Next.js Hosting Comparison: Vercel vs Railway vs Render vs Fly.io

Where you host your Next.js app affects performance, cost, and developer experience. This guide compares the top options.

TL;DR

• •Best overall for Next.js: Vercel
• •Best for full-stack with database: Railway
• •Best budget option: Render
• •Best for edge deployment: Fly.io

What matters for Next.js hosting

1. Build and deploy speed - How fast can you ship?
2. Edge and serverless support - Does it support Next.js features?
3. Preview deployments - Can you test PRs easily?
4. Pricing model - Predictable vs usage-based
5. Database and services - Do you need more than just hosting?

Provider breakdown

Vercel

Vercel makes Next.js, so the integration is unsurprisingly excellent.

Strengths:

• •Best Next.js feature support
• •Excellent preview deployments
• •Edge middleware and functions
• •Great developer experience
• •Automatic optimizations

Tradeoffs:

• •Can get expensive at scale
• •Less control over infrastructure
• •Vendor lock-in concerns

Best for: Teams that want the best Next.js experience and don't mind paying for it.

Railway

Railway is a modern platform for deploying apps with databases and services.

Strengths:

• •Easy database provisioning
• •Good monorepo support
• •Usage-based pricing
• •Nice dashboard

Tradeoffs:

• •Next.js support not as deep as Vercel
• •No edge functions
• •Smaller community

Best for: Full-stack apps that need databases alongside hosting.

Render

Render offers straightforward hosting with predictable pricing.

Strengths:

• •Predictable pricing
• •Good free tier
• •Managed databases
• •Simple setup

Tradeoffs:

• •Slower builds than competitors
• •Less Next.js optimization
• •No edge deployment

Best for: Teams that want simple, affordable hosting.

Fly.io

Fly.io runs your app in containers close to users worldwide.

Strengths:

• •Global edge deployment
• •Good performance
• •Persistent storage options
• •More infrastructure control

Tradeoffs:

• •More complex setup
• •Docker knowledge helpful
• •Less Next.js-specific tooling

Best for: Teams that want global distribution with more control.

Pricing comparison

Feature comparison

Decision matrix

When Vercel isn't the answer

Vercel is great, but consider alternatives if:

• •You need a database included in your platform
• •Vercel pricing doesn't fit your budget
• •You want more infrastructure control
• •You're deploying non-Next.js services alongside

Deployment checklist

1. Set up environment variables
2. Configure build command and output directory
3. Set up custom domain and SSL
4. Enable preview deployments for PRs
5. Configure caching and headers
6. Set up monitoring and alerts

Final recommendation

Use Vercel for the best Next.js experience. The deep integration saves time and the features are worth the cost for most teams. Consider Railway if you need databases alongside hosting. Use Render for budget-conscious projects. Fly.io is great for teams that want more control over global deployment.

Last updated: January 2026