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How to Deploy a Node.js App on Railway in Under 10 Minutes

In today’s fast-paced world, developers want speed, simplicity, and scalability. That’s why platforms like Railway are gaining so much popularity. If you're a Node.js developer looking for a fast and frictionless way to deploy your app without managing infrastructure or wrestling with DevOps complexity, Railway is your best friend. Why Railway? Before we dive into the steps, here’s a quick glance at why Railway is a game-changer: Zero-config deployments: Push to GitHub, and it just works. Built-in CI/CD: Every commit triggers a build and deploy. Database hosting included: Easily provision PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, etc. Free tier: Great for prototypes and small projects. Live logs & metrics: Real-time insight into app behavior. Think of Railway as Heroku’s modern sibling—simple, elegant, and powerful. What You'll Need To follow along, you’ll need: A basic Node.js app (Express or any framework). A GitHub account. A Railway account (free to sign up). Git installed on your system. Node.js and npm installed locally. If you’ve got those, you’re already halfway there. Step-by-Step: Deploying Your Node.js App on Railway Let’s break it down into small, digestible steps so even beginners can follow along. Step 1: Create a Basic Node.js App   If you already have a Node.js app, you can skip this part. If not, let’s quickly scaffold a simple Express app. mkdir railway-node-app cd railway-node-app npm init -y npm install express Create an index.js file: const express = require('express'); const app = express(); const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;   app.get('/', (req, res) => {   res.send('

May 30, 2025 - 05:10
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How to Deploy a Node.js App on Railway in Under 10 Minutes

In today’s fast-paced world, developers want speed, simplicity, and scalability. That’s why platforms like Railway are gaining so much popularity. If you're a Node.js developer looking for a fast and frictionless way to deploy your app without managing infrastructure or wrestling with DevOps complexity, Railway is your best friend.

Why Railway?

Before we dive into the steps, here’s a quick glance at why Railway is a game-changer:

  • Zero-config deployments: Push to GitHub, and it just works.
  • Built-in CI/CD: Every commit triggers a build and deploy.
  • Database hosting included: Easily provision PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, etc.
  • Free tier: Great for prototypes and small projects.
  • Live logs & metrics: Real-time insight into app behavior.

Think of Railway as Heroku’s modern sibling—simple, elegant, and powerful.

What You'll Need

To follow along, you’ll need:

  • A basic Node.js app (Express or any framework).
  • A GitHub account.
  • A Railway account (free to sign up).
  • Git installed on your system.
  • Node.js and npm installed locally.

If you’ve got those, you’re already halfway there.

Step-by-Step: Deploying Your Node.js App on Railway

Let’s break it down into small, digestible steps so even beginners can follow along.

Step 1: Create a Basic Node.js App

 
If you already have a Node.js app, you can skip this part. If not, let’s quickly scaffold a simple Express app.

mkdir railway-node-app
cd railway-node-app
npm init -y
npm install express

Create an index.js file:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
 
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('
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