Why Vercel?

There are many ways to put a website on the internet. You could rent a server, install Linux, configure Nginx, set up SSL certificates, and manage deployments yourself. That's how it worked for decades — and it still works fine.

But it's a lot of moving parts for a beginner.

What Vercel does differently

Vercel connects to your GitHub repository and handles everything after you push code:

  1. Build — runs your build command automatically
  2. Deploy — puts the result on a global CDN (servers around the world)
  3. URL — gives you a real [your-app].vercel.app URL instantly
  4. SSL — Secure connection with HTTPS is automatic, no configuration needed
  5. Updates — push again and your site updates automatically, no manual steps

You push code, and seconds later it's live. That's it.

?What is a CDN?

Why not Netlify, Cloudflare, or AWS?

They're all good options! Here's why Vercel is a great default:

  • Zero-config — it auto-detects frameworks like React Router (which Gista.js uses) and configures the build for you
  • Generous free tier — you can deploy as many projects as you want for free, so there's no pressure while you're learning
  • Region control — you pick where your code runs, which lets you keep it close to your database for faster responses
  • Scale to zero — your app only runs when someone visits it, so hobby projects don't rack up costs sitting idle
?Why your code and database should live close together

If you already use Netlify or Cloudflare Workers, those work too. The general idea is the same — push code, get a URL — but the details differ.

The bigger picture

Services like Vercel are part of a category called Platform as a Service (PaaS). Instead of managing servers yourself (Infrastructure as a Service), you just give them your code and they handle the rest.

This lets you focus on building your app instead of managing infrastructure — which is exactly what you want when you're learning.

?Hosting options for your app