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How to Deploy MERN Stack App on VPS

T
Team
·12 min read
#mern#vps#deployment#pm2#nginx#ssl

How to Deploy MERN Stack App on VPS


Deploying a MERN app (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) on a VPS gives you full control and low cost. This guide walks from server setup to production.


Beginner: VPS and Access


1. Provision a VPS – Any provider (DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, etc.). Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is a solid choice.

2. SSH access – ssh root@your-server-ip. Create a non-root user and use SSH keys; disable password login for root.

3. Basics – apt update && apt upgrade -y; set hostname and firewall (ufw: allow 22, 80, 443).


Intermediate: Node, MongoDB, and App


  • Node.js – Install via NodeSource or nvm: `curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash - && apt install -y nodejs`.
  • MongoDB – Follow official Ubuntu docs; create a DB user and enable auth. Bind to localhost or private IP only.
  • App – Clone your repo; `npm ci --production`; set `NODE_ENV=production` and env vars (DB URL, JWT secret, etc.). Build the React app (`npm run build`) and serve the built files from Express or a static server.

    • bash
    1cd /var/www/myapp
    2git pull
    3npm ci --production
    4npm run build

    Advanced: PM2 and Nginx


  • PM2 – Run the Node server with `pm2 start server.js -i max` (cluster mode). `pm2 startup` and `pm2 save` for restart on reboot.
  • Nginx – Reverse proxy to Node (e.g. `proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000`); serve static build from Express or Nginx. Add `proxy_http_version 1.1` and `proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade` if you use WebSockets.
  • SSL – `certbot --nginx` for Let’s Encrypt. Auto-renew with certbot’s timer.

    • Expert: CI/CD and Hardening


  • CI/CD – GitHub Actions or GitLab CI: run tests, build, then deploy via SSH (rsync + pm2 reload) or a small deploy script. Never commit secrets; use repo or server secrets.
  • Hardening – Fail2ban for SSH; keep OS and Node updated; run app as a non-root user; restrict MongoDB network access.

    • Validate configs and API payloads before deploy with our [JSON Formatter](/tools/json-formatter/) and [YAML Formatter](/tools/yaml-formatter/).


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    How to Deploy MERN Stack App on VPS - Codev Nexus | codev nexus