Hosting Node.js Apps: What to Look For in 2026

Node.js apps have different needs than PHP sites. Here is what production-ready Node hosting looks like.

Process management with PM2

Node apps crash — it is a fact of life. PM2 restarts them automatically, manages logs, and handles clustering across CPU cores. Any serious Node host supports it.

Reverse proxy, not direct exposure

Run your app on localhost:3000 and put nginx in front for SSL termination, static file serving, and rate limiting. Never expose Node directly to the internet.

Node version management

LTS versions only in production. Your host should let you switch Node versions per app — 18, 20, and 22 are the current relevant lines.

What about serverless?

Serverless is great for spiky workloads but gets expensive fast for always-on apps. A small VPS running PM2 is usually cheaper and simpler for typical Node apps.

Deployment

Git-based deploys with npm ci (not npm install) for reproducible builds. Keep a ecosystem.config.js in your repo so the setup is documented as code.