# Node.js on Netlify

Canonical: https://inetgeek.com/stacks/nodejs-on-netlify/

Netlify documents a generic path that covers Node.js, rather than a dedicated guide.

JavaScript runtime used to run servers and build tooling outside the browser.

## What Node.js needs

Every host claims to run Node.js, so the claim on its own decides nothing. These are the things Node.js requires from the platform underneath it, and what Netlify publishes about each. Netlify documents 2 of the 4.

| Requirement | Netlify | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Persistent processes | Not supported | A long-running process is the point: WebSocket connections, in-memory caches and job queues all die with it. A host that only runs functions cannot keep one alive. |
| Max request duration | 60 seconds (synchronous); 30 seconds (scheduled); 15 minutes (background) | Anything the process does inside a request — a large upload, a slow query, a streamed response — is bounded by this ceiling. |
| Docker deployment | Not documented | Node apps routinely need a system binary the platform's buildpack does not ship. A Dockerfile is the escape hatch when they do. |
| Scales to zero | Not documented | An always-on process bills while idle. Scaling to zero removes that cost and adds a cold start to the next request instead. |

- Persistent processes source: https://docs.netlify.com/build/functions/overview
- Max request duration source: https://docs.netlify.com/build/functions/configuration/

## What Netlify documents

> Express is a minimal and flexible Node.js web application framework that provides a robust set of features for web and mobile applications. Limited: Node.js is documented only through this Express framework guide — there is no general Node.js server deployment guide in the framework setup guides index.

Source: https://docs.netlify.com/build/frameworks/framework-setup-guides/express/

### Node.js features on Netlify

- **background_workers**: Limited — Background Functions provide an option for serverless functions that run for up to 15 minutes and don't need to complete before a visitor can take next steps on your site. [...] Background functions are longer-running functions that are processed as background tasks using asynchronous invocation. ([source](https://docs.netlify.com/build/functions/background-functions/))

## What it costs to run there

|  | Netlify |
| --- | --- |
| Entry paid plan | $9/month for 1,000 credits/month |
| Pricing model | Monthly plan credits are included with your plan each billing cycle and reset at the start of each cycle. |
| When you exceed a cap | Suspended: when credits run out every project is paused and visitors see a Site not available page, unless auto recharge is configured. |

- Entry paid plan source: https://docs.netlify.com/manage/accounts-and-billing/billing/billing-for-credit-based-plans/credit-based-pricing-plans/
- Pricing model source: https://docs.netlify.com/manage/accounts-and-billing/billing/billing-for-credit-based-plans/credit-based-pricing-plans/
- When you exceed a cap source: https://docs.netlify.com/manage/accounts-and-billing/billing/billing-for-credit-based-plans/how-credits-work/

## Whether it suits you

Teams that want Git-driven deploys onto a global CDN with a managed Postgres database built into the same platform. The free tier is 300 credits a month with a hard limit, so spend cannot surprise you.

Consider something else if: You need to run containers or long-lived processes — Netlify does not document either.

Written by Palash Bagchi on 2026-09-05. This is a recommendation, not a sourced fact — it carries no citation because it is an opinion.

## Related

- Best hosting for Node.js: https://inetgeek.com/stacks/nodejs/
- Netlify: https://inetgeek.com/hosting/netlify/