Are you working on a new Node.js application that needs a swift and reliable hosting service? Many web applications contain some level of Node.js in them which is why it’s important to find a hosting provider that will deliver the best uptime and security for your application. In the sea of different hosting providers and their advertising strategies, it becomes quite time-consuming and challenging to choose the right one.
Everyone promises impeccable service, but not many deliver it. In addition to that, hosting prices have skyrocketed, making it quite difficult for people who are building their coding portfolio to host their apps without breaking the bank.
Of course, there are plenty of free hosting providers as well as services such as Firebase, but the two are quite limited in features when you want to host and maintain an enterprise app.
Often called just Node, Node.js is an open-source server runtime environment that allows developers to code in JavaScript on the server side, rather than just the client apps. It was built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript V8 engine, which creates a cross-platform runtime environment for JavaScript developers.
It works by converting JavaScript code you write on the server side into machine code that is then compiled by the server. It makes creating MERN and MEAN stack apps much more convenient as most of the app is built in JavaScript or TypeScript.
Vanilla JavaScript runs on your browser. In other words, when you run your code, it will build itself on your Google Chrome’s (or other browser’s) interpreter. If you’re looking to bring your Node.js app to life with a reliable hosting service, continue reading this article and see what are your options among the best Node.js hosting providers.
1. Things to Look for When Choosing Hosting Service for Node.js App
Even though most developers find it quite easy to host a Node.js app, there are a few things you should consider before opting for which one you’ll use. Read up below to see what to focus on.
Bandwidth: When choosing a hosting provider, you have to check how much bandwidth they offer. The cheapest ones offer around 1000GB, while more advanced plans go as high as 8,000GB and are even unlimited. Some hosting providers don’t track bandwidth so it doesn’t matter how many people visit your site. Keep in mind you should calculate your expected visitors. If your app is small, then choosing a plan with smaller bandwidth is fine, while larger apps with frequent visitors should have room for more bandwidth.
Pricing: Pricing is an important thing to consider because most Node.js apps can’t run on shared servers. In some cases, they can, but if you’re starting, it’s best to choose a provider with affordable VPS servers. Some start for as little as $7 to $10 a month, but if you’re looking for high-end enterprise apps with advanced security and privacy features, you should consider choosing a dedicated server.
Storage: Some hosting providers have small storage from 10 to 30GB. However, as your website grows and incorporates images, videos, or even audio files, as well as powerful animations. You’ll want to consider investing in more storage options. Some hosting plans have unlimited storage.
Uptime: Always strive for uptime higher than 99.9%. Uptime refers to how many times will your website go offline during the year. Bluehost and HostGator have the highest uptimes.
Free SSL: Free SSL certificate is an important feature you should look for in a hosting provider. The certificate takes the app’s security and privacy settings to the next level. It enables encrypted connection and keeps your data like login credentials and contents of online communication private and encrypted.
Free Domain: While many hosting providers provide a free domain for a year or more when you buy their hosting plan, it’s an important expense to consider when they don’t offer it. Usually, it costs $10-20 annually and allows you to save a name for your website.
Free Backups: Most website hosting providers allow free backups. Some occur weekly, some monthly, and for some, you can customize how often you want to have them. Backups are great in the case when a fatal error on the app occurs, or some bug that you didn’t know about before shows up.
2. 7 Best Node.js Hosting Providers in December 2023
As mentioned earlier, many hosting providers offer support for Node.js apps. However, not all of them are as good as the ones we listed below. Keep scrolling and we’re sure you’re going to find the hosting that meets all the requirements set for your Node.js app.
Pricing: VPS – from $19.99, Dedicated – from $79.99
If you’re looking for a reliable hosting service that will allow you to make progressive and scalable apps, then Bluehost is the best choice. While making a Node.js app is possible with shared service only in certain circumstances, the VPS and dedicated servers allow a complete environment for hosting amazing Node.js apps. It is one of the most affordable hosting service providers, but also among those with the best uptime.
Key Features:
Ideal for small to medium businesses that are focused on growth, as well as developers who want to bring their projects to life.
High-end security features and a control panel that is optimized for security and privacy
SSL certificate is included in the hosting
You also get a free domain for a year if you sign up for the yearly contract
High-end server specifications for higher plans
98% uptime to showcase your projects without a hassle
Spacious disk space from 30GB to unlimited storage depending on the plan you pick
Support for free backups in case of updating problems
Advanced Spam Assassin Protection
Pros
Cons
Affordable VPS and Dedicated plans for Node.js hosting
Pricing: VPS – from $23.95, Dedicated – from $89.99
If you’re looking at HostGator compared to Bluehost VPS and dedicated hosting service, you’ll notice that the price is higher, even though HostGator used to be one of the most affordable hosting providers for websites. Nevertheless, there is much more flexibility and dedicated support when opting for HostGator over other hosting providers.
One of the key trademarks is that the hosting will recognize that you’re trying to host a Node.js web app and install all the packages and modules so you wouldn’t have to waste your time with it. HostGator also has its dedicated website builder, which is worth trying out when you’re not occupied by your Node.js apps.
Key Features:
Dedicated servers have quite strong specifications, being capable to run enterprise-level Node.js apps
Amazing uptime reaching 99.99% throughout the year
Huge bandwidth with both VPS and dedicated plans
Free backups that occur weekly
Free disk space starts at 120GB and goes up to unlimited depending on which plan you picked
There’s a well-educated team that is experienced with Node.js apps so if any error occurs during the installation of the node.js module, they’ll help you set it back on right track.
Free SSL certificate as well as flood protection which will protect your website from DDoS attacks.
