Vercel: The anti-vendor-lock-in cloud
By Steven Van ·
Vercel details framework-defined infrastructure, standard-protocol databases, and Next.js Build Adapters, and says most Next.js apps run off its platform.
Vercel is describing its platform around what it calls framework-defined infrastructure (FDI): developers write standard framework code, and Vercel reads that code to provision the middleware, functions, static assets, and caching it needs. The application itself never has to import a Vercel module or call a Vercel API, which the company lays out in its announcement.
The contrast is with platforms built on vendor-specific primitives. On AWS, developers configure Lambda functions, NAT Gateways, and DynamoDB tables; on Cloudflare, code is written against Workers, KV stores, Durable Objects, and Worker Service Bindings. Those primitives only exist on one vendor, so moving to another platform means rewriting application logic. Framework conventions such as the Next.js App Router, Remix loaders, SvelteKit endpoints, and Nitro storage adapters work the same regardless of host, so the same code stays portable.
- Local development uses each framework's own dev server, such as next dev or remix dev, rather than a Vercel CLI or simulator.
- Next.js 16 apps on Vercel use the same Build Adapter API available to other platform providers, with no special access for Vercel.
- Marketplace databases connect over standard protocols like Postgres and Redis through partners including Neon, Supabase, and Upstash, or any instance a developer operates.
- AI Gateway uses the OpenAI API format, so switching between calling OpenAI directly and routing through the Gateway only requires changing the endpoint URL.
Vercel says some of its own services, such as Sandbox and Edge Config, use proprietary APIs because no industry standard exists for them yet, but both can be called from any infrastructure, including EC2, without requiring Vercel for hosting. The company also cites Next.js telemetry showing that about 70% of Next.js applications run outside of Vercel, pointing to self-hosted deployments at Walmart.com, Nike.com, and Claude.ai.