Cloudflare Pages vs Vercel
Cloudflare Pages vs Vercel compared for European indie developers and small startups. Pricing, EU jurisdiction, GDPR posture, and why Runsite (an EU-registered PaaS in Frankfurt) is worth a look.
Cloudflare Pages vs Vercel: quick answer
Cloudflare Pages and Vercel both offer Git-push deploy workflows, but they differ where it counts. Vercel starts around $20/user/mo. Cloudflare Pages and Vercel are both US-headquartered, so neither escapes US jurisdiction or the CLOUD Act, and neither runs EU-native infrastructure or offers hard spending caps. For European teams that need GDPR-compliant hosting in Frankfurt with predictable EUR billing and a permanent free tier, Runsite is the EU-native alternative to both.
// cloudflare pages problems → runsite solutions
Common Cloudflare Pages frustrations. Sound familiar?
Every Cloudflare Pages frustration, solved.
Cloudflare Pages problem
"Pages Functions can't run my backend"
Cloudflare's edge functions have CPU time limits and no native Node.js modules. Complex backends don't fit.
Runsite solution
Full Docker containers
Run any framework in persistent containers. No CPU time limits, no V8 isolate restrictions.
Cloudflare Pages problem
"I need PostgreSQL, not D1"
Cloudflare's D1 is SQLite-based with size limits. Production apps need a real relational database.
Runsite solution
Managed PostgreSQL from €5/mo
Standard PostgreSQL with auto-backups, point-in-time recovery, and no vendor lock-in.
Cloudflare Pages problem
"Cloudflare is a US company"
Even with EU data centers, Cloudflare is subject to US jurisdiction and the CLOUD Act.
Runsite solution
EU entity, full sovereignty
Runsite is registered in the EU. Your data is governed by European law with no US jurisdictional exposure.
// comparison
Runsite vs Cloudflare Pages
Side-by-side. No marketing fluff, just facts.
| Feature | Runsite | Cloudflare Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Backend Hosting | ✓ Full containers, any stack | Edge Functions only (V8 isolates) |
| Docker Support | ✓ Any Dockerfile | ✗ Not supported |
| Managed PostgreSQL | ✓ From €5/mo | ✗ Not available (use D1/KV) |
| Long-Running Processes | ✓ Persistent containers | ✗ Edge functions have CPU time limits |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ EU entity | ✗ US company (San Francisco) |
| Static Site Hosting | Via S3 + CDN | ✓ Unlimited bandwidth, global CDN |
| Bandwidth Cost | Included in plan | ✓ Free, unlimited |
| Edge Network | EU-focused | ✓ 300+ global PoPs |
// the other side
What about Vercel?
Vercel is great for frontend. But if you need backend hosting in Europe with GDPR compliance, Runsite is the answer.
// vercel problems → runsite solutions
Common Vercel frustrations. Sound familiar?
Every Vercel frustration, solved.
Vercel problem
"Vercel is frontend-only"
Need to deploy a Python API or Go service? Vercel's serverless model doesn't support long-running backend processes.
Runsite solution
Full container hosting, any stack
Deploy Django, FastAPI, Express, Go, or Rust in persistent containers. No cold starts, no function timeouts.
Vercel problem
"Origin servers are in the US"
Vercel's edge caches content globally, but your serverless functions and data origin are US-based.
Runsite solution
EU-only infrastructure
Compute, storage, and databases all run in EU data centers. True data residency, beyond edge caching.
Vercel problem
"Surprise bills from function invocations"
Serverless pricing is unpredictable. A traffic spike can lead to unexpected charges.
Runsite solution
Fixed pricing + hard spending caps
Predictable monthly bills. Set a cap, get alerts. No pay-per-request surprises.
// comparison
Runsite vs Vercel
Side-by-side. No marketing fluff, just facts.
| Feature | Runsite | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| Backend Hosting | ✓ Full containers, any stack | Serverless functions only |
| EU Data Centers | ✓ Frankfurt (eu-central) | Edge only, origin = US |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ EU entity, full compliance | ✗ US company |
| Managed PostgreSQL | ✓ From €5/mo | Via Vercel Postgres (Neon) |
| Docker Support | ✓ Any Dockerfile | ✗ Not supported |
| Spending Limits | ✓ Hard cap + alerts | Soft limits only |
| Frontend Hosting | Static files via S3 | ✓ Fast global CDN |
| Free Tier | ✓ Permanent | ✓ With limits |
// pricing, side by side
Cloudflare Pages vs Vercel: what each actually costs
Hobby plan is free for personal, non-commercial projects. Commercial use requires Pro at $20/user/mo, and usage charges apply on top.
Vercel is excellent for frontend and serverless, and the free Hobby plan is real, but per-seat Pro pricing and metered usage make costs unpredictable at scale, and you still need another provider for a proper backend.
Pricing verified June 2026. Check the official pricing page of each provider for current rates.