A2 hosting is the most affordable hosting provider for beginner developers who’d like to share their Node.js apps online and showcase their portfolio. That’s because A2 has its own dedicated Node.js hosting servers which are optimized for scalable and progressive Node.js apps.
That’s why many aspiring developers opt for these plans because they can also get assisted help from customer support and more space to expand their app now that it’s online. You can also opt for one of the VPS or dedicated servers as they also support Node.js, but it’s worth mentioning they’re more expensive compared to other plans we listed.
Pricing: From $5 to $500 (depending on the features you select)
If you’re a computer science student who wants to maximize the output of your projects at an affordable pricing level, Heroku is for you. It used to be free but now you can get cheap cloud Node.js hosting for as little as $5. However, there are some limitations you should know like no free SSL certificate, and no security and privacy switches that work in your favor. Higher-end plans are packed with way more features you should try out if you want to host a cloud Node.js app.
Key Features:
Great documentation and easy scaling
Some guides will help you host your Node.js project on the cloud
Leveraged GitHub integration
Great add-ons like Heroku Redis, Heroku Progress, and others
Heroku does all the routing
Over 99.9% uptime per year
SSL certificate on higher plans
Pros
Cons
Allows sharing of scalable apps on the cloud
It takes some time to get used to the control panel
InMotion is an advanced hosting provider that is meant for big and scalable apps, such as your Node.js app could be. It offers a plethora of different plans, starting from shared hosting to dedicated, as well as reseller hosting and WordPress hosting.
That being said, even if you don’t feel like hosting a Node.js app, you can always opt for a WordPress option for less-effort websites and blogs. Both VPS and dedicated plans are packed with various features, while customer support will assist you with all the features you may need to use to make the hosting of your app better.
Key Features:
Offers an amazing deal of a 100% money-back guarantee for 90 days.
It has a plethora of hosting plans you can choose
They often host discounts so you can get VPS hosting for as little as $9 a month.
Amazing 99.97% uptime for your Node.js application
Packed with amazing security features and free backups.
Disk space is unlimited which is suitable for large Node.js apps
All plans also come with a free domain included for your website
Pros
Cons
Great plans and deals are constantly offered
When there are no discounts, it can be quite expensive
Although Hostinger is known for various hosting plans and support, starting from shared hosting for small businesses, WordPress hosting and more, the best hosting service for Node.js apps is offered on VPS hosting. There are no dedicated servers, but there’s also an offer for cloud hosting if you are up to hosting different apps from Node.js. There are VPS1-VPS6 plans and all of them are packed with different CPU and RAM functionalities, as well as storage options. Let’s take a look at all the varied features.
Key Features:
Just like most other Node.js plans we reviewed, Hostinger offers a 30-day money-back guarantee you can use if you don’t like the treatment you received.
In addition to that, different CPU and RAM functionalities are depending on which VPS hosting you chose. For the biggest apps, we recommend VPS4-VPS6 because they have the strongest servers to host on.
There are weekly backups that you can use if you made some mistake or some bug rose during the night.
Disk space varies from plan to plan but it ranges from 20-160GB
The Uptime of the hosting is 99.90% which is less than other options but still acceptable.
It offers 1,000-8,000GB of bandwidth depending on which plan you take
DreamHost is one of the most popular hosting providers next to HostGator and Bluehost because just like the former two, it’s equipped with great specs and offers scalable performance for a plethora of apps. DreamHost offers to host Node.js apps on its VPS and dedicated servers, so if you’re ready to take your Node.js app to the next level check the great features DreamHost offers with its plans.
Key Features:
Managed plans with a money-back guarantee for up to 97 days.
Great customer support and assistance during the Node.js installation
Great specs and affordable VPS plans for beginners
Free SSL certificate and other great security features to keep your app protected and data flow private
From 30GB up to unlimited storage for Node.js apps
Uptime of 99.95% which will keep your app online for most of the year
Free backups that you can flexibly set up.
No bandwidth tracking so you can use it for unlimited
Pros
Cons
Great VPS and dedicated plans
Dedicated plans can be quite expensive
Swift and helpful customer support
The cPanel is not quite intuitive if you’re getting started with web hosting
Node.js is a scalable runtime environment with a lot of apps being developed in it from Linkedin and Yahoo to payment processors such as PayPal as well as Uber and Netflix. All futureproofed apps were developed in Nodejs and other tech stacks, with many hosting services available to choose from.
As you can see, none of them are perfect and all of them come with their pros and cons. That’s why it’s important to consider your use case and choose the plans that offer the most features for the type of your app.
4. Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our FAQ section to see the most frequently asked questions about Node.js answered for guidance.
4.1 Can You Host Node.js on a Shared Server?
Unfortunately, shared servers are shared among different clients and they are optimized only for certain types of technologies.
Some hosting providers save shared servers just for certain tech stacks, one of them being A2 hosting which offers Node.js shared servers. If you’re unsure, always ask customer support whether their shared servers include Node.js support.
4.2 Where Can I Host Node.js Apps for Free?
Hosting your apps for free should never be your first option, considering that free hosting has many limitations as well as the potential for your data to be sold to advertisers and potential hackers. Still, if you want to host it for free you should check Firebase, Vercel, Microsoft Azure, and AWS.
Learn how to stay safe online in this free 34-page eBook.
Marcus is a cybersecurity analyst with a focus on VPN and proxy services. As the founder and driving force behind a prominent VPN and proxy website, Private Proxy Guide, Marcus has emerged as a trusted authority in the digital realm. With a passion for staying ahead of evolving cyber threats, he has played a pivotal role in educating and empowering individuals and businesses to safeguard their online presence.
