xhostd vs Vercel: always-on containers or a serverless app platform

Vercel combines strong Next.js integration, global delivery, and serverless compute for modern web apps. xhostd combines always-on containers with PostgreSQL, object storage, and isolated environments in one hosting plan. Both work with AI coding agents. The choice comes down to your runtime needs, how you connect data services, and whether you prefer a predictable monthly price to usage-based billing.

What xhostd and Vercel both offer

Both xhostd and Vercel host full-stack web apps that you deploy from git, and both work with AI coding agents.

• Deploys from git, with a preview URL for each branch or channel.
• An MCP server and an HTTP API for AI coding agents.
• Custom domains with automatic HTTPS.
• Code rollback to an earlier deployment.
• Logs and built-in visitor analytics.

The differences are in compute, data services, and pricing.

Key differences between xhostd and Vercel

Always-on servers or functions with time limits

xhostd: Every app runs in an always-on container, on every plan. There is no sleep mode and no cold start. The container serves web traffic directly and runs Node.js, Python, or any Dockerfile. Long-running workers, bots, and queue consumers run the same way.

Vercel: Code runs as functions on Fluid compute, the default since April 23, 2025. A function runs for up to 300 seconds on Hobby. On Pro and Enterprise the default is 300 seconds, and you can raise it to 800 seconds, or to 1,800 seconds in beta. Cold starts are reduced, not removed. Two 2026 betas add containers. Container Runtime, in beta since June 30, 2026, runs a Dockerfile as a function that scales to zero after 5 minutes idle in production. Daemons, in public beta since October 15, 2026, are always-on workers. They run in production only, take no inbound HTTP, and have no persistent disk.

Why it matters: A bot, a queue worker, or a long job needs a process that keeps running. On xhostd that process is the default, and it also serves your site. On Vercel the always-on option is a beta that takes no web traffic.

Included PostgreSQL and storage or separate data services

xhostd: Each code-running environment comes with its own PostgreSQL database and S3-compatible storage, within the plan allowance. For example, the $10 Builder plan includes 10 GB of database storage and 50 GB of files. Static sites get no database.

Vercel: Vercel has no Postgres of its own. Vercel Postgres moved to Neon in December 2024, and Postgres now comes from Marketplace providers. Files go in Vercel Blob, which bills four ways: $0.023 per GB-month of storage, $0.40 per 1M simple operations, $5 per 1M advanced operations, and transfer from $0.05 per GB. Hobby includes 1 GB of Blob storage.

Why it matters: On xhostd the database and files come with the app, in one plan. On Vercel the database comes from another provider, and file storage has its own meters.

Fixed plans or metered usage

xhostd: Fixed monthly plans: free, then $10, $20, $40, or $80. There are no traffic, egress, or seat charges. If traffic is disproportionate, xhostd might throttle it after contacting you.

Vercel: Hobby is $0 and "for personal, non-commercial use". Hobby users can't buy extra usage. Pro is $20 a month and includes 1 deploying seat and $20 of usage credit. Each extra deploying seat costs $20 a month. Pro overage costs $0.15 per GB of transfer, $0.60 per 1M invocations, and $0.128 per active-CPU hour. Flat Rate CDN (content delivery network), generally available since September 8, 2026, includes 1M requests and 1 TB on Pro, with paid tiers at $20, $100, and $300.

Why it matters: On xhostd a traffic spike or a new teammate doesn't change the bill. On Vercel both can add cost.

Separate data per channel or data isolation from a provider

xhostd: Production, staging, and preview are separate channels. Each has its own app, URL, database, files, and settings. Nightly snapshots cover the database and files, and xhostd keeps them 24 hours on Basic and 7 days on paid plans. Pre-deploy snapshots keep the last 1 on Basic and the last 3 on paid plans.

Vercel: Every branch gets a preview URL. Database isolation comes only from a provider's branching, such as Neon. Instant Rollback returns to the previous deployment on Hobby and to any past production deployment on Pro. It doesn't restore environment variables or data. Vercel has no platform backup feature.

Why it matters: A preview that writes to production data can damage your live app. On xhostd each channel has its own data and recovery points, with no extra service to connect.

Compute and runtime

xhostd: Each channel runs in an always-on container, on every plan, with no sleep mode and no cold starts. You can run a static site on nginx, an app on a template with Node.js 22, Python 3.13, and uv, or your own Dockerfile. CPU is a guaranteed share that can burst to 2x, from 0.1 core on Basic to 4 cores on Pro, and memory is an account total from 128 MB to 8 GB. A process has no run time limit, so workers, bots, and queue consumers keep running.

Vercel: Vercel runs server code as functions on Fluid compute, including Python apps on FastAPI, Django, or Flask. A function runs up to 300 seconds on Hobby and up to 800 seconds on Pro, or 1,800 seconds in beta, with 2 GB of memory and 1 vCPU on Hobby and 4 GB and 2 vCPU on Pro. Fluid compute reduces cold starts but doesn't remove them. Two betas add containers: Container Runtime (beta since June 30, 2026) runs a Dockerfile that scales to zero after 5 minutes idle in production, and Daemons (public beta since October 15, 2026) are always-on workers with no inbound HTTP, no autoscaling, and no persistent disk.

