Static Site Hosting: Netlify vs Vercel vs GitHub Pages vs Cloudflare Pages
Compare the best platforms for hosting static sites and JAMstack applications. Find out which is best for your portfolio, documentation, or web app.
Static site hosting has never been better. Free tiers are generous, deployment is automated, and performance is excellent.
But which platform should you choose? Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages, and Cloudflare Pages all have strengths and weaknesses.
Here's a detailed comparison to help you decide.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Netlify | Vercel | GitHub Pages | Cloudflare Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | General static/JAMstack | Next.js/React | Docs, simple sites | All static sites |
| Free tier | Generous | Generous | Good | Very generous |
| Serverless functions | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Build minutes | 300/month | 6000/month | N/A | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | 100GB | 100GB | 100GB | Unlimited |
| Custom domains | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSL | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Netlify
Overview
Netlify pioneered modern JAMstack hosting. It's feature-rich and developer-friendly.
Free Tier Includes
- 100GB bandwidth/month
- 300 build minutes/month
- 1 concurrent build
- Serverless functions (125K requests/month)
- Form handling (100 submissions/month)
- Identity (1000 users/month)
- Analytics (limited)
Strengths
Deploy previews: Every PR gets a unique preview URL. Share with team, stakeholders, or QA.
Forms handling: Add netlify attribute to forms—no backend needed.
Split testing: A/B test different branches.
Plugins ecosystem: Extend builds with community plugins.
Edge functions: Run code at the edge for personalization.
Weaknesses
Build minute limits: 300/month on free tier depletes quickly with frequent deploys.
Function limitations: 10-second timeout on free tier.
Pricing scales quickly: Pro tier is $19/member/month.
Best For
- JAMstack sites of all kinds
- Teams wanting deploy previews
- Sites needing form handling
- Non-Next.js frameworks (Hugo, 11ty, Gatsby)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Build Minutes | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | 300/mo | 100GB |
| Pro | $19/user/mo | 25,000/mo | 1TB |
| Business | $99/user/mo | 25,000/mo | 1TB |
Vercel
Overview
Vercel created Next.js and optimizes specifically for it, though it works with any framework.
Free Tier Includes
- 100GB bandwidth/month
- 6000 build minutes/month (20x Netlify!)
- Serverless functions (100GB-hours)
- Edge functions
- Analytics (basic)
- Preview deployments
Strengths
Next.js optimization: If you use Next.js, Vercel is the best deployment target. Features like ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) work seamlessly.
Generous build minutes: 6000/month vs Netlify's 300.
Fast deployments: Excellent global edge network.
Framework autodetection: Detects and configures most frameworks automatically.
Weaknesses
Hobby tier restrictions: Free tier is for personal, non-commercial projects only. Commercial use requires Pro ($20/month minimum).
Next.js bias: Non-Next.js frameworks work but aren't as optimized.
Function size limits: Serverless functions have stricter size limits.
Best For
- Next.js projects (clearly)
- React developers
- Personal projects and portfolios
- Rapid iteration (generous build minutes)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Build Minutes | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Free | 6000/mo | Personal only |
| Pro | $20/user/mo | 24,000/mo | Commercial OK |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited |
Important: Hobby tier prohibits commercial use. If your portfolio helps you get clients, that's arguably commercial.
GitHub Pages
Overview
Free hosting directly from GitHub repositories. Simple but limited.
Free Tier Includes
- 100GB bandwidth/month
- 1GB repository size
- 10 builds per hour
- Jekyll support (auto-built)
- Custom domains
- Free SSL
Strengths
Simplicity: Push to repo, site deploys. No separate service to manage.
Jekyll integration: GitHub builds Jekyll sites automatically.
Reliability: GitHub's infrastructure.
Perfect for docs: Many open-source projects use it for documentation.
Weaknesses
No build system (except Jekyll): Other frameworks need pre-built output or GitHub Actions.
No serverless functions: Static files only.
Public repos only: Private repos require GitHub Pro or Enterprise.
Limited builds: 10 per hour max.
Best For
- Documentation sites
- Open-source project pages
- Simple HTML/CSS portfolios
- Jekyll blogs
- Developers already using GitHub
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Public repos only |
| Pro | $4/mo | Private repos |
Cloudflare Pages
Overview
Cloudflare's entry into static hosting. Excellent performance and very generous limits.
Free Tier Includes
- Unlimited bandwidth (!!!)
- Unlimited requests
- 500 builds/month
- 1 concurrent build
- Functions (100K requests/day)
- Custom domains
- Free SSL
Strengths
Unlimited bandwidth: No overages ever. Crucial for viral content.
Cloudflare network: Same edge network as their CDN. Very fast.
Functions (Workers): Powerful serverless functions at the edge.
Build output caching: Faster subsequent builds.
Weaknesses
Newer platform: Less mature ecosystem than Netlify/Vercel.
Framework support: Good but not as polished as Vercel for Next.js.
UI/UX: Dashboard less refined than competitors.
