--- title: "Vercel vs while: the French alternative for your AI agent" url: https://while.sh/en/comparisons/while-vs-vercel/ author: "Grégoire Mougeolle, co-founder of Nextmap" updated: 2026-11-02 --- # Vercel vs while: which one to choose when your AI agent deploys? Vercel serves your pages as close as possible to your visitors, all over the world. while deploys your complete apps, database included: your agent does everything over MCP, never sees your keys, and sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for your approval. ## What changes between Vercel and while | What matters | Vercel | while | |---|---|---| | Who it's for | Next.js sites and apps, served worldwide | People who build their apps with an AI agent, solo or as a team | | Your AI agent | An MCP server with more than 200 tools, with OAuth (source 2) | Connected over MCP, with OAuth: it deploys, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things | | What protects production | No deletion through the MCP server, and your agent has your account's permissions (sources 1 and 2) | Sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for a person | | Your API keys | One tool returns a variable's decrypted value (source 3) | Your agent never sees them: they stay in while | | The database | From a Marketplace provider, like Neon or Supabase (source 6) | PostgreSQL in while, backed up every day, with point-in-time recovery | | In France | A region you can choose, the United States by default (source 4) | Yes, with Nextmap, a French company | | To get started | Free for a personal project (source 7), Pro at $20 per month (source 5) | A trial without an account. Then €0 to get started, and €13.75 per month for an app and its database | ## Vercel, the best network to serve your pages Vercel maintains Next.js, serves your pages from a global network, and its MCP server has more than 200 tools (sources 2 and 4). For a personal project, it's free (source 7). ## With while, your AI agent does the rest - **Your agent deploys, over MCP.** It writes while.yaml, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things, with no command line to learn. - **Nothing serious happens without you.** Deleting a production database waits for your approval, before it runs, and every action is recorded in a signed activity log. - **Your keys stay secret.** Your app uses them, your agent never sees them. - **Your colleagues sign in with the company account.** Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, on the Pro plan, with no sign-in page to code. - **A mistake is quickly undone.** In the 30 minutes after a deployment, the previous version comes back in a second, and your database goes back to a precise moment. ## Moving from Vercel to while ### Take over your app > You, to your agent: Move our Vercel app to while. Your agent writes while.yaml from your code. A Node.js, Python or Go app starts without a Dockerfile, the others with yours. ### Copy your PostgreSQL database > You, to your agent: Copy our PostgreSQL database to while. Your agent exports the database with `pg_dump`, then loads it into while. ### Carry over your variables > You, to your agent: Carry over our environment variables. Your agent carries your settings over to while. You enter your secret keys yourself: it never sees them. ## Which one to choose - **Choose Vercel** if your visitors are all over the world and your app fits in a Next.js site. - **Choose while** if your AI agent deploys your apps, and you want to stay in control without reviewing every command, with your data in France. ## Next steps - [Deploy a Next.js app](/en/guides/deploy-nextjs/) - [Deploy a v0 app outside Vercel](/en/guides/deploy-v0-app/) ## Sources 1. [Vercel, the Vercel MCP server](https://vercel.com/docs/agent-resources/vercel-mcp), 2026-11-02 2. [Vercel, the MCP server's tools](https://vercel.com/docs/agent-resources/vercel-mcp/tools), 2026-11-02 3. [Vercel, the environment variable tools](https://vercel.com/docs/agent-resources/vercel-mcp/tools/environment-variables), 2026-11-02 4. [Vercel, regions](https://vercel.com/docs/regions), 2026-11-02 5. [Vercel, the Pro plan](https://vercel.com/docs/plans/pro-plan), 2026-11-02 6. [Vercel, Postgres goes through the Marketplace](https://vercel.com/docs/postgres), 2026-11-02 7. [Vercel, the Hobby plan (personal, non-commercial use)](https://vercel.com/docs/plans/hobby), 2026-11-02 ## Questions ### Does my Next.js app work on while? Yes. A Next.js app that starts with next start works as is, and your agent carries over your variables. ### Does Vercel have a region in France? Yes, if you choose it: your server code runs in the United States by default (source 4). On while, everything is in France. ### What about my database? On Vercel, it comes from a Marketplace provider (source 6). On while, it's in while, backed up every day.