Updated October 25, 2026
· ~2 min read
Next.js runs best on Vercel, which builds it. Everywhere else, the question is how much of Next.js's caching, image optimization and rendering behavior a platform reproduces, and what you pay for that.
For a company whose backend is on AWS, keeping the frontend there means one bill, one network and private access to APIs. Each AWS option makes a different tradeoff between convenience and control.
Next.js's incremental static regeneration and data cache assume a shared cache. On Vercel that is built in. With more than one container, each instance has its own cache unless you configure a cache handler backed by something shared, such as ElastiCache or S3, and wire revalidation to clear CloudFront. OpenNext implements this with S3, DynamoDB and a queue. Test revalidation explicitly on whichever platform you choose; stale pages after a content change are the most common production complaint.
Amplify bills data transfer at $0.15/GB beyond the free 15 GB. CloudFront pay-as-you-go is $0.085/GB for the first 10 TB in North America and Europe, and the CloudFront flat-rate Pro plan covers 50 TB for $15 a month. For a content-heavy site, serving through your own CloudFront distribution (OpenNext or containers) can cost a fraction of the managed options.
Question 1 of 3
Do you want to manage infrastructure for the frontend at all?
**Amplify Hosting:** the quickest managed option on AWS, with Git-based deploys and previews. Check its supported Next.js versions before you upgrade. **OpenNext with SST:** Next.js on Lambda, CloudFront and S3 in your own account, as code. The closest to Vercel's architecture on AWS, and you own the moving parts. **A container on ECS:** run next start behind CloudFront. Full feature compatibility because it is the standard Node server, at the cost of running servers and a shared cache. **Vercel:** the best developer experience and same-day support for new Next.js features. Per-seat pricing and a second vendor.
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As of October 25, 2026. Provided as is, for general information, and accurate to the best of our knowledge on the date shown. Not legal, compliance, tax, financial or other professional advice. Prices, limits and vendor services change; check current vendor documentation before relying on anything here. Terms of use.