Keep Vercel
- The job is a JS frontend plus previews. That is the whole job.
- A global edge network matters more than SSH.
Vercel alternative: keep Next.js, put the rest on a real runtime
Vercel is built to put a frontend at the edge. A standing API, a database on a machine you can see, or a store release is someone else’s job — and that is fine.
- Keep Next.js and preview deploys the way you already know them
- NestJS, Laravel or FastAPI run as services here, not as edge functions
Two clean calls
Move the rest here
- There is an API or a database that has to stay up.
- There is a store app, or the server should sit in the EU and belong to you.
Vercel is good at one thing: getting a JavaScript frontend to many locations quickly. Preview URLs just work. The network behind that, we do not copy.
It gets messy in the second product. The same people now run an API, secrets live in three dashboards, and nobody can name the machine that holds the database. Vercel is not wrong then — it is just no longer the whole setup.
We do not replace Vercel feature for feature. If you only ship Next.js, stay. If you want to see the server the rest runs on, you end up here.
Vercel and Application Platform side by side
This reflects the typical scope of both platforms. Details change over time, so check the current information from each provider when it matters.
| Criterion |
Application Platform
|
Vercel
|
|---|---|---|
| Frontend deployment | Fully covered: Next.js and Astro live; Vue and Angular come next | Fully covered: Core product, very mature, especially for Next.js |
| Global edge network / CDN | Partly covered: Reverse proxy and SSL per server; no global edge network of its own | Fully covered: Worldwide edge network as a central building block |
| Backend applications | Fully covered: NestJS, Laravel and FastAPI as full services with a database | Partly covered: Serverless functions, no long-running backend services |
| Use your own servers | Fully covered: Your own server over SSH or a managed server from the platform | Not offered: Not supported, execution happens in the Vercel runtime |
| Databases and server baseline | Fully covered: Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups are set up for you | Partly covered: Through partner and marketplace integrations |
| Building mobile apps | Fully covered: Flutter, Expo and native iOS and Android projects including build environments | Not offered: Not part of the product |
| Publishing to App Store and Play Store | Fully covered: Metadata, screenshots and releases straight from the platform | Not offered: Not part of the product |
| Remote development environments | Fully covered: Ubuntu workspaces with VS Code, JetBrains, RDP and VNC. iOS builds on the pipeline’s macOS machines | Not offered: Not part of the product |
| Readable and adaptable CI/CD | Fully covered: GitLab CI configuration lives in the repository and can be changed | Partly covered: Build step largely predefined, limited configurability |
| Where processing happens | Fully covered: Operated in the EU, servers freely selectable | Partly covered: US provider, regions selectable, processing under US law |
| Moving to another provider | Fully covered: Repositories, deployment configuration and servers belong to you | Partly covered: Platform-specific features have to be replaced when you leave |
Green means fully covered, amber partly, grey not offered. Vercel is mature in the frontend space – the difference lies in how much of the chain each platform covers.
As of 9 September 2026. Based on the publicly documented feature scope of the providers named. Details can change; the provider’s current documentation takes precedence. Logos are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the product.
Where Vercel stays ahead
- Edge and previews Vercel is built for Next.js, preview URLs and a worldwide edge network. We do not ship that; a CDN in front still makes sense.
- Frontend focus If only the frontend matters, a specialised frontend host is the shorter answer.
Pricing model
Vercel mostly bills usage (bandwidth, functions). You pay us for the platform plus servers. Current Vercel numbers are on the Vercel pricing page.
Pipeline for Customer App
test
build
publish
release
Moving from Vercel to the Application Platform
The migration happens step by step, with your repository as the foundation.
-
Connect a server
Attach your own server over SSH or book a managed one. Docker, reverse proxy, SSL and backups get configured.
-
Create the project
Set up your project in the wizard and pick the stack. Repository, structure and CI/CD pipeline are created along with it.
-
Bring the frontend over
Move your existing code into the repository. Environment variables and secrets are managed centrally in the project.
-
Switch the domain
Domain and certificates are part of the setup. Once the pipeline is green, you point the DNS record over.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Application Platform a direct replacement for Vercel?
For frontend deployments yes, for everything else it covers considerably more. What it lacks is a global edge network with points of presence everywhere, so a CDN in front of the platform still makes sense.
Can I keep using Next.js?
Yes. Next.js is one of the prepared templates and gets built and deployed through a regular pipeline. Features tied specifically to the Vercel runtime need replacing, but standard Next.js runs unmodified.
What happens to my preview deployments?
The platform runs on GitLab CI. Branch and merge request pipelines can be configured to deploy their own preview environments. You decide how far that goes through the pipeline configuration.
How do the costs compare?
Vercel bills by usage, mainly bandwidth and function invocations. On the Application Platform you pay for the platform and your servers, which makes the cost curve easier to predict with steady traffic.
Do I have to operate the infrastructure myself?
No. Using a managed server, the platform handles setup and maintenance fully. If you connect your own server, the platform configures it – but operating it day to day stays with you.
Create the Next.js project, then attach a server
Register, pick the template, attach a server. Whether that is enough for your repo, you will see in the wizard, not in this table.