Scaleup Guide
Where to Deploy in 2026: AWS vs Vercel vs Cloudflare
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In this guide
A simple comparison of Where to Deploy in 2026: AWS vs Vercel vs Cloudflare. See what each option is good for and how to choose.
The 'best' platform depends entirely on what you're building. Here's how the three big choices actually differ in 2026.
Vercel — Frontend & Full-Stack Convenience
- The smoothest experience for Next.js and frontend frameworks — push to deploy.
- Preview deployments per pull request, edge functions, and great DX.
- Premium pricing at scale; less control over the underlying infrastructure.
Cloudflare — Edge-First and Cost-Effective
- Workers run at the edge with tiny cold starts; D1, R2, and KV cover data and storage.
- Generous free tiers and very low egress costs.
- A different runtime model — not every Node library works on Workers.
AWS — Maximum Control and Breadth
- Every service imaginable; powers the largest systems on earth.
- Full control over networking, compute, and data residency.
- Steepest learning curve and the most operational responsibility.
A Common 2026 Stack
Many teams ship the frontend on Vercel/Cloudflare for DX and edge speed, while running heavy backend workloads and databases on AWS. Mix and match to your needs.