Choosing the right hosting platform affects your development workflow, costs, and application performance. This guide compares popular modern hosting options based on official documentation, pricing pages, and real-world usage.

Platform Overview

PlatformFoundedBest ForPricing Model
Vercel2015Next.js, frontend frameworksPer-seat + usage
Netlify2014Jamstack, static sitesPer-seat + usage
Railway2020Full-stack apps, databasesUsage-based
Render2018Full-stack apps, managed servicesPer-service
Fly.io2017Global edge deploymentUsage-based

Pricing Comparison

Prices as of January 2025 from official pricing pages

Free Tiers

PlatformBandwidthBuild MinutesServerless FunctionsDatabases
Vercel1100 GB/mo6,000/mo100 GB-hrsEdge Config only
Netlify2100 GB/mo300/mo125k invocationsNone
Railway3IncludedN/AN/A$5 credit/mo
Render4100 GB/mo500/moN/A90 days free
Fly.io5IncludedN/AN/A3GB volume free
PlatformEntry PriceTeam PriceNotes
Vercel$20/user/mo$20/user/moUsage charges additional
Netlify$19/user/mo$19/user/moHigher limits
Railway~$5/mo+Usage-basedPay for resources used
Render$7/service/moUsage-basedPer-service pricing
Fly.io~$5/mo+Usage-basedPay for resources

Cost Examples

Static site (100k monthly visitors):

  • Vercel: Free
  • Netlify: Free
  • Render: Free

Full-stack app (small SaaS):

  • Vercel + external DB: $20/mo + DB costs
  • Railway: ~$10-30/mo (app + PostgreSQL)
  • Render: ~$14-28/mo (web service + PostgreSQL)

High-traffic app (1M+ requests/day):

  • Costs vary significantly—calculate based on specific usage patterns
  • Vercel/Netlify: Can become expensive due to function invocations
  • Railway/Render: More predictable with resource-based pricing

Feature Comparison

Deployment Features

FeatureVercelNetlifyRailwayRender
Git integrationYesYesYesYes
Preview deploymentsYesYesYesYes
RollbacksYesYesYesYes
Custom domainsYesYesYesYes
SSL certificatesAutoAutoAutoAuto
Edge network/CDNYesYesYes (via Cloudflare)Yes

Runtime Support

FeatureVercelNetlifyRailwayRender
Static sitesYesYesYesYes
Node.jsYesYesYesYes
PythonLimitedLimitedYesYes
GoLimitedLimitedYesYes
RustLimitedLimitedYesYes
DockerNoNoYesYes
Background workersLimitedLimitedYesYes
Cron jobsYesYesYesYes

Database Support

FeatureVercelNetlifyRailwayRender
PostgreSQLVercel PostgresNone (external)YesYes
MySQLNoneNoneYesYes
RedisVercel KVNoneYesYes
MongoDBNoneNoneYes (plugin)None

Platform Deep Dives

Vercel

Vercel is created by the team behind Next.js and optimized for frontend frameworks.1

Strengths:

  • Best-in-class Next.js support
  • Excellent developer experience
  • Fast global edge network
  • Automatic image optimization
  • React Server Components support

Limitations:

  • Functions limited to specific runtimes
  • No persistent Docker containers
  • Can be expensive at scale
  • Serverless-only architecture

Supported Frameworks:

  • Next.js (first-class support)
  • React, Vue, Svelte, Angular
  • Astro, Remix, Nuxt
  • Any static site generator

Best For:

  • Next.js applications
  • Jamstack and frontend-heavy apps
  • Teams prioritizing DX
  • Marketing and content sites

Serverless Functions:

  • Max duration: 10s (Hobby), 60s (Pro), 300s (Enterprise)
  • Memory: Up to 3008 MB
  • Cold starts: ~250ms typical

Netlify

Netlify pioneered the Jamstack movement and excels at static sites.2

Strengths:

  • Excellent build system
  • Built-in forms handling
  • Identity (auth) service
  • Split testing built-in
  • Plugin ecosystem

Limitations:

  • Functions have shorter timeouts
  • Less optimized for Next.js than Vercel
  • Limited backend capabilities

Supported Frameworks:

  • All major static site generators
  • Gatsby, Hugo, Jekyll, Eleventy
  • Next.js, Nuxt (with some limitations)
  • Any frontend framework

Best For:

  • Static sites and Jamstack
  • Marketing sites
  • Documentation sites
  • Projects needing built-in forms

Serverless Functions:

  • Max duration: 10s (Free), 26s (Pro)
  • Memory: 1024 MB
  • Background functions available on paid plans

Railway

Railway focuses on simplicity for full-stack applications.3

Strengths:

