Deploying a Streamlit App with Vercel

Deploying my first Streamlit application to production was both exciting and challenging. Here are the key lessons I learned from the experience.

Why Vercel for Streamlit?

While Streamlit Cloud is the obvious choice, I wanted to explore alternative deployment options. Vercel's serverless architecture and excellent developer experience made it an attractive option for hosting my data visualization app.

The Deployment Process

Setting up a Streamlit app on Vercel requires a few key configuration steps:

1. Project Structure

Organize your project with a clear structure:

my-streamlit-app/
├── app.py
├── requirements.txt
├── vercel.json
└── api/
    └── index.py

2. Vercel Configuration

The vercel.json file is crucial for proper deployment:

{
  "builds": [
    {
      "src": "api/index.py",
      "use": "@vercel/python"
    }
  ],
  "routes": [
    {
      "src": "/(.*)",
      "dest": "/api/index.py"
    }
  ]
}

Common Pitfalls

During the deployment process, I encountered several challenges:

• Memory limitations: Vercel has memory constraints for serverless functions
• Cold starts: Initial load times can be slow
• File storage: No persistent file storage in serverless environments
• Package dependencies: Some packages don't work well in serverless environments

Solutions and Workarounds

To address these challenges, I implemented several strategies:

• Optimized data loading and caching mechanisms
• Used lightweight alternatives for heavy packages
• Implemented proper error handling and fallbacks
• Added loading states for better user experience

Performance Optimizations

To improve app performance, I focused on:

• Lazy loading of data and components
• Efficient caching strategies
• Minimizing package dependencies
• Optimizing data processing pipelines

Final Thoughts

While deploying Streamlit apps on Vercel requires extra configuration compared to Streamlit Cloud, it offers greater flexibility and integration possibilities with other services. The learning experience was valuable for understanding serverless deployment challenges.