Migration guide

Migrate from Vercel to a VPS when your app outgrows serverless

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Map what Vercel was doing for you

   Before moving, list the platform features your app currently depends on so nothing disappears during migration.

   • Capture env vars, build command, install command, and output behavior.
   • Identify serverless functions, cron jobs, image optimization, and rewrites.
   • If the app came from Lovable, Bolt, Base44, v0, Replit, or Cursor, list any builder-specific preview or export settings too.
   • Plan DNS cutover after the VPS version passes smoke tests.
2. 02

   Choose a VPS runtime

   The simplest migration runs the app as a Node process. Docker is better when the app has multiple services or native dependencies.

   • Use PM2 for straightforward Next.js apps.
   • Use Docker Compose for app plus database, Redis, or workers.
   • Put Nginx in front for SSL and routing.
3. 03

   Cut over safely

   A migration should not be a blind DNS switch. Test the server version first and keep a fallback path.

   • Smoke test login, payments, forms, API routes, and database writes.
   • Lower DNS TTL before cutover if possible.
   • Keep Vercel available until the VPS proves stable.