Getting Started with Vercel: Free Hosting for Beginners
You've built a website. Now what? You need to put it on the internet so others can see it!
Info
This guide will walk you through deploying your first website to Vercel, completely free.
What is Vercel?
Vercel is a cloud platform that:
- >Hosts your websites and web applications
- >Automatically handles servers and scaling
- >Provides free HTTPS (secure connections)
- >Offers excellent performance worldwide
It's especially great for:
- >Static websites (HTML, CSS, JS)
- >React and Next.js applications
- >Portfolios and personal projects
Prerequisites
Before starting, you'll need:
- >A website or project to deploy (even a single HTML file works!)
- >A GitHub account (free)
- >About 10 minutes
Pro Tip
Step-by-Step Deployment
Push Your Code to GitHub
Create a Vercel Account
Import Your Project
Configure (Usually Skip This)
Wait for Deployment
Visit Your Live Site!
Automatic Deployments
Here's the magic: Vercel watches your GitHub repository.
Every time you push changes:
- >Vercel automatically rebuilds
- >A new deployment goes live
- >You get a preview URL for each commit
This is called "Continuous Deployment" and it's incredibly powerful.
Adding a Custom Domain
Your site works at project.vercel.app, but you might want your own domain.
Option 1: Buy Through Vercel
Vercel can sell and configure domains for you. It's the easiest option.
Option 2: Use an Existing Domain
1. Go to Project Settings > Domains
2. Add your domain
3. Update your DNS settings (Vercel shows you how)
Pro Tip
Free Tier Limits
Vercel's free "Hobby" tier includes:
- >Unlimited websites
- >100GB bandwidth per month
- >Automatic HTTPS
- >Global CDN
- >Serverless functions
For most personal projects and portfolios, you'll never hit these limits.
Common Issues and Fixes
"Build Failed"
- >Check your build logs for specific errors
- >Make sure all dependencies are in package.json
- >Verify your build command is correct
"404 Not Found"
- >Ensure your main file is named
index.html - >Check that files are in the right directories
- >Look at your routing configuration
"Page Not Updating"
- >Clear your browser cache
- >Wait a few minutes for CDN propagation
- >Check if deployment actually succeeded
Beyond Static Sites
As you learn more, Vercel can handle:
- >React applications
- >Next.js with server components
- >API routes (serverless functions)
- >Database connections
- >Authentication
Start simple and grow into these features!
Alternatives to Know About
Other good (free) hosting options:
- >Netlify - Very similar to Vercel
- >GitHub Pages - Built into GitHub
- >Cloudflare Pages - Great performance
All are excellent choices. Vercel just has the best developer experience for React/Next.js projects.
Your Deployment Checklist
Before deploying:
- >[ ] Code works locally
- >[ ] All files are committed to GitHub
- >[ ] No sensitive data in your code
- >[ ] README explains your project
After deploying:
- >[ ] Test your live site
- >[ ] Check mobile responsiveness
- >[ ] Share with friends for feedback!
What's Next?
You've deployed your first website! Here are next steps:
1. Make changes and watch auto-deployment work
2. Add features to your site
3. Learn about domains if you want a custom URL
4. Explore analytics in your Vercel dashboard
Welcome to the world of web deployment! Share your deployed site URL in the comments!