Overview
Better-PaaS can deploy Node.js 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
Node.js projects should have a clear build and start path. For this stack, the common shape is JavaScript services, workers, APIs, and full-stack apps. 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.
Node.js service deploy
Ensure package.json defines "start" for production. Nixpacks detects Node from lockfiles; without them builds may pick inconsistent dependency versions.
- Commit package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, or yarn.lock
- Listen on process.env.PORT
- Set NODE_ENV=production
FAQ
Can Better-PaaS deploy Node.js from Git?
Yes, when the repository can be built by Nixpacks or by a Dockerfile you provide.
Can Node.js apps use databases?
Yes. Better-PaaS can provision Postgres, Redis, and MySQL containers and inject connection variables into apps.