Heroku vs Vercel
type: Article
description: Vercel specializes in frontend deployment with superior performance for Next.js applications and offers a more generous free tier, while Heroku provides a more traditional full-stack platform with better support for diverse backend languages and databases, making them suited for different deployment needs.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-06-11T18:02:40.563Z
date created: 2026-06-11T18:02:40.563Z
date modified: 2026-06-11T18:02:40.616Z
content reference time: 2026-06-11T18:02:40.616Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Heroku
about: Vercel
abstract: Vercel specializes in frontend deployment with superior performance for Next.js applications and offers a more generous free tier, while Heroku provides a more traditional full-stack platform with better support for diverse backend languages and databases, making them suited for different deployment needs.
text: Primary Use Case. Free Tier Availability. Cold Start Time. Supported Languages. Database Ecosystem. Next.js Optimization. Starting Price
conclusion text: Choose Heroku if you're building traditional full-stack applications with complex backend logic, need native database support, require multiple language runtimes, or prefer a mature platform with extensive add-ons. Choose Vercel if you're optimizing for frontend performance, using Next.js, deploying serverless functions, need instant cold starts, or want to minimize deployment costs with a generous free tier.
additional property: Starting Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 10-30 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Maximum Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 99.99% | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Supported Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Available Add-ons
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 60+ marketplace add-ons | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Deployment Methods
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Git push, GitHub, Dropbox, API | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 60-120 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: No free trial (paid only) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $5 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Pro Plan Base Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $7 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Managed Postgres Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $38 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Discontinued (2022) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Active Development Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Maintenance mode | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Years Since Launch
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 15+ | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Git-Push Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes (original) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Credit Card Required for Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 3-5 seconds | Vercel: <0.1 seconds
  value reference: Vercel
additional property: Free Tier Bandwidth
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $0 (discontinued) | Vercel: 100GB
additional property: Supported Backend Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 15+ languages | Vercel: 1 (Node.js primary)
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Native Database Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types) | Vercel: None (external only)
additional property: Global Edge Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: ~6 regions | Vercel: 280+
  value reference: Vercel
additional property: Add-on Marketplace Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 150+ add-ons | Vercel: Integrations via marketplace
additional property: Production Dyno Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: $20 (Pro plan)
  value reference: Vercel
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Built-in at all tiers | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 1 minute (add-on) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $9 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: No (limited to buildpacks) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 30+ seconds | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0.25-0.5 hours | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (Baseline App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $500-2,000 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Maximum Deployable Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 100,000 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0.5-1 week | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Available Add-ons/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 180+ (official marketplace) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $2,000-5,000 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Required DevOps Team Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $200-250 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 2-5 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Number of Available Services/Products
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 50+ | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Maximum RAM per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 512 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes, automatic on git push | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Global Regions Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 4 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50/month | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Database Cost (Pro Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 (minimum) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 1,500-3,000ms | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Global Server Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 6 regions | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Marketplace Add-ons Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 180+ add-ons | Vercel: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/vercel
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/vercel
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/heroku-vs-vercel
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/heroku-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/google-cloud-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gcp-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vercel-vs-render
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vercel-vs-aws-amplify
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vercel-vs-github
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-fly-io
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aws-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-digitalocean
teaches: How to choose between Heroku and Vercel
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: Heroku vs Vercel — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

Heroku
type: Thing
language: en-US
description: Cloud Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) by Salesforce for deploying web applications with managed infrastructure.
subject of: Heroku vs Vercel

Vercel
type: Organization
language: en-US
description: Edge-first platform optimized for Next.js and modern full-stack web applications.
subject of: Heroku vs Vercel

Heroku vs Vercel — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Heroku vs Vercel. Contains 150 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Starting Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Maximum Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Supported Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Available Add-ons
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Deployment Methods
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: DevOps
variable measured: Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Pro Plan Base Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Managed Postgres Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Database
variable measured: Free Tier Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Active Development Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Product
variable measured: Years Since Launch
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: History
variable measured: Git-Push Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Credit Card Required for Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Onboarding
variable measured: Cold Start Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Tier Bandwidth
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Supported Backend Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capabilities
variable measured: Native Database Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Global Edge Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Add-on Marketplace Size
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Production Dyno Cost
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Experience
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Baseline App)
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variable measured: Maximum Deployable Scale
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variable measured: Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)
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variable measured: Available Add-ons/Integrations
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variable measured: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users
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variable measured: Required DevOps Team Size
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variable measured: Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Development
variable measured: Number of Available Services/Products
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Platform Scope
variable measured: Maximum RAM per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Global Regions Available
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Database Cost (Pro Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Cold Start Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Global Server Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Marketplace Add-ons Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integrations
variable measured: Company Age & Maturity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Free Tier Available
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Supported Languages/Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Language Support
variable measured: Add-on Marketplace Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Platform Operational History
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Maturity
variable measured: Free Tier or Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Onboarding
variable measured: Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Time from Code Commit to Production
variable measured: Cold Start Response Time
variable measured: Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
variable measured: Infrastructure Customization Level
variable measured: Free Tier Availability
variable measured: Company Valuation
variable measured: Annualized Recurring Revenue
variable measured: Total Funding Raised
variable measured: Founding Year
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel

Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Heroku vs Vercel.
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: DevOps
has defined term: Database
has defined term: Product
has defined term: History
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Onboarding
has defined term: Capabilities
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Control
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Development
has defined term: Platform Scope
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: Language Support
has defined term: Maturity
has defined term: Financial Metrics
has defined term: Financial
has defined term: Company History
has defined term: Company Info
has defined term: Growth Metrics
has defined term: Strategy
has defined term: Backend
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Monitoring
has defined term: Trial
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Backend Features
has defined term: User Base
has defined term: Implementation
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Framework Support
has defined term: CI/CD
has defined term: Resources

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reliability
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ecosystem
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

DevOps
type: DefinedTerm
term code: devops
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Database
type: DefinedTerm
term code: database
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Product
type: DefinedTerm
term code: product
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

History
type: DefinedTerm
term code: history
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Onboarding
type: DefinedTerm
term code: onboarding
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capabilities
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-experience
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: control
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Development
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Scope
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-scope
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integrations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integrations
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Language Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: language-support
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maturity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maturity
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Financial Metrics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: financial-metrics
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Financial
type: DefinedTerm
term code: financial
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Company History
type: DefinedTerm
term code: company-history
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Company Info
type: DefinedTerm
term code: company-info
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Growth Metrics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: growth-metrics
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Strategy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: strategy
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Backend
type: DefinedTerm
term code: backend
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Monitoring
type: DefinedTerm
term code: monitoring
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Trial
type: DefinedTerm
term code: trial
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Backend Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: backend-features
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Base
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-base
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Implementation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: implementation
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-limits
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Framework Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: framework-support
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

CI/CD
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ci/cd
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resources
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resources
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-11T18:02:40.616Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: heroku-vs-vercel
main entity: Can I use a database with Vercel?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Vercel doesn't provide native database hosting, but you can integrate external services like PostgreSQL via Supabase, Prisma, MongoDB Atlas, or AWS RDS. Heroku offers managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis directly through its add-on marketplace, making database setup simpler for beginners.
    language: en-US
main entity: Is Vercel free to use?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes, Vercel offers a generous free tier with 100GB bandwidth/month, unlimited serverless function invocations, and support for unlimited projects. Heroku discontinued its free tier in November 2022; all deployments now require a paid plan starting at $7/month.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform is better for full-stack applications?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Heroku is traditionally better for full-stack apps because it supports diverse backend languages (Python, Ruby, Java, Go, PHP) and includes database management. Vercel excels at full-stack Next.js applications with serverless backends but requires external databases and is primarily Node.js-focused.
    language: en-US
main entity: How do cold starts affect my application?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Heroku dynos experience 3-5 second cold starts when idle, impacting user experience. Vercel's serverless Edge Functions have <100ms cold starts and scale automatically. For frequently-accessed apps, this difference is negligible; for infrequently-accessed services, Vercel's performance is superior.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I migrate from Heroku to Vercel?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Migration depends on your stack. Vercel is ideal if you're using Next.js; you can migrate Node.js backends to Vercel Functions. For non-Node.js backends (Python, Ruby, etc.), you'd need to rewrite code or use an alternative like Railway or Render. Database migrations require exporting data and reconfiguring connections.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Heroku and Vercel
type: HowTo
description: Vercel specializes in frontend deployment with superior performance for Next.js applications and offers a more generous free tier, while Heroku provides a more traditional full-stack platform with better support for diverse backend languages and databases, making them suited for different deployment needs.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Primary Use Case
step: Consider: Free Tier Availability
step: Consider: Cold Start Time
step: Consider: Supported Languages
step: Consider: Database Ecosystem
step: Consider: Next.js Optimization
step: Consider: Starting Price
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Heroku if you're building traditional full-stack applications with complex backend logic, need native database support, require multiple language runtimes, or prefer a mature platform with extensive add-ons. Choose Vercel if you're optimizing for frontend performance, using Next.js, deploying serverless functions, need instant cold starts, or want to minimize deployment costs with a generous free tier.

