The European Vercel alternative
For Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, and SvelteKit teams that want a real long-running backend, EU data residency, and a flat invoice instead of metered function execution.
By Michael, Founder of HostStack · Updated October 2026
Vercel prices checked 29 September 2026 against its public pricing pages.
The short answer
Vercel is built around serverless functions and a global edge: excellent for static and ISR-heavy frontends, less so for a backend that has to stay running. HostStack runs your Next.js, Nuxt, Remix or SvelteKit app as an always-on container, with workers, cron jobs and WebSockets beside it and no function duration cap.
The bill is shaped differently too. Vercel Pro charges $20/mo per deploying seat plus usage beyond the included credit; HostStack has no seat fee, starts an always-on service at €1/mo, and puts managed Postgres and Redis on the same invoice instead of a Marketplace provider. It runs in Helsinki under a Danish company.
Stay on Vercel if you need edge functions running worldwide, a global CDN in front of a high-traffic marketing site, or zero-config deploys for a frontend-only team.
HostStack or Vercel? Pick by workload
| Your app | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Next.js SaaS with API routes, a Postgres database and background jobs | HostStack | The backend stays running, so jobs, WebSockets and connection pools need no workaround, and the database is on the same invoice. |
| API or worker that runs longer than a function may (exports, AI calls, video) | HostStack | No function duration cap: Vercel functions stop at 300 s by default and 800 s on Pro. |
| Customer data that must stay with an EU company (GDPR, public sector, health) | HostStack | Data in Helsinki under a Danish company, DPA on every plan. Vercel is US-incorporated and offers its DPA on Pro and up. |
| Static or ISR marketing site with visitors on several continents | Vercel | Its global CDN serves every region from nearby. HostStack serves from one region, so visitors far from Europe wait longer. |
| Logic that must run at the edge, close to every user | Vercel | HostStack has no edge functions; your code runs in one container in one region. |
| Frontend-only team that never wants to see a Dockerfile or a server | Vercel | Zero-config framework deploys are Vercel’s core product. HostStack detects most apps, but you run a server. |
Where HostStack differs from Vercel
- Self-host Next.js (and Nuxt, Remix, Astro, SvelteKit) on a normal Node container — no serverless cold starts, no function timeouts, no per-execution billing roulette
- Real EU data residency on European infrastructure with a DPA at signup. Vercel's global edge runs through US-incorporated infrastructure regardless of region
- Background workers, cron jobs, and queues live next to your web app as always-on processes — Vercel functions are duration-capped (300s default, 800s max on Pro)
- Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, and Redis on the same bill; Vercel databases come from third-party Marketplace providers (Neon, Upstash) billed separately
- Predictable per-resource pricing — Pico €1, Micro €5, Standard €20, DB Micro €4. Your invoice doesn't spike when traffic does
- First-party TypeScript SDK and Terraform provider
Features: HostStack vs Vercel
| Feature | HostStack | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| Next.js auto-deploy | ||
| Nuxt / Remix / Astro / SvelteKit | ||
| Background workers (long-running) | Queues/Workflows; no always-on process | |
| Cron jobs | Vercel Cron (invokes a function; Hobby: once/day) | |
| Static sites + ISR | ||
| Managed PostgreSQL | Marketplace (Neon / Supabase) | |
| Managed MySQL / MariaDB / MongoDB | MongoDB via Marketplace (third-party) | |
| Managed Redis | Marketplace (Upstash) | |
| Object storage | Managed, S3-compatible | Vercel Blob |
| Custom domains + SSL | ||
| GitHub auto-deploy + previews | ||
| CLI tool | ||
| TypeScript SDK | ||
| Edge functions (V8 isolates) | ||
| Global CDN with regional edge | Single-region per project | |
| Long-running requests (no function duration cap) | ||
| EU data residency | Helsinki, FI | Region-pinned, US-incorporated |
| DPA included | Pro+ only | |
| Flat pricing | Per-execution + bandwidth |
Pricing: HostStack vs Vercel
| Tier | HostStack | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Hobby | €0/mo — 1 service forever | $0/mo — non-commercial only |
| Cheapest always-on service | €1/mo Pico (128 MB) | $20/mo per deploying seat Pro (includes $20 usage credit) |
| Production service (2 GB) | €20/mo Standard | $20/mo per deploying seat + usage beyond the credit |
| Team seats | Unlimited collaborators included | $20/mo per deploying seat ($100/mo for 5); viewer seats free |
| Postgres / Redis / S3 | À la carte from €4/mo each | Marketplace providers, billed separately |
| Bandwidth | 200 GB/team free, then €0.01/GB | Pro: 1 TB included, then from $0.15/GB |
What a month costs: worked examples
List prices before tax, in each provider's own currency. Vercel figures checked 29 September 2026.
A Next.js SaaS with three developers
One Next.js app (2 GB) with API routes, managed Postgres and Redis, three people who deploy, 500 GB of traffic a month.
| Line item | HostStack | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| App | €20 Standard (2 GB, always on) | Functions, metered per use beyond the included credit |
| Seats | €0 (no seat fee) | $60 (3 × $20 Pro seats, includes $20 usage credit) |
| Postgres | €15 Standard (1 GB RAM, 20 GB) | Marketplace provider, billed by them (e.g. Neon: ~$77 for one always-on compute unit before storage) |
| Redis | €4 Micro | Marketplace provider (Upstash), billed by them |
| Bandwidth (500 GB) | €3 (200 GB included, then €0.01/GB) | $0 (inside Pro’s 1 TB) |
| Total / month | €42, flat | $60 in seats, plus function usage, plus two database bills |
HostStack is cheaper here and the bill is one number you can predict. Vercel’s seats alone cost more than the whole HostStack stack, before any database.
