How to Deploy a Next.js App Without the Headache

The Vercel Question

Let's get this out of the way: Vercel is the default answer for Next.js deployment, and it's a good product. If you're building a serious production app with a team and you want edge functions, analytics, and deep framework integration, Vercel makes sense.

But a lot of Next.js apps don't need all that. You're building a side project, a prototype, an internal tool, or a client demo. You want it online with a URL. You don't want to worry about per-request billing or getting locked into one vendor's proprietary features.

That's the use case DartUp is built for. Flat-rate pricing, deploy in seconds, move on with your life.

How It Works

DartUp runs your Next.js app in standalone mode inside a container. This is actually what Next.js recommends for self-hosted deployments. Theoutput: "standalone"config in next.config.ts tells Next.js to bundle everything into a minimal server that doesn't need node_modules.

DartUp sets this up automatically. You don't have to change your config file or think about it. App Router, Pages Router, API routes, server actions, middleware - it all works.

Step by Step

What About Environment Variables?

Next.js apps almost always need env vars. Database URLs, API keys, auth secrets. Pass them at deploy time:

DartUp encrypts them and makes them available to your running container. They're never visible in logs or the dashboard.

Adding a Database

Most real Next.js apps need a database. DartUp can spin up a Postgres sidecar alongside your app:

Your app gets a DATABASE_URL automatically. If you're using Prisma (most Next.js apps are), it just works. MySQL, Redis, and MongoDB are also available.

What About ISR, Server Actions, and Middleware?

Since DartUp runs your Next.js app as a real Node.js server (not a serverless environment), everything that works in development works in production. Server components render on the server. API routes handle requests. Middleware runs. ISR revalidates.

The one thing you don't get is edge runtime. Your app runs in a single region, not distributed globally. For most projects, that's fine. If you need edge distribution, that's when Vercel or Cloudflare makes more sense.

DartUp vs. Vercel for Next.js

Here's an honest comparison:

Neither is universally better. Vercel wins on edge, analytics, and team features. DartUp wins on simplicity, pricing transparency, and speed of getting something online when you don't need the enterprise stuff.

FAQ