Summary: Both can run a Dockerfile, on Vercel in beta. The difference: xhostd runs every app in an always-on container with no time limit, while Vercel runs functions with time limits and offers always-on Daemons only in beta, without inbound HTTP.

Deploys and AI agents

xhostd: Every app has its own git repository. A push stores the code, and a deploy publishes a chosen branch or commit; GitHub-connected apps can also deploy on each push. Every deploy passes a health check before a blue-green switch, and a failed deploy leaves the previous version serving. Agents work through a hosted MCP server, an HTTP API with an OpenAPI spec, and plugins for Claude Code and Codex.

Vercel: Vercel deploys from git, with a preview URL for each branch, and also has a CLI and an API. Code stays in git, though Vercel-specific APIs might need changes on another host. The official MCP server at mcp.vercel.com covers projects, deployments, and logs, and it added a deploy_to_vercel tool on July 23, 2026. v0 builds apps from prompts, with 7 messages a day on Free, Plus at $30 per user a month, and Business at $100 per user a month.

Summary: Both deploy from git and give AI agents an MCP server and an API. The difference: xhostd hosts a git repository for each app and health-checks each deploy before it takes traffic, while Vercel adds v0, a prompt-based builder priced per user.

Database

xhostd: Every code-running channel gets its own PostgreSQL database, included in the plan. Your app receives a main connection, a direct connection for migrations, and a read-only connection; on newer database servers the main connection is pooled through PgBouncer in transaction mode. PostGIS is available. Database storage is an account total across all your apps and channels, from 500 MB on Basic to 80 GB on Pro, as a soft limit: xhostd reaches out instead of stopping your app.

Vercel: Vercel doesn't run its own Postgres service; Vercel Postgres moved to Neon in December 2024. You connect a database from a Marketplace provider, such as Neon or Supabase. Size limits, pricing, and export depend on the provider you connect.

Summary: Both let your app use PostgreSQL. The difference: xhostd includes a database in every code-running channel, while Vercel connects one from a Marketplace provider.

File storage

xhostd: Each channel gets its own S3-compatible bucket, so standard S3 libraries work. Versioning is always on, and old versions and deleted files are kept for 120 days. File storage is an account total across all your apps and channels, from 2 GB on Basic to 400 GB on Pro, as a hard limit. Files are served through your app; there are no public object URLs.

Vercel: Vercel Blob holds files and charges $0.023 per GB-month for storage, $0.40 per 1M simple operations, $5 per 1M advanced operations, and from $0.05 per GB for transfer. Hobby includes 1 GB. Versioning and an S3-compatible API are not documented.

Summary: Both store your app's files next to the app. The difference: xhostd includes an S3-compatible bucket in every channel's plan, while Vercel Blob bills storage, operations, and transfer separately.

Environments and previews

xhostd: Production, staging, and previews are separate channels. Each channel is its own container with its own URL, file bucket, environment overrides, up to 5 custom domains and, for code-running apps, its own PostgreSQL database. A new preview starts with an empty database, so tests never touch production data. Channels come from one account-wide pool: 3 on the free plans, then 10, 20, 40, or 80.

Vercel: Every branch gets a preview deployment with its own URL. Database and file isolation depend on the services you connect, and a separate database for a preview comes only from a provider's branching, such as Neon. In Container Runtime, a preview scales to zero after 30 seconds idle.

Summary: Both give each preview its own URL. The difference: every xhostd channel has its own file bucket and, if it runs code, its own database, while on Vercel preview data isolation depends on the provider you connect.

User sign-in

xhostd: Google sign-in is built into every channel and custom domain, on every plan, with no OAuth app to create. After sign-in, your app receives a signed token with the user's ID, email, and name, and verifies it against xhostd's public keys. Your app decides which pages need sign-in.

Vercel: Built-in sign-in for your app's users is not documented. You add an authentication library or an identity provider.

Summary: Both can host apps that sign users in. The difference: xhostd builds Google sign-in into every channel, while on Vercel you add an authentication library or an identity provider.

Backups and recovery

xhostd: Nightly snapshots cover the database and files, and xhostd also takes a snapshot before each deploy. Free plans keep 24 hours of nightly snapshots and the last pre-deploy snapshot; paid plans keep 7 days and the last 3. A restore can run read-only, behind a maintenance page, or live, and a code rollback boots the previous image without a rebuild. xhostd restores to these snapshots, not to any chosen moment.

Vercel: Instant Rollback moves production back to an earlier deployment: the previous one on Hobby, or any past one on Pro. A rollback restores code only, not environment variables or data. There is no platform backup feature, so database and file recovery depend on the data provider.

Summary: Both roll code back to an earlier deployment. The difference: xhostd also snapshots the database and files nightly and before each deploy, while Vercel leaves data backups to the data provider.