A static marketing site, one developer, commercial use
Static and ISR pages, no database, one developer, 300 GB of traffic a month, visitors worldwide.
| Line item | HostStack | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| Site | €5 Micro (512 MB) | Included |
| Seats | €0 | $20 (1 Pro seat; Hobby is non-commercial only) |
| Bandwidth (300 GB) | €1 | $0 (inside Pro’s 1 TB) |
| Total / month | €6 | $20 |
HostStack costs less, but this is the case where Vercel is worth its price: its CDN serves a visitor in Sydney from Sydney, and HostStack serves them from Helsinki. For a static site with a global audience, pick Vercel.
A traffic-heavy app: 2 TB a month
Same app as the first example, but serving 2 TB of traffic a month.
| Line item | HostStack | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth (2 TB) | €18 (1,800 GB over the 200 GB included, at €0.01/GB) | About $150 (1 TB over Pro’s allowance, from $0.15/GB) |
| Total / month | €18 on top of the base bill | ~$150 on top of the base bill |
Bandwidth is where Vercel bills climb fastest. On HostStack the same traffic adds less than one Standard service.
When NOT to choose HostStack
Vercel is the better fit in some cases. Here's when we'd tell you so.
You need V8-isolate edge functions running globally with sub-50ms cold starts. We run normal Node containers in Helsinki, Finland — fast, but not edge.
You ship a marketing site that benefits hugely from a global CDN with regional smart routing. Vercel's CDN is genuinely state-of-the-art for static + ISR.
You're deeply invested in Vercel-specific products (Vercel Analytics, Vercel Storage, Vercel Toolbar). The migration cost is real even if our equivalents work.
You're a frontend-only team that doesn't want to think about a Dockerfile. Vercel's zero-config workflow for static + serverless is more polished today.
Migrate from Vercel
Vercel concepts, translated
| On Vercel | On HostStack |
|---|---|
| Serverless function / API route | A route in your always-on Node process: no cold start, no duration cap, and a crash restarts the container rather than one function. Deploying |
| Edge Middleware, Edge Functions | Next.js middleware runs in Node inside your container, in one region. There is no edge network. Regions |
| ISR and the .next/cache | Works with standalone output; the container’s root filesystem is read-only, so mount the cache directory on a volume. Volumes |
| Image Optimization | next/image runs the built-in optimizer (sharp) in your container. Vercel’s image CDN does not come with you. Next.js guide |
| Vercel Cron | A cron job service on a standard 5-field UTC schedule, up to 10 minutes per run. Longer jobs go in a workflow. Cron jobs |
| Preview deployments | A preview environment per pull request. It shares the service’s env vars and databases; there is no per-preview database. Preview environments |
| Environment variables (vercel env pull) | hoststack env import svc_… .env, a dry run until you add --apply. Imported values are runtime secrets by default. Environment variables |
| Marketplace Postgres / Redis | First-party managed Postgres and Redis; linking one injects DATABASE_URL or REDIS_URL. Nightly backups, 7 kept; no point-in-time recovery yet. Managed databases |
| Instant Rollback | hoststack deploy rollback svc_… dpl_… runs an earlier image again without a rebuild. Rollback |
| Domains | Custom domains with automatic Let’s Encrypt certificates. Wildcard domains are not supported. Custom domains |
The full walkthrough — price comparison, before/after config, and the gotchas worth knowing — is in the Vercel migration guide.
Reference for the move: environment variables (including hoststack env import for a .env export), managed databases, the CLI and, to script the whole thing, the TypeScript SDK.
Frequently asked questions
Is HostStack a good EU alternative to Vercel?
Yes, especially for full-stack teams. Vercel is US-incorporated and bills on function execution and bandwidth. HostStack runs your Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, or SvelteKit app as an always-on container in Helsinki, Finland (with Germany regions on the roadmap) with EU data residency and a DPA at signup, so you get GDPR-clean hosting and a real backend rather than just serverless functions.
Is HostStack cheaper than Vercel for a full-stack app?
For an always-on backend, usually yes. Vercel Pro is $20/month per deploying seat (including $20 of usage credit) with 1 TB of bandwidth, then from $0.15/GB, plus function and compute usage. HostStack has no seat fee: a complete always-on service starts at €1/month, and bandwidth is 200 GB/team free, then €0.01/GB. Vercel can still win for low-traffic static sites that fit inside the Hobby tier or its 1 TB Pro allowance.
Can I run a real backend on HostStack instead of serverless functions?
Yes. Unlike Vercel functions, HostStack runs long-lived containers, so you can hold WebSocket connections, run background workers and cron jobs, keep database connection pools open, and execute requests without a function duration cap — alongside managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis.
How do I deploy Next.js on HostStack without Vercel?
Use Next.js standalone output in a Dockerfile (or the framework preset), connect your Git repo, and HostStack builds and runs it as an always-on service with zero-downtime deploys and free Let's Encrypt TLS on your custom domain. Our blog has a step-by-step guide to deploying Next.js on European infrastructure without Vercel.
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