​​Deploying Strapi + NextJS on DigitalOcean App Platform (with NextAuth) 
​​Deploying an app sounds easy, but it’s not always straight forward! This tutorial will go through step by step, everything you need to deploy a Strapi.js + Next.js application on DigitalOcean App Platform. 
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​​This guide assumes you already have a Next.js and Strapi running in development, and you just want to deploy it. You’ll see: 
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  • ​​How to deploy a Strapi Backend to DO App Platform
  • ​​Deploy your Next.JS front end to DO app platform
  • ​​Set up Next.JS Auth with DigitalOcean 
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​​Why DigitalOcean App Platform for Strapi?

​​Strapi comes with tonnes of ways to deploy your app - just check their documentation for excellent and detailed guides for all of these:
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User-uploaded image: Screenshot+2021-03-21+at+12.11.47.png
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​​The problem for me is that these guides are stupidly long, and sometimes I’m a bit out of my depth with it. 
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​​Most options, such as the one-click digital ocean droplets make hosting Strapi really affordable - you can use $10 a month and host the lot! But the real price is time. You’ll have to figure out:
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  • ​​how to connect it to your GitHub and configure continuous deployment
  • ​​how to get all your locally seeded data into the PostgreSQL database
  • ​​how to change it from a strapi development instance to production
  • ​​how to set up an SSL certificate
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​​It’s a lot! Then you have to maintain the server on top of all of this. Scaling the app, and managing your own database is a big job!
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​​DigitalOcean App Platform

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​​That’s where services like DO App Platform and Heroku come in handy. I opted for DO, but here are comparisons between DO and Heroku:
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​​https://blog.back4app.com/digital-ocean-vs-heroku/
​​https://coreyja.com/DOAP-vs-heroku/
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User-uploaded image: Digital-Ocean-vs-Heroku-1140x515.png
​​DigitalOcean vs. Heroku | Secrets Unlocked
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​​Setting it up

​​The most useful resources:
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​​https://youtu.be/ho7nLkXmaKE
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Strapi Headless CMS & Gatsby
The FASTEST, EASIEST way to get going as of January 2021
medium.com
Strapi Headless CMS & Gatsby • medium.com
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do-community/blog-strapi
Contribute to do-community/blog-strapi development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
do-community/blog-strapi • github.com
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​​Following the YouTube video is the best way. Things I noticed:
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​​1. Deploying the Backend Strapi App

​​If you have an app already set up, following the video above, you’ll notice there’s only 2 things you need to add. Those are database.js, and a server.js file. Both go inside /config/env/production/​.
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​​Database.js

​​Create the folder, /config/env/production/​ and add add a database.js file. Inside it, add this: