Web App Hosting: AWS vs Vercel vs Heroku Comparison
Where you host your web app affects cost, scalability, and developer experience. AWS is powerful but complex. Vercel is ideal for frontend and serverless. Heroku is simple but expensive at scale. Here's how they compare.
Quick Recommendation
Vercel: Next.js, React, static sites. Easiest deploy, great DX. Heroku: Full-stack apps, simple. Good for MVP, costly at scale. AWS: Full control, scalable. Steeper learning curve. Start with Vercel or Heroku; move to AWS when you need more.
Table of Contents
Vercel
Optimized for Next.js, React, and static sites. Git push = deploy. Edge functions, serverless. Free tier for hobby; Pro from $20/month. Best for: frontend-heavy apps, JAMstack, marketing sites.
- Pros: Zero config, fast, great DX, global CDN
- Cons: Backend/database need separate service (e.g., Supabase, PlanetScale)
Heroku
Platform-as-a-Service. Push code, get a URL. Add-ons for Postgres, Redis. Simple. Dynos (containers) from $7/month. Scales up but gets expensive — $25–50/dyno for production.
- Pros: Easiest full-stack deploy, add-ons, no DevOps
- Cons: Cost at scale, less control, Salesforce-owned (pricing changes)
AWS
Full cloud control. EC2, ECS, Lambda, RDS, S3 — hundreds of services. Pay for what you use. Can be very cheap at small scale, scales to enterprise. Steep learning curve.
- Pros: Full control, scalable, cost-effective at scale
- Cons: Complex, requires DevOps knowledge, billing can be opaque
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Vercel | Heroku | AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Cost (MVP) | $0–20/mo | $25–50/mo | $20–100/mo |
| Full-stack | Need DB elsewhere | Yes | Yes |
| Scalability | High | Medium | Unlimited |
How to Choose
Next.js/React frontend → Vercel. Simple full-stack MVP → Heroku. Need full control, compliance, or scale → AWS (or consider Railway, Render as Heroku alternatives).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we switch later?
Yes. Start on Vercel or Heroku; migrate to AWS when needed. Use Docker for portability. Database migration (e.g., Heroku Postgres to RDS) is straightforward with a maintenance window.