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Vercel

Vercel hosting for Next.js websites and web apps: Git-based deploys, preview links and a global CDN, and when it suits UAE businesses and when it does not.

Where we use it

Vercel is the hosting platform built by the creators of Next.js. Every change pushed to Git is built and deployed automatically, each proposed change gets its own preview link for review, and pages are served from a global edge network. We use it for marketing sites, Next.js web apps and frontends where fast, low-maintenance deployment matters more than running everything inside your own cloud account.

Strengths

  • Optimised for Next.js and other frontend frameworks.
  • Global CDN for fast content delivery.
  • Seamless Git-based deployment workflow.
  • Preview links for every proposed change.
  • No servers to patch or monitor.

Trade-offs

  • Can be more expensive than other hosting options for high-traffic sites.
  • Focused primarily on frontend and serverless, less on traditional backend servers.
  • Execution limits on serverless functions.

Questions

For most marketing sites and Next.js frontends, yes. It removes server maintenance, deploys every change automatically and serves pages quickly through its CDN. The questions to settle are where server-side code and data run, and whether the pricing suits your traffic.

Vercel serves public content from many locations and lets you choose the region where server functions run, so check its current region list. Where personal data must stay in the UAE, we keep the database and sensitive processing in a UAE cloud region on AWS or Azure and let Vercel serve only the public frontend. Confirm the requirements for your sector first.

Vercel is simpler and faster for frontends; AWS gives full control, a UAE region and the wider services a backend needs. Many projects use both: Vercel for the Next.js frontend, AWS for the API and database.

Vercel's free Hobby plan is for personal, non-commercial use, so a business site needs a paid plan. Charges rise with team seats, bandwidth and function usage; check Vercel's current pricing. For very high-traffic or compute-heavy sites, a self-managed setup can work out cheaper, which we assess case by case.

No. Next.js can be self-hosted on any Node.js server or in Docker. Some Vercel-specific features need replacing if you move, so we avoid relying on them unless they add clear value.

Each proposed change gets its own temporary web address, so you can review a new page or feature in a real browser before it goes live. It shortens feedback rounds and catches problems before customers see them.

When we choose Vercel

Vercel is our usual home for Next.js marketing sites, landing pages and the frontend half of larger web applications. It suits teams that want changes live within minutes of approval, a preview link for every change, and no servers to look after.

It works particularly well when content changes often, because pages can be regenerated in the background without a full redeploy.

When we don't

Regulated or sensitive data
Where personal or financial data must stay in the UAE, the database and the code that processes it belong in a UAE cloud region. Vercel can still serve the public frontend.
Long-running or heavy backend work
Imports, report generation and integrations that run for minutes fit better on containers or background workers on AWS or Azure.
Very high traffic on a tight budget
Usage-based charges can exceed the cost of a well-run self-hosted setup at scale. We compare the two when traffic justifies it.

What it costs to keep running

Running costs are a plan fee per team member plus usage, with no server administration on top. The maintenance work is the application itself: keeping Next.js and its dependencies updated and watching function usage so a sudden traffic spike or an inefficient page does not produce a surprise bill. We set spend limits and alerts where the plan allows.

How Vercel fits a Zellarc build

On a split setup, the Next.js frontend deploys to Vercel from the main branch, preview links go to the client for sign-off, and the API and database run on AWS or Azure, ideally in a UAE region. The frontend calls the API over HTTPS, so either side can be moved later without rebuilding the other.

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