1 min read

Dockerizing a Next.js App for Production

A lean multi-stage Dockerfile for Next.js: smaller images, faster builds, and a non-root runtime that is ready to deploy.

On this page

A good Next.js image is small, reproducible, and runs as a non-root user. A multi-stage build gets you there.

Separate the stages

Split dependency installation, the build, and the runtime so each layer caches well and the final image ships only what it needs.

dockerfile
FROM node:22-alpine AS deps
WORKDIR /app
COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml ./
RUN corepack enable && pnpm install --frozen-lockfile

FROM node:22-alpine AS runner
WORKDIR /app
ENV NODE_ENV=production
COPY --from=deps /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY . .
USER node
CMD ["pnpm", "start"]

Why it matters

  • Smaller images pull and start faster.
  • A frozen lockfile keeps builds deterministic.
  • Running as node instead of root limits the blast radius if something is compromised.

For a static export you can skip the runtime entirely and serve out/ from any CDN.