliance evidence gathering where the answer must reflect the account at the moment it is asked are not what Vercel is typically brought in for.
What can Steampipe do that Vercel cannot?
Steampipe covers SQL over live APIs, Wide plugin set, Embedded Postgres, Compliance benchmarks. Vercel covers Instant deployments, Preview deployments, Serverless functions, Edge network.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Steampipe: When did Steampipe become AGPL?

May 2021, about four months after the project went public. It is a settled licence rather than a recent change, and predates the Business Source Licence wave it is often confused with.

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
Steampipe: Where did the dashboards and benchmarks go?

Into Powerpipe. They were deprecated in March 2024 and removed from Steampipe at version 1.0 in October 2024, so the check, dashboard, mod and variable commands are gone.

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
Steampipe: Is it fast on a large cloud estate?

Not always. Queries call provider APIs at request time, so rate limits rather than query planning set the pace, and there is no persistent store by default.

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
Steampipe: Does the AGPL affect internal use?

Running it internally for your own analysis is fine. Putting a web interface in front of it that other people use is where the network clause becomes a question for your legal team.

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
Steampipe: Is a bootstrapped vendor a risk?

It cuts both ways. There is no investor pressure toward a licence change or an exit, and there are also fifteen people supporting a large product surface.

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
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