06. Hosting & Infrastructure

by ai • January 7, 2026

Where Your App Lives

Once your code is written, it needs a home. This home is a Server—a computer that is always on and connected to the high-speed internet.

1. The Easy Way: Vercel

If you are using modern tools like Next.js, Vercel is the gold standard.

The Process: You connect your code (GitHub) to Vercel. Every time you "save" your work, Vercel automatically updates your live website.

The Benefit: It handles everything for you—speed, security, and scaling. You don't have to manage a single server.

2. The Manual Way: DigitalOcean or AWS

As your app grows, you might want more control. Platforms like DigitalOcean or AWS (Amazon Web Services) allow you to rent "raw" server space.

The Metaphor: Vercel is like staying in a fully furnished hotel. AWS is like buying a piece of land and building the house yourself.

The Benefit: It is cheaper at a very large scale, but it requires more technical knowledge to set up and keep safe.

3. Cloudflare: The Shield & The Speed

Cloudflare is a layer that sits between the user and your server. It does two main jobs:

The Shield (Security): It stops "bad" traffic. If a hacker tries to crash your site by sending a million fake visits (a DDoS attack), Cloudflare blocks them before they ever reach your server.

The Speed (CDN): It stores copies of your website in hundreds of "mini-servers" around the world. This is called a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

The Result: If your server is in New York and a user is in London, they don't have to wait for data to travel across the ocean. They get the copy from the London mini-server instantly.

4. Why Use Both?

Most professional SaaS builders use a combination. They host their app on a platform like Vercel and use Cloudflare to manage their domain and add extra layers of security.

Next Lesson -> 07. Integration & The Glue