Services Overview
Select the NexHost service type that matches how your application runs.
Services Overview#
NexHost service types separate static delivery, user-facing Node frontends, public APIs, private processes, background work, scheduled commands, databases, and one-off tasks. Choose the type based on the process you need to run—not just the framework name.
| Service type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Static Site | Pre-built files with no running application server |
| Frontend App | Server-rendered Node.js user interfaces with a public URL |
| Web Service | Public APIs and full-stack applications |
| Private Service | Internal services reachable from the workspace network |
| Background Worker | Long-running queue consumers and asynchronous work |
| Cron Job | Scheduled commands that finish and exit |
| Postgres | A private PostgreSQL database with generated credentials |
| Workflow | An on-demand container task with run history and retry limits |
Sources and stacks#
Static Sites and Frontend Apps accept repository and archive sources. Web Services, Private Services, Workers, and Cron Jobs can also use an existing image when the dashboard offers it. The selected stack supplies a starting configuration; review every command and directory before deployment.
The Frontend App distinction#
A Frontend App is a dedicated public Node.js runtime for UI applications such as Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, and SvelteKit with server output. It is not a backend API service, although it uses the same public-runtime essentials: a start command, PORT, and an HTTP health path. Use a Web Service when the product’s primary job is an API or general backend.