Cloudflare is a global CDN and security platform optimized for protecting and accelerating any existing website, while Vercel is a specialized platform built for deploying and hosting modern frontend applications with built-in framework optimization. They serve different primary use cases: Cloudflare works as a reverse proxy in front of any origin, while Vercel replaces your hosting entirely.
Cloudflare vs Vercel — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Cloudflare if you need a universal CDN and security layer that works with any existing hosting, want edge computing at global scale, or require advanced DDoS protection and WAF capabilities. Choose Vercel if you're deploying a modern frontend application (especially Next.js), want zero-config git-based deployments, or prefer a fully managed platform with built-in preview environments and analytics.
CDN and cybersecurity platform providing DDoS protection, performance optimization, and security services.
Edge-first platform optimized for Next.js and modern full-stack web applications.
Structured comparison data for Cloudflare vs Vercel with 198 attributes.
Supported Programming Languages (Workers/Serverless)
DNS Query Response Time (Global Average)
Serverless Function Cost (1M executions/month)
Global Website Speed Improvement (Average)
Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
Cloudflare vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Cloudflare vs Vercel.
Can I use Cloudflare and Vercel together?
Yes, many teams do. You can deploy your Next.js app to Vercel and use Cloudflare as an additional CDN/security layer in front of it by changing your DNS. However, this adds complexity and potential latency. Vercel alone is usually sufficient for most Next.js projects. Using both makes sense if you need Cloudflare's DDoS protection or edge computing capabilities for additional services.
Which is cheaper for a high-traffic site (1TB+ monthly bandwidth)?
Cloudflare is significantly cheaper at scale. Vercel charges $0.15/GB above 100GB (Pro plan), making 1TB cost ~$135/month. Cloudflare's Enterprise plan handles unlimited bandwidth for a custom quote, and Workers pricing starts at $0.15 per million requests. For high traffic, Cloudflare Workers is the most economical option.
Does Cloudflare require changing my domain registrar?
No, you only change your DNS nameservers to point to Cloudflare, not your registrar. Most registrars (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) allow this. The process takes 5-10 minutes, though DNS propagation globally takes 24-48 hours. You keep your existing hosting and add Cloudflare as a reverse proxy in front of it.
Can I deploy non-Next.js apps on Vercel?
Yes, Vercel supports React, Vue, Svelte, Remix, Astro, and static sites, but Next.js receives the most optimization. Non-Next.js frameworks get standard deployment without the framework-specific performance optimizations. If you're using a different framework, a generic Node.js host or Cloudflare Workers might be more cost-effective.
What happens if my origin server goes down with Cloudflare in front?
Cloudflare has a cache, so users may see stale content temporarily depending on your TTL settings. Cloudflare's 'Always Online' feature (paid) can serve cached pages indefinitely during outages. However, Cloudflare doesn't replace your origin—if there's no cache, users will see an error. Vercel is a complete hosting solution, so you don't have an origin to manage.