Consider: Primary Use Case
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Primary Use Case: Heroku has Full-stack applications with backend focus, while Vercel has Frontend and serverless functions (Next.js optimized).

Consider: Free Tier Availability
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Free Tier Availability: Heroku has Discontinued (paid plans start $7/month), while Vercel has Available with 100GB bandwidth/month.

Consider: Cold Start Time
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Cold Start Time: Heroku has 3-5 seconds typical, while Vercel has <100ms for serverless functions.

Consider: Supported Languages
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Supported Languages: Heroku has 15+ (Node.js, Python, Ruby, Java, Go, PHP, etc.), while Vercel has Node.js, Python, Go (via serverless).

Consider: Database Ecosystem
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Database Ecosystem: Heroku has PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (native support), while Vercel has No native DB; integrations required.

Consider: Next.js Optimization
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Next.js Optimization: Heroku has Standard deployment, while Vercel has Built-in Edge Functions and ISR.

Consider: Starting Price
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Starting Price: Heroku has $7/month (hobby dyno equivalent), while Vercel has $0/month (free tier).

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Heroku vs Vercel
review body: Vercel specializes in frontend deployment with superior performance for Next.js applications and offers a more generous free tier, while Heroku provides a more traditional full-stack platform with better support for diverse backend languages and databases, making them suited for different deployment needs.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Heroku vs Vercel

Company Age & Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Founded 2007 | Vercel: N/A

Free Tier Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: No (discontinued 2022) | Vercel: N/A

Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 30-60 seconds | Vercel: 50-100ms
value reference: Heroku

Uptime SLA Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 99.99% | Vercel: N/A

Supported Languages/Runtimes
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 12+ | Vercel: N/A

Add-on Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 200+ | Vercel: N/A

Platform Operational History
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 22 years | Vercel: N/A

Free Tier or Trial
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: None (discontinued) | Vercel: N/A

Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $9/month | Vercel: N/A

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $12/month | Vercel: $0 (hobby tier)
value reference: Vercel

Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
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value: Heroku: $250-350/month | Vercel: N/A

Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: <2 minutes | Vercel: N/A

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 3-5 seconds (free dyno) | Vercel: N/A

Maximum Uptime SLA
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value: Heroku: 99.99% | Vercel: N/A

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 150+ integrated add-ons | Vercel: N/A

Infrastructure Customization Level
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Limited (configuration over customization) | Vercel: N/A

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Discontinued (was free, now hobby tier $50/month) | Vercel: N/A

Company Valuation
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $9.3B

Annualized Recurring Revenue
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $340M

Total Funding Raised
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $863M

Founding Year
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2015

Current Funding Stage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Series F

YoY Revenue Growth Rate
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 86%

Primary Geographic HQ
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Covina, California, USA

Market Position (2026)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Enterprise market leader

Starter Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200+

Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 50-100ms

Max Serverless Function Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 10GB

Database Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native Vercel Postgres

DDoS Protection Level
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Basic (paid plans enhanced)

Analytics Dashboard
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Detailed Web Analytics

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited free tier

Free Tier Allowance
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited

Pro Plan Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20

Database Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 3-4 options

CDN Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200+ edge locations

Serverless Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: <100ms average

Container Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (via Docker)

Preview Environments
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Automatic per git branch

Enterprise Security Features
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: SOC 2, DDoS, WAF included

Cold Start Time (Function)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 50-100ms

Starting Pro Plan Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20

Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 35+ frameworks

Database Storage (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1 GB (Vercel Postgres)

Monthly Free Credits/Tier
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Free tier (limited)

Integrated Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 15-20 services

Compute Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 150+ (edge)

Docker/Container Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (Node.js focus)

Free Tier Compute
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited Functions (100GB bandwidth)

Native Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0 native; integrations available

ML/AI Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: API integrations only

Compute Price (vCPU/hour)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $0.10-0.50 per Serverless Function GB-hr

Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Automatic (280 edge locations)

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1/10 (git push automatic deployment)

Starter Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20/month

Edge Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: ~50 ms

Standard Deployment Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200-400ms

Edge Network Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 180+ edge locations

Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: PostgreSQL only (Vercel Postgres)

Background Jobs
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Not included (external service required)

Supported Frameworks/Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Next.js optimized (Node.js compatible)

Free Tier Included Features
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited deployments, 12 serverless function invocations/day

