How to Deploy a Node.js App in One Command (2026 Guide)

You have a Node.js app that runs on localhost:3000. You want it on the internet with HTTPS, a database, and logs, without writing a Dockerfile, renting a VPS, or wiring up nginx and Certbot.

This guide takes you from a local project to a live https://yourapp.dockhosting.cloud URL using the dock CLI. It works for Express, NestJS, Fastify, plain TypeScript projects and monorepos.

What you'll end up with:

• A production deploy from one command: dock deploy
• Automatic HTTPS on a free subdomain
• A managed PostgreSQL database connected through DATABASE_URL
• Live logs in your terminal

1. Make your app production-ready (two small checks)#

Listen on PORT#

The platform tells your app which port to use through the PORT environment variable. Hard-coding 3000 is the most common reason a first deploy fails.

// server.js (Express)
import express from "express";
 
const app = express();
app.get("/", (req, res) => res.send("Hello from DockHosting"));
 
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(port, () => console.log(`Listening on ${port}`));

Have a start script#

DockHosting detects Node.js from package.json, runs npm run build if you have a build script, then starts the app with npm start:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "start": "node dist/server.js"
  }
}

Commit your lockfile. The build uses the package manager that matches it (package-lock.json → npm, pnpm-lock.yaml → pnpm, yarn.lock → yarn), so production installs exactly what you tested.

2. Install the dock CLI#

macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://cli.dockhosting.dev/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://cli.dockhosting.dev/install.ps1 | iex

Then sign in. If you don't have an account yet, create one for free. No credit card is needed.

dock login

3. Deploy#

From your project folder:

dock deploy

Here's what happens:

1. Detect. package.json marks it as Node.js. NestJS (@nestjs/core) and Express are recognized automatically.
2. Install. Dependencies are installed with your lockfile's package manager.
3. Build. Your build script runs and an image is built.
4. Release. A container starts with automatic HTTPS. The switch is zero-downtime, and the previous image is kept, so a rollback doesn't need a rebuild.
5. Live. You get a https://<project>.dockhosting.cloud URL.

You don't need GitHub for this. If you'd rather deploy on every push, connect the repository from the dashboard and each push to your branch ships the same way.

4. Add a PostgreSQL database#

Create a managed PostgreSQL database from the dashboard and attach it to your project. The connection string is injected into your app as DATABASE_URL, over a private network, so there's no public port to lock down.

import pg from "pg";
 
const pool = new pg.Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL });
const { rows } = await pool.query("select now()");

Prisma, Drizzle, Knex and TypeORM all accept the same DATABASE_URL. MongoDB (MONGODB_URI) and Redis (REDIS_URL) attach the same way. For a deeper walkthrough, see connecting an app to managed PostgreSQL.

To run a quick query without leaving the terminal, use dock db sql.

5. Watch logs and restart#

dock logs      # tail build and application logs
dock restart   # restart the running app

A supervisor also restarts your process automatically if it crashes.

Monorepos and custom commands#

In a monorepo, set the project's root directory (for example apps/api) in the dashboard. You can override the build and start commands there too, for example pnpm --filter api build.

Background workers, such as a BullMQ consumer, deploy as a separate project and share the same managed Redis queue.

Free vs. paid: what changes#

The Free plan is great for side projects and demos. An idle app is scaled to zero and wakes in a few seconds on the next request. Once real users depend on it, Hobby keeps it always on. See full pricing.

Troubleshooting checklist#

• Deploy succeeds but the URL times out. The app isn't listening on process.env.PORT.
• Cannot find module at start. A runtime dependency is in devDependencies, or start points to a file your build doesn't produce.
• Database connection refused. Read DATABASE_URL from the environment rather than a local .env value that points to localhost.

Need help? Ask in our Discord or check the docs.

Related: Free Node.js hosting that doesn't sleep · Deploy an Express + MongoDB API