Web app hosting: what are your options?
Web application hosting supports applications that run server-side code and process user requests dynamically: think SaaS products, internal tools, APIs, and custom-built platforms. Unlike a static website, a web app needs a runtime environment for its backend language, a database, persistent storage, and often a queue system or other infrastructure components.
Disclosure: What's Hosting operates a GoDaddy reseller storefront. Competitor guides are editorial research, not products we sell.
Overview
Platform as a Service (PaaS) options abstract server management for web apps. Heroku, Railway, and Render let you deploy application code from a Git repository without managing servers. They support multiple languages (Node.js, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP) and handle scaling, networking, and some infrastructure concerns. Pricing is typically usage-based.
Cloud VPS from DigitalOcean, Vultr, or Linode gives you a Linux server to configure yourself. This is the most flexible option: you install exactly the stack you need and control everything. It requires server administration knowledge but gives you the most control over the runtime environment and costs.
Managed application hosting from providers like Platform.sh or WP Engine's Application Hosting layer provide infrastructure with management built in. These suit teams who want cloud infrastructure without running servers: the provider handles scaling, security, and updates while you deploy application code.
For containerized applications, managed Kubernetes from DigitalOcean (DOKS), Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), or Amazon EKS handles orchestration. Docker Compose and simpler container deployments can run on any VPS. Container-based deployment is increasingly standard for modern web applications because it ensures consistent environments across development and production.
What is SaaS hosting?
SaaS hosting runs an application that customers access as a service, rather than installing and maintaining it themselves.
The operator needs application deployment, databases, authentication, backups and monitoring. Tenant isolation and customer-data recovery matter as much as the size of the server.
Estimate usage, availability requirements and compliance needs before choosing infrastructure. Managed databases and application platforms can reduce operations work, but you remain responsible for application security and customer access.
Common questions
What is the easiest way to host a web app?
PaaS platforms like Railway, Render, or Heroku are the easiest entry point. You push code to Git and the platform deploys it automatically. No server management required.
What hosting does a Node.js app need?
Node.js apps can run on any VPS, PaaS platform that supports Node.js (Railway, Render, Heroku), or serverless functions (Vercel, Netlify). A VPS gives the most control; PaaS platforms are simpler to get started with.
How is web app hosting different from website hosting?
Website hosting serves files to browsers. Web app hosting runs server-side code that generates responses dynamically, processes data, connects to databases, and handles user sessions. Web apps need a backend runtime environment in addition to a server.
What is SaaS hosting?
SaaS hosting runs an application that customers access as a service, rather than installing and maintaining it themselves.