Selectel vs Vercel: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Selectel and Vercel to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Selectel
6.6/10
Russian infrastructure provider offering dedicated servers, cloud servers, VDS, managed Kubernetes, managed databases, S3 storage, CDN and GPU/ML services for businesses.
Vercel
6.8/10
Frontend cloud platform from the makers of Next.js that builds and deploys web apps from Git to a global CDN with serverless functions.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.6/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | RUB 200/mo VDS small | $20/user/mo Pro |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | RUB 200/mo VDS small | $200/mo Pro |
| Features | ||
| Automatic Backups | Not listed | |
| Cloud Compute | Not listed | |
| Content Delivery Network | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Dedicated Servers | ||
| API and CLI | ||
| Managed Databases | Not listed | |
| Managed Kubernetes | Not listed | |
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Object Storage | ||
| Uptime SLA | Not listed | |
| VPS Hosting | ||
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
| Git Deployments | Not listed | |
| Serverless Functions | Not listed | |
| Managed WordPress | Not listed | |
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
Selectel vs Vercel cost by team size
| Team size | Selectel | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | RUB 200/moVDS small | FreeHobby |
| 5 users | RUB 200/moVDS small | $100/moPro |
| 10 users | RUB 200/moVDS small | $200/moPro |
| 25 users | RUB 200/moVDS small | $500/moPro |
| 50 users | RUB 200/moVDS small | $1,000/moPro |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Selectel
- Higher Cost score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Dedicated Servers, which Vercel lacks
- Includes VPS Hosting, which Vercel lacks
Why choose Vercel
- Has a free plan (Selectel does not)
- Higher Ease of Use score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for developers (9/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
Selectel
Pros
- Very broad catalogue from one vendor: bare metal, VDS, cloud, Kubernetes, DBaaS, S3, CDN, VMware and GPU/ML.
- Certified for Russian personal data law (152-FZ) and holds FSTEC/FSB licences, plus PCI DSS, ISO 27001 and SOC 2.
- Low entry prices, with VDS from about 200 RUB a month and desktop-CPU dedicated servers from 800 RUB.
- Infrastructure can be automated through the API and Terraform.
Cons
- Capacity is concentrated in Russia, with only a few sites in Central Asia and Kenya.
- Prices are in rubles and services are aimed at the Russian market, so sanctions and payment issues may apply for foreign buyers.
- No serverless functions product appears in the catalogue.
- Little independent English-language review coverage.
Vercel
Pros
- Every pull request automatically gets its own preview URL, which reviewers rate as the most polished preview workflow available.
- New Next.js features work on Vercel from launch day, because Vercel maintains the framework.
- Automatic DDoS mitigation and a basic firewall are included on every plan, including the free one.
- The compliance list is strong: ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, TISAX Level 2, and HIPAA on Enterprise.
- Pro includes unlimited viewer seats, so non-developers can review work without paying for a seat.
Cons
- There is no hard spending cap, only alerts, so traffic spikes or bot crawls can produce large overage bills.
- Each developer costs $20 per month on Pro, which makes larger teams expensive.
- Next.js features such as ISR, image optimization and middleware create lock-in that makes migrating away costly.
- It is not a full backend: databases come from marketplace partners rather than Vercel itself.
- The jump from Pro to Enterprise is steep, and user reports complain of slow support on billing issues.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Vercel scores higher on our AI Software criteria: 6.8/10 against 6.6/10 for Selectel. The largest gap is in Cost: 7/10 for Selectel and 4/10 for Vercel.
Vercel has a free plan; Selectel does not list one.
Vercel is the better fit for developers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Selectel.
Selectel has Dedicated Servers and VPS Hosting, which Vercel lacks.