// in-depth comparison
How Cloudflare Pages and Vercel each compare to Runsite
Cloudflare Pages vs Runsite
You reached for Cloudflare Pages because it is one of the fastest static site hosts around, riding Cloudflare's 300+ point-of-presence global network. The free tier is genuinely generous with unlimited bandwidth, and Pages Functions, powered by Cloudflare Workers, push server-side logic to the edge with impressive cold-start performance. For a static site or a lightweight API, you made a good call.
The friction shows up the moment you go full-stack. Pages Functions run in V8 isolates with CPU time limits and no native Node.js module support, so a complex backend simply does not fit. Your storage is capped to D1 (SQLite-based, with size limits) and KV (eventually consistent key-value). And because Cloudflare is a US company subject to the CLOUD Act, EU data centers exist but you do not control where compute runs.
If you now need persistent server-side processes, a real relational database, or guaranteed EU data residency from an EU entity, Runsite runs full Docker containers with managed PostgreSQL in EU-only data centers under EU legal jurisdiction, covering what the edge-first model leaves out.
Vercel vs Runsite
Give Vercel its due: for frontend work, it is arguably the best deployment platform available today. The Next.js integration just works, preview deployments are instant, and the global edge network delivers fast load times worldwide. If your project lives in the browser, it is genuinely hard to beat.
Backend hosting is where the model strains. Serverless functions have execution time limits, cold starts affect API latency, and the origin servers for your data sit in the US regardless of which edge locations cache your content. Per-invocation pricing can also lead to unpredictable bills during traffic spikes. Runsite takes a different approach: persistent Docker containers that run any language or framework, with all compute happening in EU data centers and fixed monthly pricing capped by hard spending limits.
Vercel stays the right choice for pure frontend projects. But if you need to deploy a Python API, a Go microservice, or a full-stack app with EU data residency, Runsite fills the gap that Vercel's serverless model leaves open.
// why consider runsite
Beyond Cloudflare Pages and Vercel
EU PaaS for indie developers and small European startups. One region: Frankfurt.
EU-First Infrastructure
While Cloudflare Pages and Vercel default to US markets, Runsite is built exclusively for European developers. Frankfurt (eu-central) region, EU entity, EU jurisdiction, with no transatlantic transfers.
Real GDPR Compliance
EU-registered entity. Your data is governed by European law. No US jurisdiction, no CLOUD Act.
Predictable Pricing
No per-invocation charges, no surprise bills. Fixed plans with hard spending caps and Telegram alerts.
Common Questions
FAQ
Which is better for EU hosting, Cloudflare Pages or Vercel?
Neither Cloudflare Pages nor Vercel is EU-native. Both are US-based (Cloudflare Pages: US-headquartered (Cloudflare); Vercel: US-headquartered) and route most traffic through US regions, with EU availability that is usually limited or gated behind higher tiers. Even when you can select a European region, the parent company stays subject to the US CLOUD Act, which can compel disclosure of EU customer data. For genuine EU data residency, an EU-registered platform is the safer choice: Runsite runs exclusively in Frankfurt (eu-central) under EU jurisdiction, with no transatlantic transfers and no CLOUD Act exposure — the kind of guarantee neither US provider can make.
Which has the better free tier, Cloudflare Pages or Vercel?
Free tiers on both Cloudflare Pages and Vercel change frequently and tend to share the same catch: compute that sleeps after inactivity, bandwidth or build-minute caps, or trial credits that expire after a fixed window. They are fine for quick experiments but rarely sustainable for an always-on hobby project. If a permanent free tier matters, read the current terms carefully. Limits are often buried in the pricing footnotes. Runsite takes the opposite approach: a free tier with no credit card and no expiry, designed to keep small projects online indefinitely rather than nudging you onto a paid plan.
Is Cloudflare Pages or Vercel GDPR-compliant?
Both Cloudflare Pages and Vercel can be configured to support GDPR-compliant workloads through a signed Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and EU region selection where available. However, as US-incorporated entities they remain subject to the US CLOUD Act regardless of where the data physically sits, which is a documented sticking point for European compliance and DPO review. For workloads where US jurisdiction is a hard blocker (public-sector, healthcare, or privacy-sensitive consumer apps), an EU-headquartered provider removes the ambiguity entirely. Runsite is EU-registered with data kept inside the EU, so GDPR posture is the default rather than a configuration exercise.
What is the cheapest way to deploy a side project, Cloudflare Pages or Vercel?
For a single small service, both Cloudflare Pages and Vercel can look inexpensive on paper. The headline price rarely matches the real bill. Per-service billing, metered bandwidth, build minutes, and add-ons for databases or key-value stores stack up quickly, and neither platform offers a hard spending cap to stop a surprise invoice. The cheapest predictable option is one with fixed monthly pricing and an enforced ceiling. Runsite bills in EUR from €5/month with hard spending caps and Telegram alerts, plus a permanent free tier, so a side project stays cheap by design, not by careful monitoring.
// explore alternatives
Try the European Alternative
Skip the Cloudflare Pages vs Vercel debate. Deploy on Runsite.
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