  • Deploy anything with Dockerfile
  • Easy database provisioning
  • Simple, predictable pricing
  • Great for backends and APIs
  • Monorepo support

Limitations:

  • Newer platform, smaller community
  • Fewer edge locations
  • No built-in CDN (use Cloudflare)

Supported Stacks:

  • Any Docker container
  • Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby
  • PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis
  • Any language with a Dockerfile

Best For:

  • Full-stack applications
  • Backend APIs
  • Projects needing databases
  • Developers wanting simplicity

Resources:

  • CPU: Shared or dedicated
  • Memory: Up to 32 GB
  • Storage: Persistent volumes available

Render

Render offers a unified cloud platform for all application types.4

Strengths:

  • Clear, predictable pricing
  • Managed databases included
  • Background workers
  • Cron jobs built-in
  • Private networking

Limitations:

  • Cold starts on free tier
  • Fewer DX features than Vercel
  • Smaller ecosystem

Supported Stacks:

  • Static sites (free)
  • Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby
  • Docker containers
  • PostgreSQL, Redis

Best For:

  • Full-stack applications
  • Long-running processes
  • Background job processing
  • Cost-conscious teams

Service Types:

  • Web Services: From $7/mo
  • Private Services: From $7/mo
  • Background Workers: From $7/mo
  • Cron Jobs: From $1/mo
  • PostgreSQL: From $7/mo
  • Redis: From $7/mo

Fly.io

Fly.io specializes in running applications at the edge, close to users.5

Strengths:

  • True global edge deployment
  • Run full Docker containers
  • Persistent volumes
  • Built-in Postgres (Fly Postgres)
  • WebSocket support

Limitations:

  • Steeper learning curve
  • More DevOps knowledge needed
  • Less polished UI

Supported Stacks:

  • Any Docker container
  • Full VM-like environment
  • Persistent storage
  • GPU instances available

Best For:

  • Globally distributed applications
  • Real-time applications
  • Apps needing low latency worldwide
  • Developers comfortable with Docker

Performance Comparison

Cold Start Times

Cold starts matter for serverless functions. Approximate times:6

PlatformTypical Cold Start
Vercel (Edge)0-50ms
Vercel (Serverless)250-500ms
Netlify Functions300-700ms
RailwayN/A (always running)
RenderN/A (always running)
Fly.ioN/A (always running)

Note: Railway, Render, and Fly.io run persistent containers, so no cold starts.

Global Edge Locations

PlatformEdge LocationsCDN
Vercel30+ regionsBuilt-in
Netlify30+ regionsBuilt-in
Railway5 regionsVia Cloudflare
Render7 regionsBuilt-in
Fly.io30+ regionsBuilt-in

Use Case Recommendations

Static Marketing Site

Recommendation: Netlify or Vercel

  • Both have generous free tiers
  • Excellent for static content
  • Built-in CDN

Next.js Application

Recommendation: Vercel

  • Created by same team
  • Best optimization and features
  • Seamless deployment

Full-Stack SaaS

Recommendation: Railway or Render

  • Managed databases included
  • Predictable pricing
  • Background job support

API-Only Backend

Recommendation: Railway, Render, or Fly.io

  • Full runtime control
  • Persistent connections
  • Database co-location

Globally Distributed App

Recommendation: Fly.io

  • Deploy to specific regions
  • Low-latency worldwide
  • Edge database support

Budget-Conscious Project

Recommendation: Railway or Render

  • Usage-based pricing
  • No per-seat costs
  • Databases included

Migration Considerations

From Vercel

  • Export environment variables
  • Update DNS settings
  • Adjust for framework-specific features (ISR, middleware)

From Netlify

  • Migrate form handling
  • Update build commands
  • Handle redirect rules differences

To/From Docker-based

  • Create Dockerfile if moving to Railway/Render/Fly
  • Ensure stateless architecture
  • Plan for persistent storage needs

Decision Framework

Choose based on your primary needs:

If You Need…Consider
Best Next.js supportVercel
Static site simplicityNetlify
Full-stack with databaseRailway or Render
Global edge deploymentFly.io or Vercel
Docker flexibilityRailway, Render, or Fly.io
Lowest costRailway or Render
Enterprise featuresVercel or Netlify

Further Reading

References

Footnotes

  1. Vercel. “Pricing.” https://vercel.com/pricing ↩ ↩2

  2. Netlify. “Pricing.” https://www.netlify.com/pricing/ ↩ ↩2

  3. Railway. “Pricing.” https://railway.app/pricing ↩ ↩2

  4. Render. “Pricing.” https://render.com/pricing ↩ ↩2

  5. Fly.io. “Pricing.” https://fly.io/docs/about/pricing/ ↩ ↩2

  6. Based on community benchmarks and platform documentation. Actual performance varies by workload and region. ↩