Other hosts

What you'll learn

What any Node.js host needs to run Easy CMS, and notes for Railway, Render, Fly.io and Coolify.

Before this page: Choosing a host, Docker.

Most platforms either build your app from its package.json or run the image from Docker. Either way, check the list below. The notes per platform come from each platform's documentation; we haven't run every one of them ourselves.

What any host needs

• Node.js 22.12 or newer. Most platforms read engines in package.json: "engines": { "node": ">=22.12" }. Edge runtimes are not supported.
• Build, then migrate, then start. Build with next build, nuxi build, or nothing for the standalone server; before starting, run easy-cms migrate; then start with next start, node .output/server/index.mjs or easy-cms serve. Many platforms have a pre-deploy or release command for the migration; otherwise start with easy-cms migrate && ….
• Somewhere to keep data. Either a persistent disk (volume) for SQLite and uploads, or a hosted Postgres and file storage. With SQLite on a disk, run one instance.
• A process that keeps running, so the server runs scheduled jobs every minute. If the platform stops idle apps, call <api>/jobs/run with CRON_SECRET from a cron instead.
• The environment variables from Choosing a host, and trust the platform's proxy (trustProxy or --trust-proxy).

Railway

• Railway builds from package.json and picks the Node.js version from engines (or .node-version). The start command is your start script.
• SQLite: add a volume to the service and mount it inside the app, for example /app/data, then set DATABASE_URL=file:/app/data/cms.db. Mount uploads the same way, or use S3 storage. Volumes are mounted when the app runs, not while it builds, so migrate in the start command.
• Postgres: add Railway's Postgres and reference its DATABASE_URL in the app's variables.
• Services keep running unless you turn on Serverless (app sleeping); leave it off, or scheduled jobs only run while someone visits.

Render

• Create a Web Service from the repository. Render picks the Node.js version from NODE_VERSION, .node-version, .nvmrc or engines.
• SQLite: persistent disks are for paid services only. Mount one at an absolute path, for example /opt/render/project/src/data, and point DATABASE_URL at a file in it. A service with a disk runs one instance and has a few seconds of downtime per deploy.
• Postgres: create a Render Postgres and copy its Internal Database URL into DATABASE_URL.
• Free web services stop after 15 minutes without visitors, which also stops scheduled jobs. Use a paid instance, or a Render Cron Job that calls <api>/jobs/run with curl.

Fly.io

• Fly runs the image from Docker (fly launch finds the Dockerfile).

• SQLite: create a volume (fly volumes create data --size 1) and mount it in fly.toml:

  [mounts]
    source = "data"
    destination = "/app/data"

  A volume belongs to one machine and isn't replicated: run one machine, and back up yourself.

• Keep it running: fly launch sets auto_stop_machines = "stop", which stops idle machines and the scheduled jobs with them. Set auto_stop_machines = "off" (or min_machines_running = 1) under [http_service].

• Postgres: Fly Managed Postgres sets DATABASE_URL when attached (fly mpg attach).

Coolify

Coolify runs on your own server and deploys from Git.

• Choose the Dockerfile build pack with the image from Docker, or Nixpacks.
• SQLite and uploads: add a volume mount under Persistent Storage, for example /app/data and /app/uploads.
• Postgres: create one from Coolify's databases and copy its internal URL into DATABASE_URL. Coolify can back up its databases on a schedule.
• Coolify's proxy issues HTTPS certificates for your domain, and the app keeps running, so scheduled jobs run by themselves.

Next steps

• Docker: the image these platforms build.
• Backups: whatever the host, keep a copy elsewhere.