Best For
- High-traffic sites (unlimited bandwidth)
- Sites that might go viral
- Users already using Cloudflare
- Cost-conscious projects
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Builds | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 500/mo | Unlimited |
| Pro | $20/mo | 5000/mo | Unlimited |
Feature Comparison
Continuous Deployment
| Feature | Netlify | Vercel | GitHub Pages | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Git integration | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | GitHub only | GitHub, GitLab |
| Deploy previews | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Instant rollbacks | Yes | Yes | Via git | Yes |
| Build caching | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
Winner: Netlify and Vercel tie. Cloudflare close behind.
Serverless Functions
| Feature | Netlify | Vercel | GitHub Pages | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (Workers) |
| Edge functions | Yes | Yes | No | Yes (native) |
| Free tier | 125K/mo | 100GB-hours | N/A | 100K/day |
| Timeout (free) | 10s | 10s | N/A | 10ms (CPU) |
Winner: Cloudflare Workers for edge computing. Vercel for Next.js API routes.
Performance
All four platforms deliver excellent performance through global edge networks:
| Platform | CDN | Global Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Netlify | Yes | 20+ |
| Vercel | Yes | 20+ |
| GitHub Pages | Fastly | Global |
| Cloudflare | Yes | 300+ |
Winner: Cloudflare has the largest edge network.
Forms
| Feature | Netlify | Vercel | GitHub Pages | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in forms | Yes | No | No | No |
| Free submissions | 100/mo | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Spam filtering | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Winner: Netlify (only one with built-in forms).
Framework Recommendations
Next.js
Best choice: Vercel
Vercel built Next.js. Features like ISR, middleware, and image optimization work perfectly.
Alternative: Netlify (works well with adapter)
Gatsby
Best choice: Netlify or Gatsby Cloud
Both well-optimized for Gatsby. Gatsby Cloud is specialized but Netlify is more versatile.
Hugo / 11ty / Jekyll
Best choice: Netlify or Cloudflare Pages
No framework-specific optimization needed. Both work great.
Astro
Best choice: Vercel or Netlify
Both support Astro well. Vercel edge functions complement Astro's island architecture.
Plain HTML/CSS
Best choice: GitHub Pages or Cloudflare Pages
No build needed. Simple deployment.
Cost Comparison
Personal Project (Low Traffic)
All free tiers work. Choose based on features needed.
Portfolio Site (Medium Traffic)
| Platform | Likely Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Pages | $0 | Unlimited bandwidth |
| Netlify | $0 | 100GB usually enough |
| GitHub Pages | $0 | 100GB usually enough |
| Vercel | $0 (if personal) | Commercial requires Pro |
Business Site (Higher Traffic)
| Platform | 500GB/mo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Pages | $0 | Unlimited |
| Netlify | $19/mo | Pro tier |
| Vercel | $20/mo | Pro tier |
| GitHub Pages | N/A | May exceed limits |
Winner: Cloudflare Pages for budget-conscious.
Migration Considerations
From Traditional Hosting to Static
Process:
- Choose static site generator (or build tool)
- Convert or recreate site
- Connect Git repository
- Configure build settings
- Point domain
Between Static Platforms
Usually simple:
- Connect same repository to new platform
- Configure build command and output directory
- Test deploy preview
- Move custom domain
Most sites migrate in under an hour.
FAQ
Which is fastest?
All are fast. Cloudflare has the largest edge network (300+ locations). For practical purposes, visitors won't notice differences.
Can I use these for WordPress?
Not directly. These host static files. You could:
- Use WordPress headlessly with a static frontend
- Export WordPress to static HTML
- Use alternatives like Hugo or 11ty
Do I need a static site generator?
No. You can deploy plain HTML/CSS/JS files. But static site generators (Hugo, 11ty, Astro) make content management easier.
What happens if I exceed free tier limits?
- Netlify: Builds stop until next month, site stays up
- Vercel: May throttle or ask to upgrade
- GitHub Pages: Site may become unavailable
- Cloudflare: Unlimited bandwidth, unlikely to exceed
Can I use server-side rendering?
Vercel and Netlify support SSR for frameworks like Next.js. GitHub Pages and basic Cloudflare Pages don't. Cloudflare Workers can add SSR capabilities.
Which is best for beginners?
GitHub Pages is simplest for basic sites. Netlify is most beginner-friendly for JAMstack.
Summary Recommendations
| Use Case | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Next.js projects | Vercel |
| General JAMstack | Netlify |
| Documentation sites | GitHub Pages |
| High-traffic / cost-conscious | Cloudflare Pages |
| Need forms | Netlify |
| Personal portfolio | Any (all good) |
| Commercial project | Cloudflare or Netlify (Vercel requires Pro) |
Key Takeaways
- All four platforms are excellent for static sites
- Vercel is best for Next.js due to tight integration
- Netlify is most feature-rich with forms, split testing, plugins
- Cloudflare has unlimited bandwidth on free tier
- GitHub Pages is simplest for basic sites
- Free tiers are generous—most sites never need to pay
What to Do Next
- Choose based on your framework (Next.js → Vercel, others → Netlify or Cloudflare)
- Start with free tier—upgrade only if needed
- Connect your Git repository for automatic deployments
- Configure custom domain and SSL
For dynamic hosting needs beyond static sites, check our hosting comparison tool or take our hosting quiz.
Last updated: January 2026
HostDuel Team
The HostDuel team researches and compares web hosting providers to help you make informed decisions.