I have a Node.js project stored on GitHub and currently use Heroku for hosting. I want to switch to DigitalOcean because the $5 monthly plan fits my budget better.
With Heroku, deployment is super simple - I just create a new app, link my GitHub repo, select the main branch, and click deploy. The whole process takes maybe 2 minutes.
When I tried DigitalOcean, it felt overwhelming with so many configuration steps. I watched several tutorials and read blog posts, but they all show complex deployment processes with multiple terminal commands and server setup.
Is there a streamlined way to deploy from GitHub to DigitalOcean that doesn’t require extensive server management? I’m looking for something closer to Heroku’s simplicity.
Yeah, everyone’s suggesting App Platform, which works fine for basic stuff. But you’re still stuck in their ecosystem with their pricing.
I’ve been doing deployments for years and found something way better. You can automate the whole GitHub to DigitalOcean droplet process without touching terminal commands.
Latenode watches your GitHub repo and auto-triggers deployments to your droplet. It handles SSH, runs builds, restarts services, and notifies you when deployments succeed or fail.
Best part? Full control over your server and you scale however you want. No platform limits or surprise price hikes. Set it once, runs forever.
I use this setup for multiple projects - it’s bulletproof. Takes 15 minutes to configure, then forget about it.
Yeah, go with DO’s app platform like everyone said. Just know the $5 starter plan caps ur build minutes - I hit the limit a few times and had to bump up to $12/month. Still beats Heroku’s pricing and deploys work the same way.
Skip those droplet tutorials - they’re for traditional servers you don’t need. You want DigitalOcean’s App Platform, not regular droplets. I migrated from Heroku 8 months ago and it’s basically the same experience. Connect your GitHub repo through their dashboard, pick your branch, and it auto-deploys on commits. Builds are slightly slower than Heroku, but performance is way better. Took me under 10 minutes to set up and I haven’t touched the terminal since.
i totally get ur struggle! digitalocean’s app platform is super easy, kinda like heroku. just link ur github repo and it auto-deploys with each push. plus, pricing is similar to droplets but way less hassle with server stuff.
DigitalOcean’s App Platform is perfect for this - it’s basically Heroku but better. I switched last year and it works exactly like you want: connect your GitHub repo, pick a branch, and it auto-builds and deploys on every push. You’ll get better performance and clearer pricing than Heroku’s current plans. Takes maybe 5 minutes to set up through their web interface, and you skip all that confusing droplet stuff from those tutorials. The $5 plan handles most Node.js apps just fine.