Which Stack Should I Use?

Answer two questions — control, then language — and you land on a real stack. The boxes are named for what they ARE.

Which Stack Should I Use? Answer two questions — control, then language — and you land on a real stack. The boxes are named for what they ARE. 01 / You own a box 02 / Fully managed (serverless) 1 · Control? → your stack Full control? · own DB · long jobs · any language · You own a box › 1 · Control? · yes → own a box Full control? own DB · long jobs · any language yes → own a box Managed frontend? · let a host serve the UI · You own a box › 1 · Control? Managed frontend? let a host serve the UI One VPS · frontend + API + DB on your box · You own a box › → your stack · run it all yourself One VPS frontend + API + DB on your box run it all yourself Vercel/Pages + VPS · managed frontend · backend you own · You own a box › → your stack · your default Vercel/Pages + VPS managed frontend · backend you own your default Backend = JS/TS? · Go · PHP · Python · Ruby = no · Fully managed (serverless) › 1 · Control? Backend = JS/TS? Go · PHP · Python · Ruby = no One platform + edge? · no database to run · Fully managed (serverless) › 1 · Control? One platform + edge? no database to run All Cloudflare · Pages + Workers + D1 + R2 · Fully managed (serverless) › → your stack · one platform · JS/TS only All Cloudflare Pages + Workers + D1 + R2 one platform · JS/TS only Vercel + managed DB · frontend + functions · Supabase/Neon · Fully managed (serverless) › → your stack · fastest to ship Vercel + managed DB frontend + functions · Supabase/Neon fastest to ship yes, JS/TS no yes no yes no yes Legend Agent logic Policy Cloud service

Just two forks decide it

  • • Control: need your own DB, long jobs, or any language? → you own a box
  • • Language: Go / PHP / Python / Ruby can't run on Workers or Vercel → a VPS
  • • Only a JS/TS backend with no box to run unlocks fully-managed

Why 'Vercel/Pages + VPS' exists

  • • You want a free, managed, global frontend (Vercel/Pages)…
  • • …but your backend is Go/PHP or needs its own Postgres → a VPS
  • • So: managed frontend + a backend you fully own — the common miss

Rules of thumb

  • • Ship fast, JS/TS, hate servers → Vercel + managed DB
  • • Edge, one bill, one platform, JS/TS → All Cloudflare
  • • Full control / own DB / any language → One VPS
  • • Managed frontend + own your data or language → Vercel/Pages + VPS