How do you deploy a Next.js app (Vercel vs self-hosted)?

Q: How do you deploy a Next.js app (Vercel vs self-hosted)?

**Target Audience:** Frontend engineers preparing for Next.js interviews — assumes basic React and App Router familiarity. **Difficulty:** Medium > **How to read this doc:** Each idea is explained in plain language first, then tagged with `📌 Interview term:`. Every behaviour claim was checked against the Next.js docs shipped with the package (written on 16.3.4, re-reviewed against 16.4.2) and, in the **Verified** section, against real output from a build or a running server; each Verified block says which version it ran on. ## 1. Why This Even Matters — A Story First Deploying Next.js is like opening a restaurant. A managed platform is a food court: kitchen, cleaning and electricity are included, you bring the recipes. Self-hosting is renting your own premises: every recipe still works, but you arrange the refrigerators (caches), deliveries (CDN) and staff rota (scaling). A static export is a food truck selling pre-packed meals: cheap and anywhere, but it cannot cook to order. ##

The problem

Question presented to candidate: "We are choosing between Vercel and running Next.js on our own Kubernetes cluster. What do we get on each, and what must we set up ourselves when self-hosting?"

What a strong answer should cover:

Deployment options: a managed platform (Vercel or another provider with Next.js support), a Node.js server (next start), a Docker image (usually with output: "standalone"), or a static export (output: "export").
Every server feature works self-hosted with next start: SSR, streaming, ISR, Server Actions, Route Handlers, Proxy and image optimization.
Self-hosting responsibilities: caching across instances (a shared cacheHandler), a CDN for static assets, TLS, scaling, logs and metrics.
Static export produces plain files but drops server features: no Server Actions, dynamic routes without params, request-time rendering, ISR, redirects or rewrites.
Version skew between deployments (old clients calling new servers) needs deploymentId or careful rollouts.

Clarifying questions expected:

"Do we need ISR, Server Actions or request-time rendering?" — they rule out static export.
"How many instances will run?" — more than one needs a shared cache.

Code / implementation expected: Yes — a Dockerfile for standalone output.

nextjs
deployment
vercel
self-hosting

Try it yourself

Sketch your approach before you read the solution. That is what the interview tests.

Stuck? Get a hint.

A short nudge toward the approach. It will not give the answer away.

Solution

Target Audience: Frontend engineers preparing for Next.js interviews — assumes basic React and App Router familiarity. Difficulty: Medium

How to read this doc: Each idea is explained in plain language first, then tagged with 📌 Interview term:. Every behaviour claim was checked against the Next.js docs shipped with the package (written on 16.3.4, re-reviewed against 16.4.2) and, in the Verified section, against real output from a build or a running server; each Verified block says which version it ran on.

1. Why This Even Matters — A Story First

Deploying Next.js is like opening a restaurant. A managed platform is a food court: kitchen, cleaning and electricity are included, you bring the recipes. Self-hosting is renting your own premises: every recipe still works, but you arrange the refrigerators (caches), deliveries (CDN) and staff rota (scaling). A static ex

The solution is hidden so you can try first

6 min read · 8 sections

Read the code

A Dockerfile for standalone output

# next.config.ts:  const nextConfig = { output: "standalone" };

FROM node:24-alpine AS build
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci
COPY . .
RUN npm run build

FROM node:24-alpine AS run
WORKDIR /app
ENV NODE_ENV=production PORT=3000 HOSTNAME=0.0.0.0
COPY --from=build /app/.next/standalone ./
COPY --from=build /app/.next/static ./.next/static
COPY --from=build /app/public ./public
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "server.js"]

Discussion

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