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AppwritevsVercel

Deploy the frontend. Bring the whole backend._

Vercel hosts your frontend and sends you elsewhere for the rest. Appwrite Sites hosts the same frameworks next to first-party auth, databases, storage, functions, messaging, and realtime. Open source, in one project, with no per-seat pricing.

Start building for freeMigrate from Vercel
acme-web
Ready

Domain

acme-web.appwrite.network

Source

Next.js 16main

Auth12,403 users
Databases3 tables
Storage2 buckets
Realtime214 live

Ephemeral API key, no secret to store

Same project, CORS already trusted

Architecture_

One project instead of five vendors_

Vercel focuses on the frontend and points you to Marketplace partners for data, and to other providers for auth, email, and realtime. Appwrite ships ten products first-party, in one project.

A typical Vercel stack

  • AuthAnother vendor
  • DatabasesMarketplace
  • PostgreSQLMarketplace
  • StorageMarketplace
  • Functions
  • RealtimeAnother vendor
  • MessagingAnother vendor
  • Sites
  • Domains
  • Firewall
Several dashboardsSeveral billsKeys to wire up

The same app on Appwrite

  • Auth
  • Databases
  • PostgreSQL
  • Storage
  • Functions
  • Realtime
  • Messaging
  • Sites
  • Domains
  • Firewall
One ConsoleOne billOne budget cap

Team pricing_

Grow the team, not the invoice_

Vercel Pro charges for every developer who deploys. Appwrite Pro includes unlimited organization members, so hiring your next engineer does not change your plan.

5
130
Vercel Pro seats$100/mo
Appwrite Pro, unlimited members$25/mo
Saved on platform fees per year$900

Platform fees only, before usage. Vercel Pro is $20/mo per deploying seat and includes $20 of usage credit. Viewer seats are free. Appwrite Pro starts at $25/mo and includes the backend.

Secure by default_

Hosting that already knows your backend_

When the site and the API live in the same project, the safe setup is the default one.

CORS that already knows your site

Sites in the same project are trusted by your backend automatically, so there is no list of allowed origins to maintain and no wildcard that lets every preview call your API.

API keys you never paste

Every build and server render gets an ephemeral API key, scoped to the site and expiring on its own, so there is no long-lived secret to store or rotate.

Firewall rules per site

Deny, rate limit, redirect, or challenge traffic with priority-ordered rules scoped to a site, a function, or the API. 50 rules per project on Pro.

Presets for the frameworks you already use

  • Next.js
  • Nuxt
  • SvelteKit
  • Astro
  • Remix
  • TanStack Start
  • Angular
  • Analog
  • React
  • Vue
  • Flutter Web
  • React Native

Open source_

Host on our cloud, or on yours_

Vercel only runs on Vercel. Appwrite is open source, so the same Sites, backend, and Console run on Appwrite Cloud or on any server you control.

GitHub stars
57.8K
Contributors
800+

Self-host in one command

$docker run -it --rm … --entrypoint="install" appwrite/appwrite:2.3.0

  • No lock-in

    Move between Appwrite Cloud and your own servers by changing one endpoint.

  • Run it anywhere

    Self-host on any cloud or on premises for data residency and compliance.

  • Nothing hidden

    Read the code that handles your users and data, and audit how it works.

  • Fix it, extend it

    Patch, extend, or contribute back instead of waiting on a vendor roadmap.

Vercel · Proprietary

The platform is closed source and runs only on Vercel.

Appwrite vs Vercel_

Hosting is a tie. The backend is not._

Hosting features line up closely. The difference is everything behind the frontend.

Checked against public pricing and documentation in October 2026.

Appwrite
Vercel
Hosting
Static and SSR hosting
Yes
Yes
Git deploys, previews, and rollbacks
Yes
Yes
Custom domains, TLS, and domain purchase
Yes
Yes
DDoS mitigation
Yes
Yes
Firewall rules on Pro
50 per project
40 custom rules
Open source and self-hostable
Yes

Self-host anywhere

No
First-party backend
Authentication
Yes

40+ OAuth providers, MFA, teams

No

Marketplace or third party

Databases
Yes

TablesDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and more

Partial

Marketplace partners such as Neon and Upstash

File storage with user permissions
Yes
Partial

Blob storage without per-user permissions

Realtime subscriptions
Yes
No
Email, SMS, and push messaging
Yes
No
Serverless functions
Yes

13+ runtimes

Yes
Pricing
Pro plan
From $25/mo
$20/mo per deploying seat
Team members
Unlimited, included
$20/mo each

Per extra deploying seat, viewers are free

Bandwidth included on Pro
2TB
1TB
Spend control covers
Hosting and backend

One organization-wide budget cap

Vercel usage

Excludes Marketplace integrations

Fair play_

When Vercel might still fit_

Vercel builds Next.js and runs a polished frontend cloud. It may suit you if these describe your project.

