Two Different Worlds
Vercel and WP Engine aren't really competitors — they serve different platforms.
- WP Engine: Managed WordPress hosting
- Vercel: Platform for Next.js and other modern frameworks
But if you're deciding between WordPress and Next.js, hosting is part of that decision. Let's compare.
WP Engine Overview
WP Engine is premium managed WordPress hosting. They handle:
- Server optimization for WordPress
- Automatic updates
- Daily backups
- Security monitoring
- Staging environments
- CDN included
Pricing:
- Startup: $20/month (1 site, 25K visits)
- Growth: $77/month (5 sites, 100K visits)
- Scale: $194/month (15 sites, 400K visits)
Pros:
- WordPress-optimized performance
- Excellent support
- Staging environments
- Automatic backups
Cons:
- Expensive compared to standard hosting
- Limited to WordPress
- Traffic overage charges
Vercel Overview
Vercel is the platform behind Next.js. It's built for modern frontend frameworks.
What Vercel provides:
- Global CDN (Edge Network)
- Automatic SSL
- Continuous deployment from Git
- Serverless functions
- Preview deployments
- Analytics
Pricing:
- Hobby: $0/month (personal projects)
- Pro: $20/month/member (commercial, more bandwidth)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Pros:
- Extremely fast (Edge Network)
- Simple deployment (push to Git)
- Generous free tier
- Preview URLs for every commit
- No server management
Cons:
- Only for static/serverless sites
- Can get expensive with heavy serverless usage
- Less traditional support model
Performance Comparison
Speed
Vercel:
- Pages served from global Edge Network
- Static pages load in under 100ms
- No server-side processing on page load
WP Engine:
- Fast for WordPress (TTFB typically 200-400ms)
- CDN included
- Still requires PHP processing
Winner: Vercel (by architecture)
Uptime
Both platforms offer 99.9%+ uptime. No significant difference for most sites.
Scalability
Vercel:
- Scales automatically
- No infrastructure management
- Pay for what you use
WP Engine:
- Scales within plan limits
- Traffic spikes may need plan upgrade
- More predictable costs
Winner: Vercel for unpredictable traffic, WP Engine for predictable
Cost Comparison
Scenario: Small business site (50K monthly visitors)
WP Engine:
- Growth plan: $77/month
- Annual: $924/year
Vercel:
- Pro plan: $20/month
- Annual: $240/year
Winner: Vercel (significantly cheaper)
Scenario: High-traffic site (500K+ monthly visitors)
WP Engine:
- Scale plan: $194/month
- Annual: $2,328/year
Vercel:
- Pro plan: $20/month + bandwidth overages
- Serverless function costs if heavy usage
- Could exceed $100/month for heavy sites
Winner: Depends on usage patterns
Feature Comparison
| Feature | WP Engine | Vercel |
|---|---|---|
| One-click staging | ✅ | ✅ (Preview deploys) |
| Automatic backups | ✅ | Via Git (code only) |
| CDN | ✅ | ✅ (Global Edge) |
| SSL | ✅ | ✅ |
| Git integration | ❌ | ✅ (native) |
| Serverless functions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Database included | ✅ (MySQL) | ❌ (use external) |
| Email support | ✅ | Pro plan |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose WP Engine if:
- You're running WordPress
- You want managed WordPress hosting with support
- You need WordPress-specific features
- Your team knows WordPress
Choose Vercel if:
- You're building with Next.js or similar frameworks
- You want the fastest possible load times
- You prefer Git-based deployments
- You want lower hosting costs
- You're comfortable with serverless architecture
The Real Question
The WP Engine vs Vercel decision is really about WordPress vs Next.js.
If you've already decided on WordPress, WP Engine is excellent managed hosting.
If you've decided on Next.js, Vercel is the obvious choice — it's made by the same team.
Not sure which platform? That's the first decision to make. Hosting follows.
Need help deciding? Let's talk through your requirements.