Networking and domains

xhostd: Every channel gets an HTTPS address, and each channel can add up to 5 custom domains with automatic certificates, on every plan. Paid plans add one public TCP endpoint per channel, with an optional IP allowlist.

Vercel: Vercel supports custom domains with managed HTTPS. Its network has 126 points of presence in 51 countries and 20+ compute regions, with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection and image optimization. WebSockets are in beta since June 22, 2026.

Summary: Both include custom domains with automatic HTTPS. The difference: xhostd adds a public TCP endpoint on paid plans, while Vercel serves from a global network with 126 points of presence and 20+ compute regions.

Logs and monitoring

xhostd: You get deploy and runtime logs, including logs from earlier containers, plus health findings with latency percentiles (p50, p95, and p99) and resource readings. Visitor analytics show visits, unique visitors, top pages, broken links, and status codes, without adding a script to your pages.

Vercel: Vercel provides logs, observability, and performance tools, and what you get varies by plan. Web Analytics comes with the platform.

Summary: Both include logs and visitor analytics. The difference: xhostd adds health findings with latency percentiles, while Vercel's observability tools vary by plan.

xhostd and Vercel pricing

xhostd: Fixed monthly plans: Basic free, Builder $10, Indie $20, Studio $40, and Pro $80. For example, Builder includes 10 channels, 0.5 CPU core, 1 GB of memory, 10 GB of database storage, and 50 GB of file storage. Hosting, PostgreSQL, storage, and backups are included, with no traffic, egress, or seat charges; xhostd might throttle disproportionate traffic after contacting you. See xhostd plans.

Vercel: Hobby costs $0, is limited to "personal, non-commercial use", and includes 100 GB of transfer and 1M invocations, with no way to buy more. Pro costs $20 a month with 1 deploying seat and $20 of usage credit, and each extra deploying seat adds $20 a month. Pro bills overage at $0.15 per GB of transfer, $0.60 per 1M invocations, and $0.128 per active-CPU hour. Flat Rate CDN, generally available since September 8, 2026, adds 1M requests and 1 TB to Pro, with paid tiers at $20, $100, and $300.

Summary: Both have a free plan and a $20 tier. The difference: xhostd charges a fixed monthly price with no traffic, egress, or seat charges, while Vercel Pro adds seat fees and metered overage, and Hobby is for non-commercial use only.

Price example: On xhostd, a small always-on app with PostgreSQL and file storage costs $0 on the free Basic plan (0.1 CPU core, 128 MB of memory), or $10 a month on Builder (0.5 core, 1 GB). On Vercel, Hobby is free but for personal, non-commercial use and includes no database; Pro costs $20 a month per deploying seat, including $20 of usage credit, with metered usage beyond it, and the database comes from a Marketplace provider at its own price. For a commercial app, xhostd Builder at $10 costs half of Vercel Pro's $20 base price, before any database provider.

Where xhostd is a better fit

xhostd is the stronger choice when:

• You run a bot, a queue worker, or a long job next to your site. On xhostd it runs in an always-on container that also serves web traffic, with no run time limit.
• You want PostgreSQL and file storage without a second provider. Each code-running xhostd channel includes a database and an S3-compatible bucket, while Vercel connects Postgres from a Marketplace provider and meters Blob separately.
• You want each preview kept apart from production data by default. Every code-running xhostd channel has its own database, files, and recovery points, while on Vercel a preview gets its own database only through a provider's branching, such as Neon.
• You want a bill that stays the same as traffic and your team grow. xhostd has no traffic, egress, or seat charges, while Vercel Pro adds $20 a month per extra deploying seat and metered overage.

Where Vercel is a better fit

Consider Vercel if you want:

• Global delivery. Vercel serves from 126 points of presence in 51 countries and runs compute in 20+ regions.
• Next.js from its maintainer. Vercel maintains Next.js and builds in Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR).
• Built-in frontend tools. Image optimization and DDoS protection come with the platform.
• More memory for each function. Each Vercel function runs with up to 2 GB of memory on Hobby or 4 GB on Pro. On xhostd, all your apps share the plan's memory, from 128 MB on the free plan to 8 GB on Pro.

xhostd vs Vercel at a glance

	xhostd	Vercel
Compute model	Always-on containers	Serverless functions on Fluid compute
Sleep and cold starts	None, on every plan	Cold starts reduced, not removed
Run time limit	None	300 s Hobby, 800 s Pro
Languages and Docker	Node.js, Python, any Dockerfile	Next.js, frameworks, Python; Dockerfiles in beta
Database	PostgreSQL in every code-running channel, included	Marketplace providers, such as Neon
File storage	S3-compatible bucket per channel, included	Vercel Blob, metered separately
Previews with their own data	Yes, every channel	Only through provider branching
Point-in-time recovery	No; nightly and pre-deploy snapshots	Depends on the data provider
AI agent access	Hosted MCP server, API, plugins	MCP server, CLI, API, v0
Pricing model	Fixed plans, $0 to $80	Free Hobby; Pro $20 plus usage