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Vercel is a go to hosting platform for Next.js projects. But let’s face it — hosting costs can add up quickly. Whether you're on the PRO plan or considering the Enterprise tier, it's essential to ensure you're not overpaying for features you don’t need.

PRO vs Enterprise: The Smarter Choice

• PRO Plan ($20/user/month): Offers generous resources like 1TB of bandwidth and full access to Edge Middleware. For most teams, this plan is enough, and additional bandwidth or serverless execution time can be purchased without committing to the Enterprise tier. Scaling this way often costs significantly less than jumping to Enterprise.
• Enterprise Plan ($3,500+/month): Tailored for large-scale organizations requiring features like SSO, static IPs, and SLAs. However, many teams can replicate similar benefits by optimizing their PRO plan setup and buying extra resources when needed.

Why PRO with Add-Ons Makes Sense ?

Instead of an enterprise monthly commitment, purchasing additional resources under the PRO plan keeps costs predictable and aligned with your actual usage.

When to Consider Self-Hosting

If you’ve outgrown the PRO plan but the Enterprise plan feels like overkill, self-hosting can be a strong alternative:

• Cost Efficiency: Host for $500–$1,000/month with platforms like Cloudflare or Render, gaining flexibility and control over your infrastructure.
• Improved Performance: Eliminate serverless bottlenecks with dedicated servers tailored for dynamic applications.
• Custom Caching Strategies: Optimize your setup beyond what’s possible with Vercel alone.

Conclusion

For most teams, the PRO plan with add-ons is the most cost-effective solution. It provides scalability and control without the significant expense of Enterprise. For advanced needs, self-hosting can offer a tailored and budget-friendly alternative.