If you’re into Next.js, chances are you’ve used SSR or API routes in your projects. I did too, and honestly, they felt like the perfect solution when I was building fast. Everything was smooth at first.
But here’s the thing no one really tells you… as soon as the site started getting real traffic, every request to my Next.js API routes counted as a serverless function call on Vercel. That added up quickly, and before I knew it, I hit the limits and got slapped with extra charges.
The fix?
I started caching my GET APIs
Moved the heavier logic to a separate Node backend
Now it’s running way more efficiently, and I don’t have to stress about unexpected bills.
So yeah, Next.js APIs are awesome for getting started fast, but if your project grows, make sure you have a plan for scaling (and saving your wallet 😅).

Codeious

Next.js API routes can become expensive on Vercel as traffic grows because each request counts as a serverless function call. The author shares their experience hitting usage limits and unexpected charges, then explains their solution: caching GET APIs and moving heavy logic to a separate Node.js backend for better cost efficiency and scalability.

The Hidden Cost of Next.js API Routes (My Experience)

Hey great post.
I encountered a similar situation,
So I just moved my Nextjs app from Vercel to a standalone server.
This way you don’t have to refactor all the API service. (Although I prefer nodejs 😅)

I believe choosing a different platform like AWS Amplify should be cheaper ?? <a href="https://app.daily.dev/codeious" data-mention-id="0QilNORM9q8SeoSq1zwQp" data-mention-username="codeious" translate="no">@codeious</a>

what about server action is it same or has different effect

Yes serverless is great until you start getting like a million requests 😂
Nice solution too 👏🏻