when using the default loader with next/images, next will create an endpoint that optimizes the images on-the-fly. if you are self-hosting your app on DigitalOcean then it isn't any different from a regular endpoint

when you host the app on vercel, they do have a different pricing model for image optimizations, so this is when you have to pay attention

you can also use a different loader to forward the requests to another image optimization service (like Cloudinary), then you need to check their service pricing