Kinsta vs Vercel 2026: WordPress vs JAMstack
Quick Verdict
Choose Kinsta if you need WordPress or a traditional CMS. Choose Vercel if you're building with Next.js and want the best developer experience.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kinsta | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress Support | ✅ Purpose-built | ❌ Not supported |
| Next.js Support | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Best-in-class |
| Static Sites | ⚠️ Overkill | ✅ Optimized |
| Edge Functions | ❌ | ✅ Built-in |
| Preview Deployments | ✅ Staging env | ✅ Per-PR previews |
| Custom Domains | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Database | ✅ MySQL/MariaDB | ⚠️ Third-party (Neon/Supabase) |
| Git Integration | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Native |
| Free Tier | ❌ Paid only | ✅ Hobby plan |
| Support | ✅ 24/7 expert | ⚠️ Community + paid |
Kinsta
Premium managed WordPress hosting powered by Google Cloud
Strengths
- Best-in-class WordPress performance
- Full CMS with visual editing
- Built-in CDN and caching
- Application hosting beyond WordPress
- Enterprise-grade security
Weaknesses
- Not ideal for static sites
- Higher cost for simple projects
- Less developer-first than Vercel
Best for: Content-heavy sites, agencies, and WordPress-based businesses
Vercel
The frontend cloud for Next.js and modern web frameworks
Strengths
- Zero-config Next.js deployments
- Edge functions worldwide
- Git push to deploy
- Preview deployments on every PR
- Generous free tier
Weaknesses
- Vendor lock-in with Next.js features
- Expensive at scale (bandwidth pricing)
- No traditional CMS
Best for: Developers building React/Next.js applications with serverless backends
Pricing
| Tier | Kinsta | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| Free/Hobby | N/A — starts at $35/mo | $0 (100GB bandwidth) |
| Pro | $70/mo (100K visits) | $20/dev/mo (1TB bandwidth) |
| Business | $115/mo (250K visits) | $Custom (Enterprise) |
| Enterprise | $675/mo (1.5M visits) | Custom pricing |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use Kinsta or Vercel for my blog?
If your blog uses WordPress, Kinsta is the clear winner. If you're building a custom blog with Next.js and MDX, Vercel gives you better DX and a free tier.
Is Vercel free?
Yes. Vercel's Hobby plan is free for personal projects with 100GB bandwidth. Commercial use requires the Pro plan at $20/dev/month.
Can I use WordPress on Vercel?
Not directly. Some teams use headless WordPress (on Kinsta) with a Next.js frontend (on Vercel), but that adds complexity.
Which is faster?
For static/SSG pages, Vercel's Edge Network is slightly faster. For dynamic WordPress content, Kinsta's Google Cloud + Cloudflare stack is hard to beat.
Can I migrate from Vercel to Kinsta?
Only if you're switching from Next.js to WordPress (a full rewrite). The two platforms serve different architectures.
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