Deploy NestJS to a VPS with PostgreSQL, no Docker

To deploy NestJS to a VPS with ox, add the repo as a project and deploy it, with no Dockerfile and no ox.toml. ox reads package.json and package-lock.json, runs npm ci and npm run build, then starts npm run start:prod under systemd behind Caddy with HTTPS, and sets up postgres 18 for it. Run ox check in your repo to see the same plan before the first deploy.

Plan verified, real-server test pending. The plan below is what ox check prints for a minimal NestJS repo in ox's tests. A deploy on a real server is not recorded yet.

What ox detects in a NestJS repo

This is the plan ox check prints for a minimal a NestJS API, with no ox.toml. Each row says where its value came from: a file in the repo, or ox's default.

The ox.toml for NestJS

None is needed: the plan above comes from the repo alone. Write one to serve your own domain or to change what ox detected. This one passes ox check against the same repo: [app] keeps the detected start command and build. Once a repo has an ox.toml, ox adds no service itself, so list each one under [services].

domains = ["www.example.com"]

[app]

[services]
postgres = {}

Check and deploy NestJS

Add the repo as a project, then check and ship it from a terminal:

ox check                                # in the repo: the plan above, offline
ox new <owner/repo> --server <server>  # add the repo as a project
ox deploy <project> --wait              # stream the deploy, exit with its result
ox logs <project> --follow             # the app's own logs

Variables to set for NestJS

None before the first deploy: ox check asks for no variable. Add your own on the dashboard's Variables tab or with ox vars set <project> KEY.

ox provides these to the app itself: PORT, HOST, OX_ENV, OX_PROJECT, OX_RELEASE, OX_DATA_DIR, PUBLIC_URL, PUBLIC_HOST and DATABASE_URL.

If the NestJS deploy fails

• build 1/1: npm run build: exit status 1: Your build failed. The lines above it are the build's own output; run the same command on your computer, fix it, and push. More.
• TCP connect to 127.0.0.1:8001 did not answer within 120s: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:8001: connect: connection refused: The app started but never answered on the port ox gave it. Listen on 127.0.0.1 at $PORT; the lines above the message are the app's own output. More.
• web of shop on main keeps crashing: systemd restarted it 5 times in the last 10 minutes. The Logs tab shows why.: The release went live and then kept dying. Read the Logs tab for the error and deploy a fix, or roll back. More.

Your visitors never see a failed deploy: the previous release keeps serving until the new one passes its health check.

Next steps

• The Node.js guide: start scripts, migrations, PostgreSQL and Redis.
• The [app] keys: start, health check, memory and the rest.
• Service dashboards: your database's status, size, backups and data.
• Add a custom domain with one A record; Caddy gets the HTTPS certificate.
• Read the logs live, search them, or download them.
• Set variables and secrets on the dashboard or with ox vars.

NestJS FAQ

Do I need a Dockerfile or an ox.toml to deploy NestJS to a VPS?

No. ox does not use Docker, and ox check on a NestJS repo with no ox.toml prints Ready to deploy. Write an ox.toml only to change what ox detected.

What does ox install on the server for NestJS?

Only what the plan names: node 24 (ox's default). Your app's own dependencies are installed by the build into the release folder, not system-wide.

Which start script does ox run for Nest?

start:prod when package.json has one, as the Nest template does. Without it ox runs the built entry, such as node dist/main.

Related guides

• FastifyDeploy a Fastify API to your own VPS: ox finds server.js, runs node server.js under systemd behind Caddy, and adds PostgreSQL with DATABASE_URL set.
• Hono on BunDeploy a Hono API on Bun to your own VPS: ox installs Bun, runs bun install from bun.lock, and starts src/index.ts under systemd behind Caddy.

Every stack ox deploys, and the ones it does not yet, is on the Stacks page.