  1. 01

    You run a large Next.js app and want new framework features the day they ship.

  2. 02

    Your routes need long-running functions (up to 800 seconds on Pro) or streaming responses.

  3. 03

    You want managed bot protection, an AI gateway, and v0 from the same vendor.

  4. 04

    Your backend already lives somewhere else and you only need a frontend host.

Why developers choose Appwrite over Vercel_

If your app needs a backend, yes. Appwrite Sites matches the deploy workflow Vercel is known for, with Git deploys, previews, rollbacks, and custom domains, plus Appwrite Network for edge delivery and a global CDN. It also adds first-party auth, databases, storage, functions, realtime, and messaging in the same project. Appwrite Pro has no per-seat pricing, so your whole team is included.

Appwrite is the best open-source alternative to Vercel. Appwrite Sites is fully open source, hosts Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, and more, and runs on Appwrite Cloud or your own servers with the same Console, so your hosting is never locked to one vendor.

Appwrite Sites

Yes, especially when you also need a backend. Sites deploys static and server-rendered apps from Git with preview URLs, instant rollbacks, custom domains, and firewall rules, and it runs next to Appwrite Auth, Databases, Storage, Functions, Messaging, and Realtime in the same project.

Yes. Next.js runs in containers on Sites with SSR, API routes, middleware, and server actions, and standalone output is supported for smaller builds and faster cold starts. Sites also has presets for Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Remix, TanStack Start, Angular, Analog, and more.

Frameworks

Vercel Pro is $20/mo per deploying seat, so a team of five starts at $100/mo before usage. Appwrite Pro starts at $25/mo with unlimited members, 2TB of bandwidth, and the backend included.

Pricing

Connect your Git repository to a new site, pick the framework preset, copy your environment variables, and point your domain at Appwrite. The migration guide covers build settings, environment variables, and domains.

Migrate from Vercel

Yes. Appwrite SDKs work from any host. Many teams start that way and move the frontend to Sites later, so CORS, API keys, and billing live in one place.

Yes. Sites ships with every self-hosted Appwrite install and uses the same Console and deployment flow as Appwrite Cloud.

Self-hosting

Go deeper_

See why teams make the switch_

Guides, deep dives, and product pages from the Appwrite team.

BlogAppwrite vs Vercel vs Netlify: where does your stack live?The backend gap behind every frontend cloud.BlogAppwrite Sites vs Vercel: Choosing the right web hosting platformContainers, automatic API keys, and CORS that trusts only your project.DocsMigrate from VercelBuild settings, environment variables, and domains, step by step.ProductAppwrite SitesStatic, SSR, and CSR deploys from Git.ProductAppwrite FirewallDeny, rate limit, redirect, and challenge traffic per project.

Compare_

See how Appwrite stacks up elsewhere_

Appwrite vsSupabasePostgres development platformHosting, messaging, and permissions without SQL policies.Appwrite vsFirebaseApp development platformOpen source, self-hostable, and a free migration path.Appwrite vsNetlifyWeb hosting platformYour site and its backend, in one project.Appwrite vsNeonServerless PostgresPostgres plus the whole backend around it.Appwrite vsAuth0Identity platform3x the free monthly active users and no growth penalty.Appwrite vsConvexReactive TypeScript backendActually open source, in any language.Appwrite vsCloudinaryMedia platformPay per origin image, not per variant.Appwrite vsClerkUser management and authenticationUsers and data in one place, no webhooks to sync.Appwrite vsAWS AmplifyFull-stack framework on AWSOne project instead of a stack of AWS services.Appwrite vsPlanetScaleManaged MySQL and PostgresPostgres and MySQL, plus the backend around them.PricingOne plan for your whole backend and hosting.Compare plans

Move your frontend next to your backend_

Connect a repository, pick a preset, and ship with auth, data, and storage already in the project.

Start building for freeRead the migration guide