How to Deploy a Next.js and Node.js Application on a VPS
Deploying Next.js and Node.js on your own VPS gives you fixed monthly costs, full data ownership, and no serverless cold starts. This is the exact production stack TechDino uses to deploy client applications: Ubuntu + Nginx + PM2 + Let's Encrypt. Here is the complete process.
1. Prepare the Server
Create a non-root deploy user, enable the firewall (allow OpenSSH, 'Nginx Full'), and point your domain's A record at the server IP before continuing.
2. Build the Application
3. Run It Under PM2
PM2 restarts crashed processes, keeps logs (pm2 logs), and survives server reboots — the minimum bar for production Node hosting.
4. Nginx Reverse Proxy
5. Free SSL with Let's Encrypt
6. Updating Without Downtime
Production Checklist
- Environment variables set on the server, never committed to git.
- Database backups scheduled (cron + off-server storage).
- pm2 save run after any process changes.
- Firewall allows only 22/80/443.
- Monitoring: pm2 monit locally, uptime checks externally.
Frequently Asked Questions
VPS vs Vercel/serverless — which should I choose?
VPS wins for fixed costs, self-owned data, and long-running processes (queues, sockets). Managed platforms win for zero-ops teams and traffic spikes. Business apps with steady traffic usually run cheapest on a VPS.
What VPS size do I need?
A typical business application (Next.js + Node API + MySQL) starts comfortably on 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM. Scale when metrics — not fear — say so.
Can TechDino deploy my application for me?
Yes. VPS deployment with Nginx, PM2, SSL, and backups is part of our delivery for every product and custom project — see our deployment and maintenance service.
Prefer not to run servers yourself? TechDino includes deployment and maintenance with every ready-made product — VPS setup, SSL, monitoring, and updates handled for you. Get in touch.
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