Where Should You Deploy Your AI generated App? A Thorough Comparison of Vercel, Heroku, AWS, Cloudflare, and Squadbase

In recent years, the spread of tools like ChatGPT and Claude Code has made it possible for even complete programming beginners to turn their ideas into working applications. Yet when it comes time to “share the app with teammates” or “let real users try it,” many people find themselves stuck on one question: Where should I deploy it?

This article compares five deployment services—Vercel, Heroku, Cloudflare, AWS / GCP / Azure, and Squadbase—from a “vibe‑coding” beginner’s point of view, mixing in real‑world use cases and common pitfalls. By understanding each platform’s strengths, you’ll be able to pick the best home for your own application.

Deployment Pains in the Vibe‑Coding Era

Thanks to AI assistance, building an application is easier than ever. The next hurdle is getting it online so teammates (or the whole world) can use it. That’s where new problems appear:

• Too many choices: Which service is the right one?
• Complex pricing: Hard to predict the bill in advance.
• Security worries: Setting things up safely can feel daunting.
• Fear of “bill shock”: One mis‑configuration could get expensive fast.

Every deployment platform has its own sweet spot. The “right answer” changes with the kind of app you’re shipping and how it will be used, so it’s worth knowing what each service does best.

Service‑by‑Service Deep Dive: Rating 5 Deployment Platforms

Below we compare the five leading options from four angles: flexibility, typical use cases, learning curve, and cost control.

Vercel – The Go‑To Platform for Frontend Developers

Vercel was created by the team behind Next.js and is laser‑focused on frontend workflows.

Flexibility

Optimized for Next.js/React with built‑in serverless functions. For purely frontend apps you can deploy at lightning speed with zero config.

When to Use It

Perfect for personal portfolios and small sites. You can publish a ChatGPT‑generated React portfolio or blog to the world in minutes.

Learning Curve

Extremely low. Connect a GitHub repo and Vercel handles almost everything.

Cost Control

The Hobby tier is free for personal projects. When you need team features or commercial use, the Pro plan starts at $20/mo.

Common Pitfall

ESLint errors will block the build, so first‑time users sometimes spend half a day fixing this:

// ESLint error example
function App() {
  const unusedVariable = 'hello'; // Error: 'unusedVariable' is assigned a value but never used
  return <div>Hello World</div>;
}

Build time is also capped at 45 minutes.

Unique Strengths

• Edge‑optimized CDN: Fast from anywhere in the world.
• Preview Deployments: Every pull request gets its own URL for review.
• Tight Next.js integration: New features arrive first.
• One‑click custom domains: No DNS headaches.

Best for

Beginners who want to publish a frontend app with zero fuss.

Heroku – The Classic Choice for Backend Apps

Heroku has been the go‑to PaaS for backend developers for over a decade.

Flexibility

Supports Node.js, Python, Ruby, and more. Rich ecosystem of add‑ons for databases and third‑party services.

When to Use It

Great for personal APIs and proof‑of‑concepts—e.g., a Python/Flask backend or chatbot service.

Learning Curve

Moderate. You need to grasp the Procfile, but the rollback feature makes it beginner‑friendly.

Cost Control

No free tier. You start with the $5/mo Eco plan. Apps sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity unless you upgrade to Hobby ($7/mo).

Common Pitfall

The infamous H10 (App Crashed) or wrong port settings:

# Good Procfile
web: gunicorn app:app

# Bad (don’t hard‑code the port)
web: python app.py --port 5000

Use heroku logs --tail to debug and heroku rollback if needed.

Unique Strengths

• Add‑ons marketplace: One‑click PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, etc.
• One‑command scaling: heroku ps:scale web=2
• Instant rollback: Safety net for failed deploys.
• Multi‑language support: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, and more.

Best for

Beginners who need a live backend with minimal ops.

Cloudflare – Next‑Gen Edge Platform

Cloudflare runs one of the world’s largest CDNs and offers two key services: Cloudflare Pages (static hosting) and Cloudflare Workers (edge functions).

Flexibility

Pages excels at blazing‑fast static delivery; Workers runs JavaScript/TypeScript/Python/Rust at the edge.

When to Use It

Low‑latency APIs, real‑time processing, or AI inference close to users.

Learning Curve

Moderate. Edge environments differ from traditional serverless (e.g., AWS Lambda), but simple APIs are straightforward.

Cost Control

Free for up to 100 k requests per day. Pay‑as‑you‑go beyond that—all usage‑based.

Common Pitfall

Some Node.js libraries don’t run in Workers; no file‑system access; local debugging feels different.

Unique Strengths

• Zero‑ms cold starts at 330+ global locations.
• Workers AI: Run LLMs and AI models at the edge.
• Auto‑scaling to millions of requests.
• Integrated KV, D1, R2 for storage needs.

Best for

Developers chasing ultra‑fast APIs or AI apps on the edge.

AWS / GCP / Azure – Full‑Power Cloud Infrastructure

These hyperscale clouds power everything from startups to Netflix.

Flexibility

Unmatched. Any stack, any workload.

When to Use It

Apps destined for massive scale or for deep cloud learning projects.

Learning Curve

High if you dive into EC2/VPC networking. Newer services like AWS Amplify or Cloud Run ease the start, but true mastery demands study of IaC, security, and networking.

Cost Control

Each platform has a free tier, but pricing models are complex. Forgotten EC2 instances or mis‑configured resources can lead to shocking bills.

Common Pitfall

Leaving an instance running all month, or using the root account daily and getting compromised.

Unique Strengths

• Limitless scalability to millions of users.
• Rich managed services across AI/ML, IoT, big data, and more.
• Global data centers for low‑latency anywhere.
• Proven track record with major enterprises.

Best for

Devs who want maximum control and are ready for a steep learning curve.

Squadbase – A Best Practice for Building Internal Applications

Squadbase focuses on enterprise AI apps and team collaboration.

Flexibility

Tailored for in‑house AI tools, but supports custom logic.

When to Use It

Internal tools—inventory trackers, analytics dashboards—shared only with select teammates.

Learning Curve

Very low. Connect GitHub; deploy; built‑in auth just works.

Cost Control

Free tier for small teams. Paid plans are flat‑rate, making budgeting easy.

Unique Strengths

• Built‑in authentication & access control out of the box.
• Integrated analytics for logs and user behavior.
• App directory to manage multiple internal apps.
• GitHub auto‑deploy—push, and it’s live.

Best for

Teams that need secure internal sharing with zero setup headaches.

Conclusion

In the vibe‑coding era, “who will use the app?” largely decides the right platform:

• Public apps → Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, or Heroku get you live fast.
• Internal apps → Squadbase for effortless security, or AWS for heavy‑duty infrastructure.

Because nearly every service offers a free tier, the best advice is try them out with a small project:

• For public hosting, start with Vercel’s free tier.
• For blazing APIs or AI inference, test Cloudflare Workers.
• For a simple backend, spin up Heroku’s $5 Eco plan.
• For large‑scale experiments, stay within the free tiers of AWS/GCP/Azure.
• For secure internal sharing, try Squadbase.

May your vibe‑coded creations reach the people who need them—on the platform that fits them best!