D2C retailer in London
A direct-to-consumer brand's Next.js storefront was costing more on a usage-based platform each month than the business justified; we moved it to a self-hosted VPS deployment with the same ISR setup at a fixed monthly cost.
React & Next.js Development in the UK
Programming Services · United Kingdom
React & Next.js development in the UK means SSR and SEO-friendly web applications, design systems and headless commerce frontends, built and self-hosted on our own VPS infrastructure as a straightforward alternative to Vercel's usage-based pricing. We build the application, manage the Docker deployment and tune Web Vitals after launch.
- Self-hosted Next.js and React, no usage-based cloud bill
- SSR, ISR and image optimisation configured for you
- Web Vitals tuning included in the monthly hours
- VPS 1–8h/month; Kubernetes on dedicated 5–10h/month depending on planIncluded hours
- Frankfurt, in the EUData centres
- EUR, VAT 20% broken out on every invoiceBilling
- English-language supportSupport
01
What we build
We build SSR and statically generated Next.js applications, React and Vue design systems for larger product teams, and headless commerce or CMS frontends that pull content from a separate backend over an API. Every build is configured for the Web Vitals metrics that affect both search ranking and conversion, largest contentful paint, cumulative layout shift and interaction latency, rather than shipped and left as-is.
- SSR and statically generated Next.js applications
- Design systems in React or Vue for product teams
- Headless commerce and CMS frontends
- Web Vitals tuning: LCP, CLS and interaction latency
02
Where it runs
We self-host Next.js on VPS plans with Docker, running the Node.js server ourselves rather than routing every request through a usage-billed edge platform. Image optimisation, incremental static regeneration and API routes all run on infrastructure you can see the cost of upfront, and we put a CDN and basic caching rules in front of it so the honest cost comparison against a platform like Vercel holds up once traffic grows.
03
UK context
UK agencies and product teams typically bring us a React or Next.js project once a usage-based platform's monthly bill has become unpredictable, or once a client needs EU data residency for a headless commerce backend that a global CDN can't guarantee. We invoice in EUR with UK VAT at 20% shown separately, and support runs in English, using British spelling conventions such as optimisation throughout our documentation.
04
How the included hours get used
React and Next.js clients typically use their monthly hours for Web Vitals audits and fixes after a Lighthouse score drops, migrating a Create React App project to Next.js, setting up incremental static regeneration for a content-heavy site, and integrating a new headless CMS or commerce backend. You request the work from the panel, and anything past the monthly quota gets billed separately rather than delayed.
How we work
Request from the panel
You raise a request under Programming Services describing the React or Next.js task and a deadline that fits your launch plan.
Scope and timeline
We confirm the rendering strategy (SSR, ISR or static) and infrastructure, estimate the hours, and flag anything outside the monthly quota.
Delivery
We build or migrate the application, run a Web Vitals check against real pages, and deploy once you've reviewed the result.
Handover
You get the repository, the Docker configuration and a short document covering deployment, caching rules and rollback.
Use cases
Digital agency in Manchester
An agency building React design systems for several clients needed a shared Storybook and component library hosted somewhere their clients could review builds without exposing production credentials.
Publisher in Edinburgh
A media site with a large archive needed incremental static regeneration tuned so new articles appeared within minutes without rebuilding thousands of static pages on every publish.
Technology stack
- React
- Next.js
- Vue
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- Docker
- Redis
- Nginx
- Vercel-alternative CDN
Every subscription includes monthly DevOps, CyberSecurity and Programming hours: 1 h from the cPanel Advanced plan up, 1–8 h on VPS, 5–10 h on dedicated servers depending on the plan, and 10 h on GPU servers. Hours are requested from your client panel, don't roll over to the next month, and anything above the quota is accepted and billed separately.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Vercel alternatives for Next.js?
Self-hosting on a VPS with Docker is the most direct alternative: you keep SSR, ISR and image optimisation, but pay a fixed monthly server cost instead of a usage-based bill. We handle the deployment and the CDN layer in front of it.
How do I self-host Next.js on a Node.js server or Docker image?
We build a production Docker image from your Next.js app, run it behind a reverse proxy with TLS, and configure ISR and image optimisation to write to persistent storage on the VPS rather than an ephemeral filesystem.
Is Vercel too expensive at scale — what does self-hosting cost?
It depends on your traffic and build frequency, but usage-based platforms scale their bill with every request and build minute, while a VPS has a fixed monthly cost regardless of traffic. We can review your current bill and give an honest comparison.
Can I host Next.js on a VPS with SSR and image optimisation?
Yes, that's our default setup: the Next.js server runs in a container with SSR and ISR enabled, and image optimisation is configured to use persistent local storage or an object store, rather than relying on a platform-specific image API.
How much does a React agency in London charge?
We don't work on day-rate agency pricing; our monthly included hours cover ongoing React and Next.js development, and anything beyond the quota is billed by the hour, which for most teams comes out lower than a dedicated agency retainer.
Can you migrate a Create React App project to Next.js?
Yes. We assess the existing routing and data-fetching approach, plan the migration to Next.js's file-based routing and rendering model, and typically run it incrementally so parts of the site stay live during the move.
Talk to us about your React or Next.js project
Tell us what you're building or what your current hosting costs. We'll scope the work against your plan's included hours.