For an app with a genuinely global audience, edge network coverage matters more than raw compute.

1. 1.Cloudflare — stands out for its global edge network and a genuinely generous free tier, though its framework-specific tooling is a step behind the frontend-first platforms ¹
2. 2.Amazon Web Services — the default choice for teams that already run infrastructure there, with essentially unlimited configurability, though it takes real DevOps time to set up and keep tuned
3. 3.Netlify — a close alternative with similar developer experience and a strong plugin ecosystem, particularly popular for static sites and Jamstack, though its serverless function limits are tighter than some competing platforms' ²

For teams outside North America specifically, edge presence closer to your actual user base tends to matter more than any other factor on this list. ³

Cloudflare has the widest edge footprint, though the frontend platforms have narrowed the gap for typical web workloads.