How to Deploy Node.js Express Application on Render ?

Deploying a Node.js Express application on Render is straightforward and involves a few key steps to set up your project, configure deployment settings, and manage your application on the Render platform. Render provides an easy-to-use platform for deploying applications, offering features like automatic SSL, scaling, and seamless deployments from Git.

But we will deploy on the render because it gives the free small part of CPU and RAM. If you created a website like a portfolio website and want to host it, then Render going to be a good choice for you. Render is easy to use and no management is required after deployment of the website. It is manageable by the server provider. Render gives you to use its free server of  500 MB RAM and 0.1 CPU. You can also host the backend server of your website on the render. In this article, we will see how to deploy the Node.js and Express.js application on render.

What is Render? 

Render is the website that provides hosting services. Render is a cloud-based platform that provides a simple and scalable way to host and manage websites and web applications. With Render, users can quickly deploy websites and applications to the cloud, without having to worry about infrastructure management or server maintenance. It provides the free service to host up to the

Steps to Deploy Application

Step 1:  Deploy the code on GitHub, You need to deploy the code on GitHub first. To deploy the code on GitHub you can refer to How to upload project on github.

Step 2: Now create the account on Render. You can Sign in with GitHub.

Step 3: On the Dashboard, click on the new and then web service as shown in the below image.

Step 4: Next configure the GitHub repository that originally have your project. By clicking on the Configure account as shown in the below image. After configuring click on the connect button.

Step 5: Now you are on the screen "You are deploying a web service",  After Type the name of the project as shown in the below image "My Nodejs App". and remain will be the same.

Step 6: Next,  this is the main part, in Start Command, you have to write the Start Command for your app that going to be exactly the same as in the packages Json file scripts. And then click on free and as you want but we are going with free.

 My Package Json file looks like and sees the start scripts that is node server.js.

{
    "name": "sample",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "",
    "main": "index.js",
    "type": "module",
    "scripts": {
        "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1",
        "start": "node server.js"
    },
    "author": "",
    "license": "ISC",
    "dependencies": {
          "express": "^4.18.2"
    }
}

Step 7: If your Node.js application has the environment variables then add all of them by clicking on advance and then Add Environment Variable.

Step 8: Next Click on Create and wait for a moment until it is deployed.

Now finally your Node.js app is deployed on render, you can check it by clicking on the link, that appears something like that.

Output: 

Additional Tips

• Database and External Services: If your application requires a database or other external services, ensure they are accessible and configured properly within your application and on Render.
• Scaling: Render provides automatic scaling based on traffic and usage patterns. You can adjust scaling settings as needed from the Render dashboard.
• Logs and Monitoring: Use Render's built-in logging and monitoring tools to track application performance and troubleshoot issues.
• Custom Domains: Optionally, configure a custom domain for your application on Render for a branded URL.

Conclusion

Deploying a Node.js Express application on Render is streamlined and efficient, leveraging Render's automated deployment features and robust platform capabilities. By following the steps outlined above, you can deploy your application quickly and reliably, ensuring it runs smoothly on Render's infrastructure. This setup allows you to focus more on developing your application while Render handles deployment and scaling seamlessly.