What is Vercel and Why You Should Use It?

What is Vercel?

Vercel is the company behind the development of Next.js. They were previously known as Zeit and they were as primarily focused on providing hosting for Node.js applications. However, they have since expanded to become a cloud platform for static sites and serverless functions, offering features such as global CDN, custom domains, and automatic HTTPS.

In essence, Vercel is a cloud platform for static sites and serverless functions. It allows developers to build and deploy web projects with ease. With Vercel, you can deploy your project to the cloud and get a global CDN, custom domains, and automatic HTTPS.

Why Use Vercel?

Vercel offers a fast and easy way to deploy web projects, with automatic scaling and support for modern web technologies like serverless functions. It also offers a global CDN and automatic HTTPS, making it easy to deliver web content to users around the world while ensuring security and reliability.

Vercel also has a user-friendly interface and integrations with popular development tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making it easy to set up and manage your projects. Additionally, Vercel offers a generous free plan with plenty of features, making it a great choice for small projects and personal use.

Built on some of the most cutting-edge serverless technology, Vercel can withstand any forms of traffic spikes

Advantages of Using Vercel

• Fast and easy deployment
• User-friendly interface
• Easy integration with your backend
• No CD servers
• Real-time collaboration and preview features
• Cool features (edge functions, analytics, AI integrations)

SaaS Considerations for Vercel

As Sitecore’s SaaS solution, XM Cloud, becomes more popular within the Sitecore community organizations needed a modern approach to have 100% separation between their front-end and back-end. This meant that in addition to Sitecore XM Cloud, you will rely on a service like Vercel to host and render your website's front-end. Therefore, Vercel became a significant consideration when moving to XM Cloud.

Just as many on-going projects across the Sitecore SaaS spectrum took off, such as CDP & Personalize, Content Hub and Send, so did Vercel. At Fishtank, Vercel has become a prominent figure in the new tech stack we are using for XM Cloud implementation. Many recent and current ongoing projects are making use of the platform and it has become a mainstay in new project planning.

Vercel's real-time collaboration and preview features make it easier for teams to work together on web projects. This can be especially useful for Sitecore projects that involve multiple stakeholders and teams. Additionally, Vercel's generous free tier makes it accessible for developers of all levels, which is a great advantage for small to mid-sized Sitecore projects that may not have a large budget for hosting and deployment.

Deploying to Vercel

Deploying to Vercel is a straightforward process. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can connect your repository to Vercel. From there, you can configure your project settings and deploy your project with just a few clicks. Vercel also provides a CLI tool for more advanced deployment options.

If you're using Vercel for Sitecore XM Cloud, you can take advantage of its global CDN and automatic HTTPS to deliver your website's front-end quickly and securely. Vercel also offers real-time collaboration and preview features, which can be helpful for Sitecore projects that involve multiple teams. Additionally, Vercel's continuous deployment servers can streamline the deployment process and save time for developers.

Vercel CD Servers

Vercel also offers continuous deployment servers that enable developers to automatically deploy updates to their projects as soon as changes are made to the repository. This can save time and streamline the development process, allowing developers to focus on building and improving their projects rather than worrying about deployment.

With Sitecore, it is typical to have multiple Sitecore CD servers, and each of those CD servers needs to be managed and monitored individually. However, with Vercel’s hosting, you don’t need CD servers at all. Vercel will handle all your scaling (up and down), allowing you to remove the stress of load balancing or swapping alternating production and staging servers

With Sitecore, it is typical to have multiple Sitecore CD servers, and each of those CD servers needs to be managed and monitored individually. However, with Vercel’s hosting, you don’t need CD servers at all. Vercel will handle all your scaling (up and down), allowing you to remove the stress of load balancing or swapping alternating production and staging servers

Is Vercel Right for You?

After reading all this your probably still wondering if Vercel is for you.

Well, if you're looking for a fast and easy way to deploy web projects with automatic scaling and support for modern web technologies, Vercel may be the right choice for you. It offers a user-friendly interface, integrations with popular development tools, and a generous free plan with plenty of features. Additionally, if you're using Sitecore XM Cloud, Vercel is a significant consideration to host and render your website's front-end, with its real-time collaboration and preview features, global CDN, and automatic HTTPS.

If you are going to planning on using Vercel for QA or Production, it’s definitely working checking out all that it has to offer. You can also explore their Marketplace as you'll be able to integrate and improve notifications for deployments, or trigger deployments themselves.

You can not go wrong, really.