Graphite transitioned from a simple SPA deployment to a more sophisticated containerized environment using AWS ECS to enhance their Next.js application's scalability, performance, and cost efficiency. Initially hosted on S3 with CloudFront, they faced limitations as their platform and user base expanded, prompting a shift to Next.js for faster build times and bundle splitting. Despite Vercel and AWS Amplify being potential hosts, Graphite opted for AWS ECS due to its ability to unify frontend and backend hosting strategies, facilitate blue-green deployments, and maintain security within their AWS VPC. This move allowed them to leverage Amazon's infrastructure for consistent performance and easy scaling, while keeping costs manageable. They emphasize the importance of optimizing cold starts, automating infrastructure with Terraform, and regularly reviewing resource utilization to maximize cost efficiency. Graphite's journey underscores the necessity of evaluating infrastructure needs, embracing containerization, investing in automation, and remaining adaptable to new technologies in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.