Deploy a container from a plain Dockerfile

Vercel has introduced support for deploying a plain Dockerfile or Containerfile when no framework is automatically detected in a project. The platform will automatically select the Container preset, build the specified Dockerfile, and route all incoming traffic to the resulting container image. This feature simplifies deployment for projects that rely solely on containerization without requiring additional framework configuration.

Users can initiate container deployments by adding a Dockerfile to their project root. If another framework, such as Django, is detected, the framework preset will still take precedence unless explicitly overridden. To enforce container deployment, users can run the command vercel project update --framework container or configure the framework setting in vercel.json.

A Dockerfile.vercel or Containerfile.vercel will override any detected framework, ensuring container-based deployments are prioritized. For multi-service projects, the vercel.json services configuration remains the standard, allowing per-service entrypoints to be defined as before. This maintains compatibility with existing multi-container setups while adding flexibility for single-container deployments.

The Container runtime operates in beta and runs on Vercel Functions, with billing based on Active CPU pricing. Developers are directed to the official Container runtime documentation for detailed instructions on getting started and configuring their deployments. The feature expands Vercel’s container support without disrupting existing workflows.