Overview
Better-PaaS can deploy Express projects from a Git repository or Docker image. The platform builds the app, runs it in a container, routes traffic through Caddy, and gives you logs, env vars, domains, databases, and rollbacks from the dashboard.
What Better-PaaS expects
Express projects should have a clear build and start path. For this stack, the common shape is Node.js APIs that listen on the provided PORT value. If Nixpacks does not detect the project correctly, use explicit build/start commands or a Dockerfile.
Deployment steps
Connect the repository, choose the branch, set environment variables, attach any database, deploy, then verify the app responds on the platform-provided port. Better-PaaS will handle container lifecycle and HTTPS routing after the app is healthy.
- Connect Git repository
- Set build and runtime variables
- Add Postgres, Redis, or MySQL if needed
- Deploy and inspect logs
- Add domain and verify HTTPS
Common mistakes
The most common issue is hard-coding a port instead of listening on the provided PORT variable. Build failures usually come from missing lockfiles, missing scripts, or framework detection that needs a custom Dockerfile.
Express API on PORT
Minimal Express apps often hard-code port 3000. Read PORT from the environment and bind 0.0.0.0 for container networking.
FAQ
Can Better-PaaS deploy Express from Git?
Yes, when the repository can be built by Nixpacks or by a Dockerfile you provide.
Can Express apps use databases?
Yes. Better-PaaS can provision Postgres, Redis, and MySQL containers and inject connection variables into apps.