When tech platforms document their architectural decisions publicly, it creates invaluable learning opportunities for developers navigating the modern web ecosystem. Sifted3 recently pulled back the curtain on their infrastructure in a detailed blog post, revealing a stack optimized for performance, scalability, and developer experience.

The Core Stack Breakdown
At its foundation, Sifted3 leverages:

  • Next.js as the React framework, enabling hybrid rendering (SSG/SSR) for optimal load performance
  • Vercel for seamless deployments, edge functions, and infrastructure management
  • Tailwind CSS for rapid, utility-first styling
  • TypeScript for type safety across the codebase
  • Headless UI for accessible component primitives

This combination reflects a deliberate shift toward the JAMstack philosophy—prioritizing pre-rendering, decoupled services, and global CDN distribution. As the Sifted3 team notes:

"Choosing Vercel wasn't just about hosting; it was about embracing an integrated ecosystem where infrastructure complexities fade into the background, letting us focus on product logic."

Architectural Tradeoffs and Triumphs
Key technical decisions reveal insightful tradeoffs:

  1. Static Generation Dominance: By pre-rendering 90%+ pages at build time, they achieve near-instant page loads while minimizing server costs. Dynamic elements like search leverage incremental static regeneration (ISR).

  2. Minimal Client-Side JavaScript: Avoiding heavy client-side frameworks reduces bundle sizes, benefiting users on low-bandwidth connections.

  3. Batteries-Included Tooling: Adopting Vercel's built-in analytics, A/B testing, and edge middleware eliminated the need for third-party services, simplifying observability.

Why This Matters for Developers
Sifted3's stack exemplifies several evolving web development trends:

  • The rise of framework-defined infrastructure (Next.js + Vercel) reducing DevOps overhead
  • Utility-first CSS (via Tailwind) accelerating UI development without sacrificing customizability
  • Hybrid rendering models replacing the false dichotomy between static sites and dynamic apps

Their approach demonstrates that modern web stacks don't require sprawling microservices or complex orchestration to achieve robustness. Sometimes, the most powerful architecture is the one that gets out of the developer's way—letting small teams ship fast while maintaining production-grade reliability.

As SPAs face increasing scrutiny for performance and SEO drawbacks, Sifted3's blueprint offers a compelling alternative: leveraging modern frameworks to deliver app-like experiences without compromising core web vitals. Their stack isn't just about what's included—it's about what was intentionally excluded to preserve simplicity.

Source: Building Sifted3