Netlify Functions vs Vercel Functions

Netlify Functions is cheaper across every workload modelled here.

List prices checked

Rate cards side by side

Only the axes at least one of them bills on. A dash means that provider does not charge for it.

Billing axisNetlify FunctionsVercel FunctionsDifference
Entry plan$19.00/mo$20.00/mo1.1× Netlify Functions
Free tierYesYes

Source: Netlify pricing (May 2026) · Vercel pricing (May 2026). Published list prices only — committed-use discounts, regional variation, and per-request charges are not included. Not yet independently re-checked against the vendor’s page.

Monthly cost for three real workloads

The rate cards applied to identical usage. This is where the winner changes.

WorkloadNetlify FunctionsVercel FunctionsCheaper
Side projectA personal site or small app with modest traffic, a few gigabytes of assets, and one small always-on process.$19$20Netlify Functionssaves $1.00/mo (5%)
Growing SaaSA funded product serving a few thousand daily users, with an image-heavy frontend and two application servers.$19$20Netlify Functionssaves $1.00/mo (5%)
Media-heavy siteA publisher or video product where delivery dominates the bill and compute is almost an afterthought.$19$20Netlify Functionssaves $1.00/mo (5%)

Workload definitions are identical on every comparison page, so figures here can be read against any other pair in the same category.

What each one is for

Netlify Functions

by Netlify

AWS Lambda under the hood, packaged into Netlify's plan allowances so the cost only surfaces once you exceed the bundled invocation count.

Free tier: 125,000 invocations and 100 hours of runtime per month

Vercel Functions

by Vercel

Serverless and edge functions tied to a Vercel deployment, billed as part of the platform's usage allowances rather than as a standalone service.

Free tier: Included in the Hobby plan within usage limits

Common questions

Is Netlify Functions or Vercel Functions cheaper in 2026?
Netlify Functions is cheaper in all 3 modelled workloads.
Which has the better free tier, Netlify Functions or Vercel Functions?
Both publish one. Netlify Functions: 125,000 invocations and 100 hours of runtime per month. Vercel Functions: Included in the Hobby plan within usage limits.
What do these estimates not include?
Committed-use and reserved discounts, regional price variation, per-request API charges, support plans, and minimum retention periods. All of those move real invoices, sometimes by a lot. These figures compare published list prices for the same workload, which is the comparison the rate cards alone cannot give you.

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