What is Vercel?
Vercel is a cloud platform that lets developers quickly host and deploy websites and web apps. It handles the servers, scaling, and performance so you can focus on building your code.
Let's break it down
- Cloud platform: a service you use over the internet instead of running your own computers.
- Host: store your website’s files so people can visit it.
- Deploy: move your code from your computer to the internet so it’s live.
- Servers: computers that deliver your site to visitors.
- Scaling: automatically adding more resources when many people visit at once.
- Performance: making the site load fast for users.
Why does it matter?
It saves time and technical hassle, letting creators launch projects faster and keep them running smoothly without managing complex infrastructure. This means you can iterate on ideas, reach users quickly, and focus on the product rather than the underlying hardware.
Where is it used?
- Personal blogs and portfolios that need simple, fast publishing.
- Start-up SaaS products that must handle sudden traffic spikes.
- E-commerce sites that require quick page loads for better sales.
- Marketing landing pages for campaigns that need instant updates.
Good things about it
- Automatic global CDN makes sites load quickly everywhere.
- One-click deployments from Git repositories streamline workflow.
- Serverless functions let you add backend logic without managing servers.
- Preview URLs for every pull request help teams review changes instantly.
- Free tier available for hobby projects and small sites.
Not-so-good things
- Limited control over low-level server configuration compared to self-hosting.
- Pricing can rise quickly for high traffic or many serverless function invocations.
- Vendor lock-in: moving away may require significant re-configuration.
- Some advanced features (e.g., custom edge logic) are only in higher-price plans.