Average Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: ~100ms

Free Tier Monthly Bandwidth
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 100 GB

Built-in Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: None (requires third-party)

Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $2.00

Built-in Authentication Systems
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: OAuth providers only

Next.js Framework Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native (created by Vercel team)

Learning Curve for New Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Beginner-friendly

Average Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 85ms (with edge caching)

Setup Time to First Deploy
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2 (connect GitHub, auto-deploy)

Built-in Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0 (integrations only)

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 99.95% (global)

Concurrent Connections per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited (auto-scales serverless)

Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 5-8 hours

Monthly Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2.5M+

Average Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 45 seconds

Free Tier Deployments Per Day
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 3

Serverless Function Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Yes (Node.js, Python, Go)

Next.js Framework Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native first-class support

Third-Party Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 150+

GitHub Actions Free Tier Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: N/A

Edge Function Latency Reduction
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 30-50ms faster than origin

Serverless Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 50-100ms

Function Invocation Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $0.50

Free Monthly Function Invocations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1 million

Edge Node Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: ~180 regions

Deployment Speed (avg)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2.3 seconds

Analytics Tool Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20 (Web Analytics)

Pro Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20/month

Free Tier Bandwidth Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 100

Next.js Build Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 15-25% faster

DDoS Protection on Free Plan
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: No, Pro+ required

Time to First Deploy
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: < 1 (git push)

API Rate Limit (Free)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited

Backend Function Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (requires external platform)

Average Build Time (Next.js)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 35 sec

Supported Frameworks
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 30+ (optimized for Next.js)

Free Tier Build Minutes/Month
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 6,000 min

Environment Variables (Free)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited

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Heroku — Wikipedia
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Vercel — Wikipedia
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Compare Heroku vs Vercel
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target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel
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Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Uptime SLA
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value reference: Reliability

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
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value reference: Features

Infrastructure Customization Level
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value reference: Control

Free Tier Availability
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value reference: Pricing

Company Valuation
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Annualized Recurring Revenue
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Total Funding Raised
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Founding Year
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Current Funding Stage
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YoY Revenue Growth Rate
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Primary Geographic HQ
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Market Position (2026)
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Starter Pricing
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value reference: Pricing

Global Data Centers
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value reference: Infrastructure

Function Cold Start
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value reference: Performance

Max Serverless Function Size
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Database Integration
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value reference: Backend

DDoS Protection Level
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value reference: Security

Analytics Dashboard
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value reference: Monitoring

Free Trial Duration
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value reference: Trial

Free Tier Allowance
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value reference: Pricing

Pro Plan Cost
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Database Integrations
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CDN Coverage
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Serverless Cold Start
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Container Support
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Preview Environments
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Enterprise Security Features
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Cold Start Time (Function)
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Starting Pro Plan Price
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Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
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value reference: Flexibility

Database Storage (Free Tier)
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Monthly Free Credits/Tier
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value reference: Pricing

Integrated Services
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value reference: Features

Compute Regions Available
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Docker/Container Support
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Free Tier Compute
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Native Database Options
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ML/AI Services
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Compute Price (vCPU/hour)
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Regions Available
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Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
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Starter Plan Monthly Cost
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Edge Function Cold Start
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Standard Deployment Cold Start
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Edge Network Locations
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Database Options
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Background Jobs
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Supported Frameworks/Languages
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Free Tier Included Features
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Average Cold Start Time
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Free Tier Monthly Bandwidth
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Built-in Database Options
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Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
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Built-in Authentication Systems
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Next.js Framework Optimization
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Learning Curve for New Users
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Average Cold Start Latency
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Setup Time to First Deploy
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Built-in Database Support
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SLA Uptime Guarantee
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Concurrent Connections per Instance
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Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
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Monthly Active Users
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Average Deployment Time
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Free Tier Deployments Per Day
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Serverless Function Support
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Next.js Framework Integration
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Third-Party Integrations
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GitHub Actions Free Tier Minutes
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Edge Function Latency Reduction
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Serverless Function Cold Start
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Function Invocation Cost
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Free Monthly Function Invocations
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Edge Node Locations
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Deployment Speed (avg)
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Analytics Tool Cost
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Pro Plan Monthly Cost
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Free Tier Bandwidth Limit
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Next.js Build Optimization
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DDoS Protection on Free Plan
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Time to First Deploy
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API Rate Limit (Free)
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Backend Function Support
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Average Build Time (Next.js)
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Supported Frameworks
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Free Tier Build Minutes/Month
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Environment Variables (Free)
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