Direct answer
Choose Vercel for the 2026 free tier if you host a React/Next.js app or anything with serverless functions: you get 1M function invocations and 100 GB transfer per month, free, with no build-minute cap. Choose Netlify if you only need a simple static site — but know that its free plan now runs on a 300-credit pool (≈15 GB bandwidth, ≈20 production deploys per month).
The 2026 comparison
| Vercel (Hobby) | Netlify (Free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0/month | $0/month |
| Bandwidth | 100 GB Fast Data Transfer/mo | ~15 GB (300 credits, 20 credits/GB) |
| Function invocations | 1M/month | Credit-based (2 credits per 10K requests) |
| Builds | Included, Basic machines, no minute cap | 300 credits/mo; prod deploys 15 credits each |
| Deployments/day | 100 | No fixed cap (credit-gated) |
| Projects | 200 | Unlimited |
| Custom domains | 50/project, free HTTPS | Unlimited, free HTTPS |
| Static sites | Yes | Yes (classic strength) |
| Serverless | Edge + serverless functions | Functions via credit pool |
| Pause risk | No | Sites pause when credits exhaust |
What changed recently (verified 2026-09-27)
Netlify’s free tier went through its biggest change in a decade: the classic “300 build minutes + 100 GB bandwidth” is gone. New accounts (since Sep 2025) get 300 credits/month instead. That makes heavy-bandwidth projects uncomfortable — 100 GB of traffic would cost 2,000 credits, which is 6+ months of free allocation. Vercel’s Hobby tier, by contrast, still lists 100 GB of transfer flat and 1M invocations with builds included.
Verdict
- React / Next.js / anything serverless → Vercel, clearly.
- Static-only, low traffic → Netlify is fine, but mind the credit pool.
- Bandwidth-heavy media sites → neither free tier is generous; Vercel’s 100 GB flat is the better deal.
Verified against official pricing pages on 2026-09-27. See the live hosting comparison for the full list of providers.