Problem Summary
You’re trying to deploy your website for free and feeling overwhelmed by the choices between Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify. Each platform promises amazing features, but their free tiers have different limitations that could make or break your project in 2025.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Step 1: Quick deployment test (5 minutes)
Pick the platform that matches your project type first. Deploy a simple HTML file to each service to feel out their interfaces. For React/Next.js projects, start with Vercel since they built Next.js. For static sites or vanilla JavaScript, try Cloudflare Pages first. For sites needing form handling, test Netlify immediately.
Step 2: Check your bandwidth needs
Calculate your expected monthly traffic. Multiply your average page size by expected visitors. Cloudflare Pages offers unlimited bandwidth on their free tier, making it ideal for viral content or image-heavy portfolios. Vercel gives you 100GB monthly, perfect for most small apps. Netlify provides 100GB too but counts form submissions against this limit.
Step 3: Evaluate build minutes
Look at your build times in your local environment. Multiply by how often you deploy. Vercel offers 6,000 build minutes monthly, Netlify gives 300 minutes, and Cloudflare Pages provides 500 builds per month. If you deploy daily with 2-minute builds, you need 60 minutes monthly – all three work fine.
Step 4: Test serverless functions
Create a simple API endpoint if your project needs backend logic. Vercel’s free tier includes 100GB-hours of serverless function execution. Netlify offers 125,000 requests monthly. Cloudflare Pages integrates with Workers but requires a separate free tier with 100,000 requests daily.
Step 5: Configure custom domains
All three platforms support custom domains for free. Test the DNS propagation speed by adding your domain. Cloudflare Pages typically propagates within minutes since they control the DNS. Vercel and Netlify usually take 24-48 hours for full propagation.
Step 6: Monitor the dashboards
Spend a week using each platform’s analytics. Vercel shows detailed performance metrics. Netlify displays build logs and form submissions clearly. Cloudflare Pages integrates with their Web Analytics for privacy-focused insights.
Likely Causes
Cause #1: Framework incompatibility
Your chosen framework might work better with specific platforms. Next.js runs natively on Vercel with zero configuration. Gatsby sites often perform best on Netlify due to their long-standing partnership. Cloudflare Pages excels with vanilla JavaScript or frameworks like SvelteKit.
Check for this by reviewing each platform’s documentation for your framework. Look for “one-click deploy” buttons or framework-specific guides. If extensive configuration is needed, consider switching platforms.
Cause #2: Geographic performance issues
Your target audience location affects which platform serves content fastest. Cloudflare Pages uses their massive global CDN with 200+ locations. Vercel’s Edge Network covers major cities worldwide. Netlify’s CDN is smaller but still robust for most use cases.
Test this using tools like GTmetrix from different global locations. If your audience is primarily in Asia or South America, Cloudflare Pages often provides the best free tier performance. For US and European audiences, all three perform similarly.
Cause #3: Hidden limitations
Free tiers have restrictions not immediately obvious. Vercel limits commercial use and requires a “Powered by Vercel” badge for commercial projects. Netlify’s form handling counts against bandwidth. Cloudflare Pages limits concurrent builds to one.
Read the Terms of Service carefully. Check pricing pages for “fair use” policies. Join platform-specific Discord or Reddit communities where users discuss real-world limitations they’ve encountered.
When to Call an Expert Help
Consider professional help when your site receives over 50,000 monthly visitors or needs complex backend logic. If you’re handling sensitive data, payment processing, or running a business-critical application, the free tier limitations become risky.
Signs you’ve outgrown free tiers include hitting bandwidth limits monthly, needing team collaboration features, or requiring SLA guarantees. A DevOps consultant can help architect a solution mixing free and paid services, potentially saving hundreds monthly while improving reliability.
Copy-Paste Prompt for AI Help
“I need help choosing between Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify free tiers for my [describe your project type] website. My site uses [framework/technology], expects [number] monthly visitors, deploys [frequency], and needs [list any special requirements like forms, serverless functions, or specific geographic targeting]. My main priorities are [list top 3 priorities]. Which platform best fits these requirements in 2025?”
Remember that free tier offerings change frequently. What works perfectly today might have different limitations tomorrow. Start with the platform that feels most intuitive to you, since you’ll use their dashboard regularly. Migration between these services is relatively painless, so don’t stress about making the “perfect” choice immediately.
The best platform is the one that gets your project live quickly and grows with your needs. Each service excels in different areas – Cloudflare Pages for unlimited bandwidth, Vercel for Next.js projects, and Netlify for straightforward static sites with forms. Your specific use case determines the winner, not generic comparisons.