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Matthieu ROBIN
Matthieu ROBIN

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Node.js Hosting Requirements & Service Provider Selection Tips

Having no idea what Node.js hosting requirements should be covered for your app?

Looking for the best Node.js hosting platform?

In this post, we’ll take in-depth look at all the aspects and subtleties you should analyse to choose the best option.

Also we’ll provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to get Node.js applications hosted in the cloud on the example of Ghost publishing platform.

Why Developers and Enterprises Prefer Node.js
Due to its simplicity, Node.js is gaining more and more popular among developers all over the world.

JavaScript code is quite easy-to-understand even for non-professionals, as well as the open-source platform facilitates the application development process.

Moreover, the Node Package Manager includes tons of pre-built modules, which accelerate development speed even more. Scalability, reduced response time and the ability to use the same language on server and client sides are also the proven benefits of Node.js.

As for now most businesses and industries choose Node.js for building their projects. Such a runtime environment is perfect for modern applications because it scales quite well without additional investments into hardware.

REST APIs, real-time apps, single-pages and more can be easily built and executed on almost all known platforms.

Choosing the Best Node.js Hosting Provider
Usually, once your Node.js application is ready to go live, you start looking for reliable and secure hosting for it.

In this guidance, we’ll go through the main aspects you should weigh before choosing the right hosting platform.

Not all the providers support an event-driven JavaScript runtime environment and development framework, so you should do careful research to find the best Node.js hosting for your app.

First of all, you should realise if you have enough time and skills for the system administration routine. If yes, you can get some cloud VM or VPS and install, deploy and manage everything on your own. But, if you prefer to focus on application code than a managed cloud hosting platform would be a perfect choice.
Estimate the expected traffic. The busier your site is the greater requirements should be set. VPS or some shared servers are a good and cheap solution for the start, but your investments will continue to rise along with the traffic.
Ensure the reliability of services you research. The right cloud hosting platform should be located in datacenters with proven reliability.
Check data center locations in order to get the fastest access.
Mind the support and the cost of vertical and horizontal scaling.
Ensure the clustering is supported to prevent failed transactions, error-filled shopping carts and lost work of the users.
Consider technology shifts and other possible modifications to have a portable website without any lock-in.
Foresee the in-built tools and frameworks you may need for site management and monitoring.
Compare additional benefits you can get from each Node.js hosting provider, e.g: SSL certificates, domains, etc.
Check out the uptime and downtime performance of each analysed provider.

Good luck ;-)

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