Introduction: Where to deploy your web application?

Modern web developers face a huge variety of tools and platforms for deploying their projects. From simple static sites to complex full-fledged web applications and APIs — every solution requires an optimal environment for deployment. In recent years, two approaches have gained special popularity: SaaS platforms (Software as a Service), offering maximum convenience and automation, and self-hosted solutions, providing full control over the infrastructure.

In this article, we’ll look at three prominent representatives of these directions:

• Vercel – the leader in frontend deployment and Serverless.
• Netlify – a pioneer of JAMstack and automated CI/CD for static sites and web applications.
• Dokploy – a powerful self-hosted solution for managing Docker containers on your own server.

We’ll compare their key features, pros and cons to help you choose the ideal platform for your next project.

Vercel: Speed and simplicity for the frontend

Vercel positions itself as a “Platform for Frontend Developers”, offering a seamless deployment experience for projects built with React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte and other modern frontend frameworks.

Advantages of Vercel:

• Incredible deployment simplicity: Integration with Git repositories (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) allows you to automatically deploy every code change.
• Instant deploys and global CDN: Your applications are instantly distributed across Vercel’s global network, ensuring low latency for users worldwide.
• Preview Deployments: Automatic preview versions for every pull request, simplifying the code review process.
• Serverless Functions: Easy creation and deployment of serverless functions (API routes) directly from your frontend code, ideal for Next.js API Routes.
• Automatic SSL: Free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt, configured automatically.
• Image optimization: Built-in tools for optimizing images and other assets.

Disadvantages of Vercel:

• Free plan limitations: The free plan is suitable for small personal projects, but commercial use or high load may require paid plans.
• Frontend focus: While Serverless Functions allow creating backend logic, Vercel is not designed for hosting traditional databases or complex backend services.
• Less control: As a SaaS platform, Vercel offers less control over the underlying infrastructure compared to self-hosted solutions.

When to choose Vercel: Perfect for frontend developers building static sites, SPA (Single Page Applications), Next.js apps with API routes, blogs, portfolios, and other projects where speed, simplicity and global scalability are essential.

Netlify: The king of JAMstack and static hosting

Netlify is another powerful player in the SaaS deployment world, synonymous with the concept of JAMstack (JavaScript, APIs, Markup). It provides a comprehensive platform for building, deploying and managing modern web projects.

Advantages of Netlify:

• Automatic CI/CD: Like Vercel, Netlify integrates with Git to deploy automatically on every commit.
• Powerful CDN: A global content delivery network for fast site loading anywhere in the world.
• Netlify Functions: Serverless functions (Lambda functions) for executing backend logic without server management.
• Forms, Identity, Analytics: Built-in additional services for forms, user authentication, and analytics, simplifying development.
• Atomic Deploys & Instant Rollbacks: Every change is deployed as a new version, allowing instant rollbacks to previous states.
• Preview Deploys: Like Vercel, provides preview versions for every branch or pull request.
• Free SSL: Automatic setup of SSL certificates.

Disadvantages of Netlify:

• JAMstack orientation: While Netlify Functions extend capabilities, it’s best suited for projects following JAMstack principles and may be less convenient for traditional server applications.
• Free features limitations: Some advanced features and usage volumes require paid plans.
• SaaS model: Limited control over the underlying infrastructure.

When to choose Netlify: An excellent choice for developers of static sites, blogs, documentation, landing pages, SPA and JAMstack projects, where speed, security, simple content management and API integrations are crucial.

Dokploy: Your own Heroku on Docker

Dokploy is fundamentally different from Vercel and Netlify due to its self-hosted nature. Instead of relying on a third-party service, you install Dokploy on your own VPS or dedicated server, gaining full control over the deployment and runtime environment. Dokploy focuses on simplifying the deployment of Docker containers.

Advantages of Dokploy:

• Full control over infrastructure: You own and manage your server, ensuring maximum flexibility and security.
• Flexible Docker app deployment: Supports any applications packaged in Docker containers, including Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, and more.
• Native Docker Compose support: Deploy complex multi-component applications using standard docker-compose.yml files.
• Convenient Node.js deployment: Connect a Git repository, and Dokploy will automatically build and run your Node.js app.
• Built-in databases: Ability to deploy and manage your own MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis instances directly on the server.
• Automatic SSL and Traefik: Integration with Traefik for automatic HTTPS certificate management via Let’s Encrypt and traffic routing.
• Cost savings at scale: As the number of projects or users grows, a self-hosted solution can become significantly cheaper than SaaS paid plans.
• No vendor lock-in: You’re not tied to a specific provider and can easily migrate your containers.

Disadvantages of Dokploy:

• Requires your own server: You need to purchase and manage a VPS/dedicated server.
• Initial setup: While installation is simple, it requires basic knowledge of server operations and SSH.
• Responsibility for maintenance: You’re responsible for OS updates, server security, and monitoring.
• No built-in CDN: For global content delivery, you’ll need to additionally configure a CDN provider.

When to choose Dokploy: Perfect for developers and teams who need full control over their infrastructure, work with Docker containers, want to deploy Node.js apps and various databases on a single server, and seek long-term cost efficiency when scaling. A great alternative for those looking for their own “Heroku” or “Vercel” on their own machine.

Conclusion: Your choice, your rules

Vercel and Netlify offer unmatched simplicity and speed for frontend projects and JAMstack applications, especially in early stages or with limited backend needs. They are ideal for quick prototyping and global content delivery.

Dokploy, on the other hand, provides full control and flexibility, turning your own server into a powerful platform for deploying any Docker applications. This is the choice for those who value independence, cost savings, and are willing to take on a bit more responsibility for their infrastructure.

The choice between these platforms depends on your needs, desired level of control, budget, and project type. Weigh the pros and cons to find the optimal solution for your development stack. In the following articles, we will dive deeper into each of these platforms individually.