Cloudflare Pages vs Vercel: Which Is Better for Static Sites?
Cloudflare Pages and Vercel compared on bandwidth, build minutes, pricing, edge network, and framework support, so you can pick the right free hosting tier.
Cloudflare Pages and Vercel are the two most common answers to "where do I host my static site for free?" Both deploy from Git, provision free SSL, and serve from a global edge network. The differences show up in bandwidth policy, framework integration, and what happens when your project grows.
The Core Difference
Cloudflare Pages is infrastructure-first: unlimited bandwidth on the free tier, builds backed by Cloudflare's 300+-city network, and easy escape hatches into Cloudflare Workers when you need server-side logic.
Vercel is framework-first: zero-config deployments for Next.js, SvelteKit, Astro, Nuxt, and Vite, with polished preview deployments, split testing, and a dashboard many developers rate highly.
Bandwidth and Limits
- Cloudflare Pages: unlimited bandwidth on the free tier, the single biggest differentiator for content-heavy or unexpectedly viral sites.
- Vercel: the hobby tier includes generous but metered bandwidth, with overages a real consideration for high-traffic sites.
Build limits also differ: Cloudflare offers hundreds of builds per month on the free tier, while Vercel meters build minutes. Both are ample for personal sites and small teams.
Developer Experience
Vercel's preview URLs for every pull request, inline comments on deployments, and framework-aware build settings make it a strong fit for team workflows. Cloudflare Pages also provides preview deployments, and its tight integration with Workers, Pages Functions, KV, and R2 gives it an edge for lightweight dynamic features.
Lock-in and Portability
Both platforms build from the same Git repository, so your content and code stay portable. Vercel's framework optimizations and Cloudflare's Workers runtime each create some ecosystem gravity, but because your site is just static output plus a build command, switching hosts is a configuration change, not a rewrite.
Which Should You Choose?
- Choose Cloudflare Pages for blogs, documentation, and content sites where unlimited bandwidth and minimal cost matter most.
- Choose Vercel for application-like projects, team preview workflows, and deep framework integration.
For a full comparison including GitHub Pages, Netlify, and Deno Deploy, see top static site hosting platforms. And once your host is chosen, configure your repository and CI/CD so every published post deploys automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cloudflare Pages Really Unlimited?
Yes. The free tier does not meter bandwidth, which makes it the safest default for sites that may go viral.
Is Vercel free for static sites?
Yes, the hobby tier covers personal static sites generously, though bandwidth and build minutes are metered.
Which is faster?
Both serve from global edge networks with excellent TTFB. Cloudflare's network is larger; Vercel's framework-aware builds can produce more optimized output for its supported frameworks.
Can I move between them later?
Yes. Both deploy from your Git repository with a build command and output directory — switching is a matter of configuration, not migration.