Websites in the Cloud

Self-Hosted Websites: Netlify, Vercel, and Alternatives — Comparison, Features, and Recommendations

Introduction

Self-hosting refers to the process of deploying web projects on cloud platforms without the need to configure and maintain a dedicated server infrastructure. This approach allows for automation of build, testing, and deployment processes, provides high fault tolerance, CDN support, and integration with serverless architecture.

This article presents an analytical overview of popular self-hosting platforms — Netlify and Vercel. It includes a comparative analysis based on key parameters, alternative solutions, and recommendations for selecting the most appropriate service depending on the type of project and operational requirements.

Definition and Key Characteristics of Self-Hosting

Self-hosting involves using cloud services that provide ready-made infrastructure for launching web applications. These platforms offer:

Integration with version control systems (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).
Automated project building.
CI/CD pipeline support.
Hosting of static content.
Support for serverless functions.
Global content delivery via CDN.

This approach is particularly relevant for frontend developers, startups, and small-scale projects where speed of deployment, ease of management, and scalability are critical.

Netlify: Overview of Capabilities

General Information

Netlify is one of the first platforms to popularize the JAMstack concept. It is designed for hosting static websites and applications, with extended capabilities provided by serverless functions and other tools.

Key Features

Integration with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket.
Automatic deployment upon repository push.
Deployment previews.
Serverless functions (Lambda-like).
Global CDN.
Form handling with spam protection.
Free plan with limitations on traffic and build time.

Limitations

Restrictions on free-tier build time and function call limits.
Limited support for SSR and complex backend implementations.
Less flexible caching system compared to competitors.

Vercel: Overview of Capabilities

General Information

Originally developed as a platform for Next.js applications, Vercel has evolved into a universal solution for hosting JavaScript- and TypeScript-based projects, including React, Vue, and Svelte.

Key Features

Full support for SSR and SSG via Next.js.
Edge Network — global content delivery with minimal latency.
Edge Functions — lightweight serverless functions.
Instant Preview — immediate preview of changes after commit.
Integration with modern development tools such as Turborepo and Nx.
Free plan with limitations on build time and request volume.

Limitations

Steeper learning curve for users not using Next.js.
Additional costs when using advanced SSR and Edge Function features.
Limited form-handling functionality compared to Netlify.

Comparative Analysis: Netlify vs Vercel

Parameter

Netlify

Vercel

Framework Support

All JS frameworks

Next.js (first-class)

SSR / SSG

Limited SSR support

Full SSR and SSG support

Serverless Functions

Yes

Yes (Edge Functions)

CDN

Global

Edge Network

Git Integration

GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket

Forms

Full support

Limited support

Free Plan

Available

Build Configuration File

netlify.toml

vercel.json

Best For

Static sites

Next.js projects

Pricing and Plans

Netlify

Free Plan: 300 build minutes/month, 100 function calls/day, 100 GB traffic.
Pro Plan: From $19/month — increased limits, team access, analytics.
Enterprise: Custom plans and configurations.

Vercel

Free Plan: 3,000 edge function executions/day, 1 TB traffic, 100 build minutes.
Pro Plan: From $20/month — more builds, private deployments, custom domain.
Enterprise: Custom plans and configurations.

Performance and SEO Impact

Metric

Netlify

Vercel

Lighthouse Score

High

Very High

Core Web Vitals

Good

Excellent

CDN

Fastly

Edge Network

Redirects

Supported

URL Rewriting

Available

Vercel demonstrates superior performance due to its Edge Network, which positively impacts SEO metrics.

Security

Feature

Netlify

Vercel

Private Deployments

Yes (Pro)

Secret Management

Available

Access Audit

Available

SSL Support

Auto

Collaboration and Access Control

Both platforms support team collaboration:

User roles (admin, editor, guest).
Integration with Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Access management at the project and team levels.

Third-Party Integrations

Service

Netlify

Vercel

Headless CMS

Gatsby, Sanity, Tina

Contentful, Sanity

Analytics

Google Analytics

Vercel Analytics

Monetization

Stripe

CI/CD

Netlify Build

Vercel CLI

Technology-Specific Recommendations

Technology / Framework

Recommended Platform

Next.js

Vercel

Nuxt.js

Netlify or Vercel

Vue + Vite

Netlify or Vercel

React + SSR

Vercel

Gatsby

Netlify

SvelteKit

Netlify or Vercel

Migration Between Platforms

From Netlify to Vercel:

Export environment variables.
Create a vercel.json file instead of netlify.toml.
Replace AWS Lambda functions with Edge Functions.
Use Vercel CLI for deployment.

From Vercel to Netlify:

Replace vercel.json with netlify.toml.
Rewrite Edge Functions to AWS Lambda format.
Reconfigure forms and domains.

Alternative Platforms

1. Render

Supports Node.js, Python, Ruby, Java.
Full-stack application hosting.
More powerful free tier than competitors.

2. Cloudflare Pages

Integration with Workers and Durable Objects.
Excellent performance.
Supports only static content and simple functions.

3. Firebase Hosting (Google)

Ideal for Firebase backend integration.
Suitable for SPAs and PWAs.
Well-documented.

4. GitHub Pages

Free static site hosting from GitHub.
No CI/CD or advanced features.

Checklist for Choosing a Platform

Is SSR required? Are you using Next.js? Is form handling important? Do you need full-stack hosting? Is there a budget for a paid plan? Are preview deployments and CMS integrations essential?

Conclusion

Netlify and Vercel are two of the most widely used and feature-rich platforms for self-hosting web projects.

Netlify is recommended for static content-based projects requiring form support and minimal complexity.
Vercel is the preferred choice for Next.js-based applications that require SSR, SSG, and optimized global content delivery via Edge Network.

For tasks that exceed the standard capabilities of these platforms, alternative solutions such as Render, Cloudflare Pages, or Firebase Hosting should be considered.

The selection of a hosting platform should be based on an analysis of the project's technological specifics, expected traffic volume, performance requirements, and available budget.

Last updated 1 month ago

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