Vercel Functions Pricing, Features & Alternatives
Serverless Functions for Web Applications
United States
Category
Pricing Model
Vercel Functions Overview
Vercel Functions Information Resource Links
Category
Pricing Model
What is Vercel Functions?
Formerly known as ZEIT, Vercel has a lot to offer in the serverless movement.
ZEIT was one of the pioneering companies at the time pushing Serverless technology. ZEIT’s first focus was to ease deployments, which resulted in the creation of Next.js.
Some of Vercel’s customers include AirBnB, Auth0, GitHub and the Washington Post.
Vercel announced a whopping $21M Series A funding early 2020.
Vercel Functions Features
Category
FaaS
Available
Edge
Available
Supported Runtimes
Go
Available
Node.js
Available
Python
Available
Ruby
Available
Execution Limits and Resource Quotas
Min. Memory
1024 MB
Max. Memory
3008 MB
Default Timeout
10,000 ms
Max. Timeout
900,000 ms
Request Payload
5 MB
Response Payload
5 MB
Regional Availability
Points of Presence
23
Last updated: June 18, 2021
*Information is subject to change. Verify with the official Vercel Functions website.
Best Vercel Functions Alternatives
Alternatives to Vercel Functions by matching platform type, use cases, supported runtimes and deployment options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vercel Functions
Yes. Vercel supports Python serverless functions out of the box. You can deploy Python functions alongside your frontend using the
@vercel/python runtime or the Serverless Framework. Python functions run as serverless compute in Vercel’s infrastructure alongside Node.js, Go, and Ruby runtimes.Vercel is strongest when paired with Next.js or a frontend framework. It is a PaaS with edge functions and serverless compute rolled into one. Compared to Railway or Render, Vercel is more opinionated about how you deploy and is designed for frontend-heavy apps. For general backend hosting, Railway or Fly.io give you more flexibility. For edge-only functions, Cloudflare Workers or Deno Deploy are more cost-effective.
Vercel Edge Functions let you run JavaScript/TypeScript code at Vercel’s edge network. They are part of Vercel’s compute layer alongside Serverless Functions. Edge Functions use the Edge Runtime (based on WinterCG standards) for low-latency execution close to users, ideal for authentication checks, redirects, A/B testing, and geo-personalization.
Vercel’s free Hobby plan includes 100 GB bandwidth, 100 serverless function invocations per day, and edge function invocations. The Pro plan is $20/month per member and adds higher limits, team features, and no cold boots on Serverless Functions. For most indie apps, the Hobby plan is enough. For team projects with higher traffic, budget for Pro.
Vercel includes basic DDoS protection at the network level through its CDN. For a dedicated web application firewall, you typically need a separate WAF provider. Vercel does not offer a managed WAF like Cloudflare or AWS WAF. If WAF is a requirement, you may want to pair Vercel with Cloudflare or use a WAF provider in front.
Vercel natively supports Next.js, SvelteKit, Nuxt, Astro, Remix, Gatsby, Hugo, and many other frameworks through its Build Output API. Next.js has first-class support with optimized image handling, ISR, and Edge Middleware. Other frameworks deploy through framework-specific presets or the Serverless Framework.
Vercel does not offer managed databases directly. You can use Vercel Edge Config for KV-style data at the edge, Vercel Postgres for serverless Postgres (part of Vercel Marketplace), or connect to external databases like Supabase, Neon, PlanetScale, or Railway. The platform is designed to work with external data services rather than bundling a database.
Yes. Vercel has a free Hobby plan that includes 100 GB bandwidth, 100 serverless function invocations per day, edge function invocations, and one concurrent build. It is generous enough for personal projects, portfolios, and small apps. The Pro plan at $20/month per member adds team features, higher limits, and zero cold boots on Serverless Functions.
Vercel supports Node.js, Go, Python, and Ruby for serverless functions. Edge Functions support JavaScript and TypeScript via the Edge Runtime. Framework support is Vercel’s strength: Next.js, SvelteKit, Nuxt, Astro, Remix, Gatsby, Hugo, and dozens more deploy with zero configuration.