React Application Hosting

Full-Stack React, Not Just Frontends

Most platforms treat React as a static site generator. They build your JavaScript bundle and serve it from a CDN - which works fine for pure client-side apps but breaks down the moment you need server-side rendering, real-time features, or a persistent backend.

CloudPloy treats React as a full application. Your Next.js server runs as a persistent Node.js process. Your API routes have access to a real database. Your background jobs stay running between requests. WebSocket connections persist for the life of the session.

If you have ever hit Vercel's 10-second function timeout trying to do a database migration, or had your Netlify function run out of memory processing an image, you already understand the gap. CloudPloy runs your Node.js server without artificial constraints.

Infrastructure You Own and Control

CloudPloy provisions real AWS or Lightsail servers in your region. Your React app runs on dedicated resources, not shared serverless infrastructure that throttles under load or cold-starts after inactivity.

SSH access is included on every plan. When you need to debug a production issue, check memory usage, or inspect logs in real time, you can connect directly. No need to read through sanitized log dashboards hoping to spot the problem.

Deployments trigger from Git push. CloudPloy pulls your repository, runs your build commands, and swaps in the new version with zero downtime. You keep your Git workflow, your team keeps their branches, and deployments happen automatically on merge.

Next.js Configuration Tips

For Next.js apps, set the output mode to standalone in your next.config.js. This creates a minimal production build that includes only the files needed to run, significantly reducing your deployment size and startup time.

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  output: 'standalone',
  experimental: {
    serverComponentsExternalPackages: [
      'sharp'
    ],
  },
}

Use Next.js Image Optimization with a custom loader if you need fine-grained control over image CDN behavior. CloudPloy provisions enough memory to run the built-in sharp-based optimizer without hitting the memory limits that serverless functions impose.

Environment Variables and Secrets

Never commit .env files to your repository. CloudPloy provides a secure environment variable manager in the dashboard. Variables are injected at build time for NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefixed variables and at runtime for server-side secrets.

For database connections, use the connection string format that CloudPloy provides from your managed database panel. Connection pooling is handled automatically so your Next.js API routes do not exhaust the database connection limit under concurrent traffic.

Separate your staging and production environments by creating two servers in CloudPloy - one pointing to your main branch (production) and one pointing to your develop branch (staging). Each gets its own set of environment variables and its own database instance.