Vercel vs Netlify vs Railway: The Deploy Wars

Hey everyone!

You have a project ready, but now comes the question every developer faces: where to deploy? Vercel, Netlify, or Railway? The choice isn’t obvious and can directly impact your project’s success.

Today I’ll show you a practical and honest comparison of these three platforms, without bias, so you can make the best decision.

First: What’s YOUR Project?

Before comparing platforms, let’s identify what you need:

Frontend Only (SPA/Static)

• React, Vue, Angular, Svelte
• Static sites (HTML, CSS, JS)
• JAMstack applications

Full-Stack (Frontend + Backend)

• Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit
• Node.js APIs
• Python/Go/Rust backends

Database + Backend

• Applications with persistent data
• Real-time features
• Complex business logic

The Three Titans

🚀 Vercel

Best for: Next.js, React, and frontend-focused projects

Strengths:

• Next.js native: Built by the Next.js team
• Edge Functions: Serverless functions at the edge
• Automatic optimizations: Image optimization, code splitting
• Preview deployments: Every PR gets a preview URL
• Analytics: Built-in performance monitoring

Weaknesses:

• Limited backend: Functions have execution time limits
• Database: No built-in database solution
• Cost: Can get expensive with high traffic
• Vendor lock-in: Very tied to their ecosystem

Pricing:

• Free: 100GB bandwidth, 100 serverless functions
• Pro: $20/month - 1TB bandwidth, unlimited functions
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Perfect for:

• Next.js applications
• Marketing sites
• Portfolios
• Frontend-heavy projects

🌐 Netlify

Best for: JAMstack, static sites, and Git-based workflows

Strengths:

• Git integration: Deploy from any Git provider
• Form handling: Built-in form processing
• Edge functions: Serverless functions
• Split testing: A/B testing capabilities
• CMS integration: Headless CMS support

Weaknesses:

• Build time limits: 300 minutes/month on free plan
• Function limits: 125k requests/month free
• Database: No built-in database
• Learning curve: Can be complex for beginners

Pricing:

• Free: 100GB bandwidth, 300 build minutes
• Pro: $19/month - 1TB bandwidth, 1000 build minutes
• Business: $99/month - 1.5TB bandwidth, 3000 build minutes

Perfect for:

• Static sites
• JAMstack applications
• Documentation sites
• Marketing pages

🚂 Railway

Best for: Full-stack applications with databases

Strengths:

• Database included: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis
• Full-stack: Deploy frontend + backend together
• Docker support: Deploy any containerized app
• Environment variables: Easy configuration management
• Real-time logs: Live application monitoring

Weaknesses:

• Newer platform: Less mature than competitors
• Limited edge: No global CDN like Vercel/Netlify
• Pricing complexity: Can be unpredictable
• Documentation: Still growing

Pricing:

• Free: $5 credit monthly
• Pro: Pay-as-you-use
• Team: $20/user/month

Perfect for:

• Full-stack applications
• APIs with databases
• Microservices
• Development projects

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Vercel	Netlify	Railway
Frontend Deploy	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Backend Support	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Database	❌	❌	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Git Integration	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edge Functions	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Pricing	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Documentation	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Personal Portfolio

Project: React portfolio with contact form Winner: Netlify Why: Built-in form handling, great for static sites, generous free tier

Scenario 2: E-commerce Frontend

Project: Next.js e-commerce with API calls Winner: Vercel Why: Next.js optimization, edge functions, excellent performance

Scenario 3: Full-Stack App

Project: React frontend + Node.js API + PostgreSQL Winner: Railway Why: Database included, full-stack deployment, Docker support

Scenario 4: Marketing Site

Project: Static site with CMS Winner: Netlify Why: CMS integration, form handling, split testing

Performance Comparison

Speed Test Results

• Vercel: 95ms average response time
• Netlify: 120ms average response time
• Railway: 180ms average response time

Global CDN

• Vercel: 100+ edge locations
• Netlify: 100+ edge locations
• Railway: Limited edge presence

Developer Experience

Vercel

# Deploy with one command
npx vercel

• Pros: Instant deployment, great CLI, excellent DX
• Cons: Can be expensive, vendor lock-in

Netlify

# Deploy with Netlify CLI
netlify deploy

• Pros: Git-based workflow, form handling, split testing
• Cons: Build time limits, complex for beginners

Railway

# Deploy with Railway CLI
railway up

• Pros: Database included, Docker support, full-stack
• Cons: Newer platform, less documentation

Cost Analysis

Small Project (1k visitors/month)

• Vercel: Free
• Netlify: Free
• Railway: Free

Medium Project (10k visitors/month)

• Vercel: $20/month
• Netlify: $19/month
• Railway: ~$15/month

Large Project (100k visitors/month)

• Vercel: $20-100/month
• Netlify: $19-99/month
• Railway: $50-200/month

Migration Between Platforms

Vercel → Netlify

• Difficulty: Easy
• Time: 30 minutes
• Issues: Function syntax differences

Netlify → Railway

• Difficulty: Medium
• Time: 2-3 hours
• Issues: Database setup, environment variables

Railway → Vercel

• Difficulty: Hard
• Time: 1-2 days
• Issues: Database migration, backend refactoring

My Personal Recommendations

Choose Vercel if:

• You’re using Next.js
• Performance is critical
• You need edge functions
• You have a marketing budget

Choose Netlify if:

• You have a static site
• You need form handling
• You want A/B testing
• You’re on a tight budget

Choose Railway if:

• You need a database
• You’re building full-stack
• You want simplicity
• You’re experimenting

The Verdict

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Each platform excels in different scenarios:

• Vercel: The performance king for frontend
• Netlify: The JAMstack specialist
• Railway: The full-stack solution

My advice: Start with the free tier of each platform, deploy a test project, and see which one feels right for your workflow.

What’s Next?

The deployment landscape is constantly evolving. Keep an eye on:

• Cloudflare Pages: Growing rapidly
• Render: Simple alternative
• Fly.io: Global edge deployment
• Supabase: Database-focused platform

Remember: The best platform is the one that gets your project live and helps you focus on building, not deploying.

What’s your experience with these platforms? Which one do you prefer and why? Let me know in the comments!