Where you deploy your website matters. The right platform can mean the difference between sub-100ms response times and multi-second delays. Here is how the three major options compare.
Platform Philosophies
Vercel: Built by the creators of Next.js. Optimized for React and Next.js. "The platform for frontend developers." Prioritizes developer experience and edge performance.
Netlify: Pioneered the JAMstack movement. Strong for static sites and serverless functions. Focus on Git-based workflows and build plugins.
AWS (Amplify/S3+CloudFront): The infrastructure giant. Maximum flexibility and control. Complexity matches power.
Performance
Edge Network
| Platform | Edge locations | Avg TTFB | CDN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel | 100+ cities | <50ms | Edge Network |
| Netlify | 14 CDN nodes | 50-150ms | Netlify CDN |
| AWS CloudFront | 450+ locations | 20-100ms | CloudFront |
Vercel's Edge Network provides excellent performance for dynamic content (server-side rendering, ISR, edge functions). AWS CloudFront has more locations but is primarily a static CDN.
Build Times
Vercel: Fast builds optimized for Next.js. Remote caching shares build artifacts across team members. Incremental builds only rebuild changed pages.
Netlify: Build times vary. Plugin system can add overhead. Parallel builds on paid plans. Build caching available.
AWS Amplify: Build times depend on configuration. Less optimized than Vercel/Netlify for specific frameworks.
Framework Optimization
Vercel: Deep integration with Next.js. Features like ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration), server components, and middleware run natively. Framework-aware build process.
Netlify: Good support for most frameworks. Next.js support through their adapter but not as deeply integrated as Vercel. Strong for Gatsby, Hugo, and 11ty.
AWS: Framework-agnostic. Manual configuration for framework-specific features. Amplify provides some Next.js support.
Developer Experience
Deployment Workflow
Vercel: Push to Git → auto-deploy. Preview deployments for every PR. Environment variables in dashboard. One-click rollback. Branch-based deployments.
Netlify: Push to Git → auto-deploy. Deploy previews with review apps. Split testing built-in. Form handling without backend code.
AWS: More configuration required. Amplify provides Git-based deployment but with more setup. S3+CloudFront requires manual CI/CD pipeline.
Dashboard
Vercel: Clean, focused dashboard. Deployment logs, analytics, environment variables, team management. Minimal clutter.
Netlify: Feature-rich dashboard. Forms, identity, large media, plugins. More features but busier interface.
AWS: Complex console. Amplify's dashboard is simpler but AWS's broader console is overwhelming for frontend-focused teams.
Local Development
Vercel: vercel dev simulates the edge/serverless environment locally. Hot Module Replacement. TypeScript support.
Netlify: netlify dev runs local development server. Plugin compatibility. Functions testing.
AWS: SAM CLI for Lambda functions. More setup required for local simulation.
Pricing Comparison
Free Tier
| Feature | Vercel | Netlify | AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | 100 GB/month | 100 GB/month | 1 GB/month (S3), 1 TB (CloudFront first year) |
| Builds | 6,000 min/month | 300 min/month | 1,000 min/month (Amplify) |
| Serverless | 100 GB-hrs | 125K invocations | 1M Lambda invocations |
| Team members | 1 | 1 | IAM users |
| Domains | Unlimited | Unlimited | Through Route 53 |
Paid Plans
| Plan | Vercel Pro | Netlify Pro | AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $20/member/month | $19/member/month | Pay-as-you-go |
| Bandwidth | 1 TB | 1 TB | ~$0.085/GB |
| Builds | Unlimited | 25K min/month | Pay-per-minute |
| Team size | Priced per member | Priced per member | IAM (no limit) |
At Scale (100K+ monthly visitors)
| Metric | Vercel | Netlify | AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly cost | $20-150 | $19-100 | $50-500 |
| Overage risk | Bandwidth overages | Build minute overages | Unpredictable bills |
| Cost predictability | Good | Good | Poor |
AWS costs are hardest to predict. You can accidentally rack up significant charges from unexpected traffic or misconfigured services.
Serverless Functions
Vercel: Edge Functions (run at edge, cold start <50ms) and Serverless Functions (Node.js, Go, Python, Ruby). Edge Functions are ideal for middleware and dynamic personalization.
Netlify: Netlify Functions (AWS Lambda under the hood). Scheduled functions, background functions. Edge Functions available.
AWS Lambda: The most flexible. Any runtime, up to 15 minutes execution, full AWS service integration. But: cold starts of 100-500ms, more complex setup.
When to Choose Each
Choose Vercel When:
- You use Next.js (the combination is unbeatable)
- Performance is critical (edge network, ISR, streaming)
- Developer experience is a priority
- Team prefers simplicity over configuration
- React ecosystem (Next.js, SvelteKit, Nuxt)
Choose Netlify When:
- You use static site generators (Hugo, 11ty, Gatsby)
- Form handling without a backend is needed
- Split testing (A/B) is important
- Plugin ecosystem provides needed features
- Strong JAMstack workflow
Choose AWS When:
- Your backend runs on AWS (minimize latency between services)
- Complex infrastructure requirements beyond frontend
- Regulatory compliance requires specific AWS regions
- Team has AWS expertise
- Cost optimization at massive scale (100M+ requests/month)
- Multi-service architecture needs tight integration
Our Deployment Stack
We deploy on Vercel for every Next.js project. The developer experience, edge performance, and framework integration make it the optimal choice. Preview deployments let clients review changes before they go live.
Contact us to discuss deployment and hosting for your project.