Features
- Zero-config deployment with Git integration
- Edge and serverless function support
- Preview deployments for every pull request
- Built-in analytics and speed insights
Pros
- Best-in-class Next.js deployment experience
- Fastest time from code to production
- Excellent DX with instant rollbacks and logs
Cons
- Pricing scales quickly for high-traffic sites
- Vendor lock-in with some Next.js-specific features
- Serverless function cold starts in non-edge regions
Overview
Vercel is a cloud platform for frontend developers, created by the team behind Next.js. It provides the smoothest deployment experience in the JavaScript ecosystem, with zero-config deployments that automatically detect your framework and optimize build and serving accordingly.
Vercel’s Git integration creates preview deployments for every pull request, giving teams a shareable URL to review changes before merging. Production deployments happen on merge to main, with instant rollbacks available if something goes wrong.
The platform supports serverless functions, edge functions, and static assets, with intelligent routing between them. For Next.js projects specifically, Vercel provides the most optimized hosting with features like ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) and server components working out of the box.
When to Use
Choose Vercel for Next.js projects where you want the best possible deployment experience with zero configuration. It is also excellent for any frontend framework, though the most value comes with Next.js integration.
Getting Started
npm install -g vercel
vercel