WebSocket support is now in Public Beta
Vercel just shipped WebSocket support for Functions. Here's why that matters for AI apps: realtime streaming, chat, and collaborative tools just got cheaper to build and deploy.
Why it matters
Vercel's WebSocket beta lowers the infrastructure barrier for AI-native products that need bidirectional communication. Founders building chat, streaming, and collaborative AI features can now ship faster without custom server management or paying for idle connection time.
The key facts
8 to knowVercel Functions now support WebSocket connections in public beta
Billing model: pay only for active CPU time, not idle connection time
Use cases explicitly called out: interactive AI streaming, chat, collaborative apps
Compatible with Node.js standard libraries and Socket.IO
Published June 22, 2026
Billing model: only charged for active CPU time, not idle connection time
Use cases explicitly mentioned: interactive AI streaming, chat, collaborative apps
Standard Node.js libraries supported; Socket.IO compatible
Go to the source
Vercel Blogvercel.com
Publisher excerpt: Vercel Functions can now serve WebSocket connections, enabling bidirectional communication between clients and server-side code on Vercel. Use WebSockets for realtime features such as interactive AI streaming, chat, and collaborative apps. WebSocket connections run and follow the same and as other…