Deploying Next.js – Node.js Server, Docker Container, Static Export, and Platform Adapters

Deployment Options in Next.js

Next.js supports multiple deployment strategies:

Deployment Method	Feature Support
Node.js server	Full
Docker container	Full
Static export	Limited
Adapters	Platform-specific

Deploying as a Node.js Server

To deploy on any Node.js-compatible provider, ensure your package.json includes:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "next dev",
    "build": "next build",
    "start": "next start"
  }
}

Run npm run build to build and npm run start to launch the server. This method supports all Next.js features.

Recommended platforms: Flightcontrol, Railway, Replit

Deploying with Docker

Next.js can run in any Docker-compatible environment, including Kubernetes or cloud providers.

Note for development: On Mac and Windows, use npm run dev for better performance during development.

Recommended platforms: Docker, DigitalOcean, Fly.io, Google Cloud Run, Render, SST

Deploying as a Static Export

Next.js can be exported as a static site or SPA and hosted on any server that serves HTML/CSS/JS files.

Recommended platforms: AWS S3, Nginx, Apache, GitHub Pages

Limitation: Server-dependent features are not supported in this mode.

Deploying with Platform Adapters

Next.js can be adapted to run on specific platforms. Refer to each provider’s documentation for feature support:

• AWS Amplify Hosting
• Cloudflare
• Deno Deploy
• Netlify
• Vercel

A Deployment Adapters API is in development to support custom adapters across platforms.

Upgrading Next.js

Latest Stable Version

To upgrade to the latest stable version:

npx @next/codemod@latest upgrade latest

Or install manually:

pnpm i next@latest react@latest react-dom@latest eslint-config-next@latest

Canary Version

To upgrade to the canary version:

npm i next@canary

Features available in canary:

• Caching: "use cache", cacheLife, cacheTag, cacheComponents
• Authentication: forbidden, unauthorized, forbidden.js, unauthorized.js, authInterrupts

Conclusion

Next.js offers flexible deployment options. Whether you choose Node.js, Docker, static export, or platform adapters, you can tailor deployment to your infrastructure and keep your project up-to-date with the latest features.