What do I need to set up Vercel on a VPS?

You need a VPS (starting at $4-6/month), SSH access, and the app code in a GitHub repo. For Vercel and Next.js, you also need environment variables, a domain, and SSL configured before going live.

How long does it take to move to a VPS?

A straightforward Vercel deployment takes 2-4 hours for someone familiar with servers. RepoAssistant does it in 24h with a ship-or-refund guarantee.

How much does it cost to host Vercel on a VPS?

A VPS for Vercel or Next.js starts at $4-6/month for a 1-2 GB instance from providers like Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or Hostinger. RepoAssistant's deploy service is a fixed $39-149 one-time fee.

What if something breaks after deployment?

Every deployment includes a smoke test (login, forms, database writes, API calls) and a handover doc with restart, rollback, and deploy commands. If the app is blocked pre-launch, we fix and ship within 24h or refund.

Migration guide

Migrate from Vercel to a VPS when your app outgrows serverless

Vercel is excellent for many apps, but some projects need long-running processes, custom networking, lower hosting costs, or a database on the same box. That is especially common once a Lovable, Bolt, Base44, v0, Replit, or Cursor app leaves preview mode.

Base44 Bolt.new Cursor Lovable Next.js Replit v0 Vercel VPS

What is probably broken

The app is live, but costs, runtime limits, bot traffic, background jobs, or database needs make Vercel a bad fit.

What production should look like

The same app runs on a VPS you control, with SSL, deploy steps, backups, and a rollback path.

STEP 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.

STEP 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.

STEP 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.

Quick check

Is your app production-ready?

If you cannot tick all five, we can fix it. Send us the repo and we handle the rest.

?Custom domain with HTTPS
?Environment variables configured
?Database wired and backed up
?Auto-deploy on push
?Smoke tested and live

Free checklist

Deploying this yourself?

Get the exact 5-step checklist we run before every deploy. No fluff, just the things that actually break.

Done-for-you deploy

RepoAssistant migrates Vercel apps to VPS when serverless is no longer the right shape.

Fixed price per repo. 24h delivery or full refund. No hourly billing.

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