1 Types of Hosting in 2025
The web hosting landscape has changed dramatically. It's no longer just about shared servers or VPS. In 2025, options are more specialized and powerful.
Static / JAMstack Hosting
Pre-generated files served from global CDN. Ideal for blogs, landing pages, and content sites. Examples: Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages.
Serverless / Edge Computing
Functions that execute on-demand without managing servers. Automatic scaling and pay-per-use. Examples: Vercel Functions, AWS Lambda, Cloudflare Workers.
Containers / Kubernetes
Applications in Docker containers with orchestration. For complex applications with specific requirements. Examples: Google Cloud Run, AWS ECS, Railway.
VPS / Dedicated Servers
Full control over infrastructure. For cases requiring specific configurations or guaranteed high performance. Examples: DigitalOcean, Hetzner, OVH.
2 Platform Comparison 2025
| Platform | Best for | Starting price | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel | Next.js, React, frontend | Free / $20/mo | Global |
| Netlify | JAMstack, Astro | Free / $19/mo | Global |
| Cloudflare Pages | Static sites | Free / $5/mo | Global |
| Railway | Full-stack apps | $5/mo | Limited |
| AWS Amplify | AWS ecosystem | Pay-as-you-go | Global |
3 Vercel: The Modern Standard
Vercel has become the reference for modern web development. As creators of Next.js, they offer the best experience for React frameworks.
Advantages
- • Automatic deploy from Git
- • Preview deployments per PR
- • Global Edge Functions
- • Built-in analytics
- • Excellent DX
Considerations
- • Price scales with usage
- • Free plan limits
- • Partial vendor lock-in
- • Serverless cold starts
Ideal for:
Next.js projects, React applications, sites with SSR/ISR, teams that value developer experience.
4 Notable Alternatives
Netlify
JAMstack pioneer. Excellent for Astro, Hugo, Gatsby, and static sites. Forms and functions included.
Cloudflare Pages
The most affordable option with the world's fastest CDN. Workers for edge logic.
Railway
Modern platform for full-stack apps. Databases, Redis, and more with one click. Ideal for startups.
DigitalOcean App Platform
Simple PaaS on proven infrastructure. Good balance between control and simplicity.
5 Criteria for Choosing Hosting
Performance and latency
Where are your users? Choose a platform with PoPs (points of presence) near your audience. For Europe, Cloudflare and Vercel have excellent coverage.
Total cost
Don't just look at the base price. Consider: bandwidth, serverless functions, databases, support, and scaling costs.
Stack compatibility
Does your framework have native support? Next.js shines on Vercel, Astro on Netlify/Cloudflare. Less popular frameworks may have limitations.
Security and compliance
GDPR, SOC2 certifications, DDoS protection. For enterprise projects or sensitive data, this is critical.
Developer Experience (DX)
Preview deployments, real-time logs, powerful CLI, GitHub/GitLab integrations. Your productivity depends on this.
6 Recommendations by Project Type
Landing page or corporate site
Recommendation: Cloudflare Pages or Netlify
Free for most cases. Excellent performance. Easy to manage.
Blog or content site (Astro, Hugo)
Recommendation: Netlify or Cloudflare Pages
Optimized for static sites. Fast deployment. Global CDN included.
Next.js / React application
Recommendation: Vercel
Native support, best performance, optimized features like ISR and PPR.
SaaS or full-stack application
Recommendation: Railway or Vercel + Supabase
Database included or easy integration. Automatic scaling.
E-commerce
Recommendation: Vercel + Shopify Hydrogen or headless CMS
Edge rendering for personalization. Integration with payment platforms.
7 Frequently Asked Questions
Is free hosting enough to start?
Yes, for personal projects, MVPs, and sites with moderate traffic. Vercel, Netlify, and Cloudflare Pages offer generous free plans.
Can I easily migrate between platforms?
It depends. If you use standard technology (HTML, CSS, static JS), yes. If you depend on specific features (Vercel Edge Functions), it may require adjustments.
What about traditional European hosting?
Hosts like SiteGround, IONOS, or OVH are still valid for WordPress or PHP applications. For modern development, specialized platforms offer better performance and DX.
Do I need a dedicated server?
Rarely in 2025. Serverless and edge computing cover 95% of use cases. Only for very specific requirements (compliance, dedicated hardware, constant high volume) does it make sense.
Need Help Choosing?
At WebDevFactory, we advise you to choose the perfect infrastructure for your project.
Requirements audit
Personalized comparison
Zero-downtime migration