# Vercel

> Why we deploy on Vercel: global edge delivery, preview deployments on every commit and a first-class Next.js integration. When we host on your own cloud instead.

URL: https://www.smartastudio.com/stack/hosting/vercel

_Edge delivery and preview deploys for modern front ends._

Vercel is where we deploy most Next.js builds. Preview deployments on every change and edge delivery worldwide make it the smoothest home for a modern front end.

## What it is

Vercel is a deployment platform built by the team behind Next.js. It provides global edge delivery, serverless and edge functions, automatic preview deployments for every commit, and image optimisation — with zero server management.

## Why we build on it

Every change gets its own live preview URL, so clients review real pages before they go live. Edge caching keeps sites fast globally, deploys are instant and roll back cleanly, and the Next.js integration is first-class. For most marketing sites and front ends, it removes an entire class of infrastructure work.

## Editor & developer experience

For the people running the site, Vercel’s standout feature is the preview deployment: every change gets its own live URL, so clients review the real page — not a mockup — before it goes anywhere near production. Approvals become “look at this link” rather than a description, and going live is a single, reversible step. There are no servers to think about and nothing to patch.

For developers, it removes an entire class of infrastructure work. Built by the team behind Next.js, its integration is first-class: edge and serverless functions, image optimisation, global caching and instant rollbacks all come as standard, and deploys happen on every commit. The trade is that it is an opinionated managed platform — you work within its model and its usage-based pricing — which is a feature for most builds and a constraint for the few with strict residency or procurement rules.

## Where it earns the shortlist

Vercel earns the shortlist for essentially every Next.js and modern front-end deployment we do. Preview URLs on every change, edge delivery worldwide and instant, reversible deploys make it the smoothest home for a modern front end, with zero server management. Reach for it whenever the priority is fast global delivery and a frictionless review-and-ship workflow rather than owning the underlying infrastructure.

## Best for

- Next.js and other modern front-end deployments
- Teams that want preview URLs and instant, reversible deploys
- Sites needing global edge performance without managing servers

## Choose it when

- **You are deploying Next.js** — First-class, built-by-the-same-team integration with nothing to configure.
- **You want preview URLs** — Every change gets a live link clients can review before go-live.
- **Deploys must be safe** — Instant deploys and clean rollbacks take the risk out of shipping.
- **Global speed with no servers** — Edge delivery worldwide without provisioning or patching anything.

## Look elsewhere when

- **Data residency is mandated** — Strict residency or procurement rules point to your own AWS, Azure or GCP.
- **You run WordPress or heavy back ends** — Traditional and Node-heavy stacks are happier on managed hosting or a VPS.
- **Usage costs need capping** — Very high-traffic or function-heavy workloads can be cheaper on Cloudflare or your own infrastructure.

## Watch-outs

Vercel is a managed platform — when data residency, procurement or an existing cloud contract requires it, we deploy to your own AWS, Azure, GCP or Cloudflare instead. That path is first-class, not a compromise.

## Pricing, in plain terms

Vercel has a genuinely useful free tier for small projects, then usage-based plans priced on bandwidth, function usage and seats. For most marketing sites and front ends it lands as a modest, predictable monthly cost; it is worth watching on very high-traffic or heavily dynamic builds, where usage can climb. We size the plan to the project and, where it makes sense, deploy to Cloudflare or your own cloud instead.

- **Free tier:** Yes — for small projects
- **Paid from:** ~£16/seat/mo
- **Model:** Usage + seats

[Compare Vercel vs Netlify](https://www.smartastudio.com/compare/cloud-hosting/netlify-vs-vercel)

## At a glance

- **Type:** Managed edge/serverless platform
- **Strengths:** Preview deploys, edge delivery
- **Best paired with:** Next.js
- **Server management:** None

## The SmartaStudio take

Vercel is where we deploy most Next.js work, and it earns that by removing an entire layer of infrastructure hassle — preview URLs and one-click rollbacks change how clients review and ship. The honest caveat is that it is a managed platform with usage-based pricing, so on very high-traffic or function-heavy builds we keep an eye on cost, and where data residency or procurement demands it we deploy to Cloudflare or your own cloud instead. That alternative path is first-class, not a downgrade.