Deploy Next.js to Production: The Complete 2026 Guide

Next.js is the most popular React framework for production apps, but "how do I actually deploy this?" trips up a lot of developers. This guide covers everything from your first deploy to production-grade monitoring.

What a production Next.js deployment needs

• Node.js server running your Next.js app (or serverless functions)
• Build step: next build before every deploy
• Environment variables for API keys, database URLs, etc.
• HTTPS / SSL certificate
• Auto-deploy when you push to main
• Health monitoring so you know when it goes down

Option A: Vercel (best for Vercel-specific features)

Vercel built Next.js, so it has the best native support — ISR edge caching, Image Optimization, Edge Functions. Free tier is generous for small apps. Expensive at scale and not great for API-heavy apps.

Option B: DeployInfra.AI (best for zero-config full-stack)

If your Next.js app has API routes, a database, WebSockets, or background jobs, you want a persistent Node.js server — not serverless. DeployInfra.AI deploys Next.js as a containerised Node.js app:

• All Next.js features work (including those that need a persistent process)
• AI picks server sizing automatically
• SSL provisioned automatically
• Auto-deploy on every push to main
• AI monitoring watches for crashes, memory pressure, and slow cold starts

Step-by-step: deploying Next.js with DeployInfra.AI

1. Make sure your Next.js app has "start": "next start" in package.json scripts
2. Push your code to GitHub
3. Sign up at DeployInfra.AI and click New Project
4. Connect GitHub and select your repo
5. Click Deploy — AI detects Next.js, runs npm install && next build, starts next start
6. Add environment variables in Project Settings

Handling environment variables correctly

Next.js has two types of env vars: NEXT_PUBLIC_* are exposed to the browser (safe for public API URLs, not secrets). All other vars are server-only. Never commit .env.local to GitHub.

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