Multi-tenant NextJS: Introduction

Nov 26, 2023

Multi-tenant applications help businesses serve multiple users from a single project, offering each user a personalized sub-directory, subdomain, or custom domain for their project instance, with the ability to modify it. Real-world examples of such applications span various industries, from e-commerce giants like Shopify to healthcare solutions, booking platforms like Airbnb, and educational institutions.

The Power of Multi-Tenancy

Take Shopify, the e-commerce platform, as an example. It doesn't just support one online store; it caters to numerous store owners. Each of these owners operates in an isolated environment, managing their products, orders, and customers without interfering with others. This is the beauty of multi-tenancy. It keeps data separate and secure, even as multiple users coexist within the same application.

Similarly, in healthcare, booking and reservations, or education, multi-tenancy ensures that each entity—whether a medical practice, a property owner on Airbnb, or an educational institution—enjoys autonomy over their data and operations, all within the same platform.

Introducing the multi-tenant series:

In this series, I will explore the creation of a multi-tenant application using Next.js and several other tools including:

  1. NextJS and the App Router : Next.js offers a solid foundation for building web applications, and its App Router provides the necessary flexibility to manage routes and subdomains for multi-tenancy.
  2. Prisma for Data Management: Prisma, a modern database toolkit, will be pivotal in handling data. It allows the definition of data models and seamless interaction with the database.
  3. Vercel's Edge Middleware: This will handle route rewrites and is pivotal in creating the multi-tenant infrastructure for NextJS. It also moves server-side code closer to the point of consumption.
  4. Vercel Domains API: This will enable custom domain creation for each tenant. It is essential for providing users with a unique domain space within the application.