# Ownkube vs Vercel

> Ownkube vs Vercel: how the two compare on billing, managed databases, long-running servers, and running the same app in your own AWS account.

Vercel is built around frontend frameworks and serverless functions at the edge. Ownkube is built around full-stack apps: a long-running server, a managed database, and background workers, all from the same repo. The honest differences are what kind of workload each platform runs best and where the app is allowed to live.

## At a glance

| Capability | Ownkube | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| **Billing model** | Prepaid wallet. CPU and memory metered per minute on actual usage; unused credit rolls over and never expires | Per-request / function-invocation usage |
| **Cost to start** | Browse free, no card. Deploying needs a plan from \$5 / month (no free tier on Compute) | Free tier for hobby projects; paid plans required for team and production features |
| **Deploy from** | GitHub or GitLab repo, or a container image | GitHub repo |
| **Compute model** | A real, long-running server and worker process | Short-lived serverless and edge functions |
| **Managed Postgres / cache** | Managed Postgres 17 / 18 and a Valkey cache, built in | Storage add-ons from the marketplace |
| **Scheduled jobs** | Built-in Job deployments | Cron on select plans |
| **Observability** | Live logs plus CPU and memory metrics on every deployment | Logs and metrics in the dashboard |
| **Own-cloud portability** | Move the same app to your own AWS account with no rewrite; logs, metrics, and health checks come with it | Hosted-only platform |
| **Lock-in** | Standard Kubernetes. Disconnect anytime and your apps keep running | Apps run on Vercel's managed platform |

## Where Ownkube is different

Vercel's compute model is built around short-lived functions, which is a great fit for frontend rendering and edge middleware. Ownkube runs a real, long-running server instead, so a persistent WebSocket connection, a background worker, or a job that needs to stay warm behaves the same way it would on your own machine.

Ownkube also includes a managed database and cache out of the box: Postgres 17 or 18 and a Valkey cache, provisioned in one click, with backups and private-by-default networking. On Vercel, storage is an add-on from the marketplace rather than part of the core platform.

The third difference is portability. The same app you build on Ownkube can move into your own (or a customer's) AWS account with no rewrite, and its logs, metrics, and health checks move with it. Ownkube acts as the control plane, you pay AWS directly at wholesale rates, and it runs on vanilla Kubernetes you can disconnect from anytime. Vercel has no equivalent path; it is hosted-only.

The rollover wallet, a real backend with a built-in database, and the option to run the same app in your own cloud are things Vercel's edge-first model doesn't offer together. If your app is more backend than frontend, that combination often costs less to run than piecing together serverless functions plus a storage add-on.

## Where Vercel may fit you better

Vercel has best-in-class frontend deploy ergonomics: a mature edge network, deep Next.js integration, and a polished preview-deployment workflow built specifically around frontend teams. If your app is a static site or leans almost entirely on client-rendered pages and edge middleware with little backend behind it, Vercel is a reasonable home.

- [Migrate from Vercel](/docs/migrate/from-vercel)
- [Pricing](/docs/configuration/pricing)
- [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart)
- [On the blog: Vercel alternatives for backend services](/blog/vercel-alternatives-backend-services-2026)

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