How to Deploy Next.js on Hostinger VPS (2026 Guide)

1. The Prerequisites: What You Need

Before we dive into the terminal commands, ensure you have the following ready:

• A Next.js Application: A fully functioning Next.js app pushed to a Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket).
• A Hostinger VPS Subscription: We highly recommend at least the KVM 2 plan to ensure smooth build processes for modern React/Next.js architectures. Click here to view current Hostinger VPS deals.
• A Domain Name: Access to the DNS management panel for the domain you intend to use.
• Basic Terminal Knowledge: Familiarity with SSH and running basic Linux bash commands.

2. Provisioning Your Hostinger VPS

Once you have secured your Hostinger VPS, log into your hPanel. The first step is selecting the right operating system template.

1. Navigate to the VPS section in your Hostinger dashboard.
2. Click Manage on your new server.
3. Look for the OS & Panel or Operating System menu.
4. Select Ubuntu 22.04 or Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit). Pure OS installations are preferred for custom Next.js setups over pre-packaged control panels like CyberPanel if you want lean performance, though CyberPanel is great for multi-tenant setups.
5. Set a strong root password. Write this down securely; you will need it immediately.
6. Click Change OS / Install. This process typically takes less than 5 minutes.

3. Connecting & Installing Node.js

Open your local terminal (Command Prompt/PowerShell on Windows, Terminal on Mac/Linux) and connect via SSH using the IP address provided in your hPanel:

Once connected, it is crucial to update the server's package index and install the latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of Node.js. In 2026, NodeSource remains the best way to do this.

# Update existing packages
apt update && apt upgrade -y

# Install curl
apt install curl -y

# Download and install the NodeSource PPA for Node.js 20.x or 22.x LTS
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -

# Install Node.js and NPM
apt install -y nodejs

Verify the installation by running node -v and npm -v.

4. Cloning & Building Your Next.js App

It is bad practice to run applications as the root user. Let's create a dedicated folder for web applications, usually /var/www/.

# Create the directory
mkdir -p /var/www
cd /var/www

# Clone your repository (replace with your actual git URL)
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your-nextjs-repo.git myapp
cd myapp

# Install project dependencies
npm install

If your Next.js project requires environment variables (like database URIs or API keys), create a .env.local file now using a text editor like nano.

nano .env.local
# Paste your variables, then press Ctrl+O to save and Ctrl+X to exit

# Build the Next.js production bundle
npm run build

Note: The build process is resource-intensive. If it crashes, your VPS might be out of RAM. This is why we recommend Hostinger's KVM 2 plan with at least 8GB of RAM for modern web frameworks.

5. Keeping It Alive with PM2

If you just run npm run start, your app will die the moment you close your SSH terminal. To keep your Next.js server running in the background and automatically restart it if it crashes or if the server reboots, we use PM2 (Process Manager 2).

# Install PM2 globally
npm install -g pm2

# Start the Next.js production server via PM2
# We tell PM2 to run 'npm', passing the arguments 'run start'
pm2 start npm --name "nextapp" -- run start

# Save the current PM2 process list
pm2 save

# Generate a startup script so PM2 boots on server restart
pm2 startup
# (Run the command that PM2 outputs in the terminal)

Your Next.js app is now running internally on port 3000. However, nobody uses port 3000 in a web browser. We need to route standard traffic (Port 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS) to your app. That is where Nginx comes into play.

6. Nginx Reverse Proxy Setup

Nginx is a highly efficient web server that will sit in front of your Node.js application, handling incoming requests and forwarding them to Next.js on port 3000.

# Install Nginx
apt install nginx -y

# Navigate strictly to Nginx sites-available directory
cd /etc/nginx/sites-available

# Create a new configuration file for your domain
nano yourdomain.com

Paste the following configuration into the nano editor, ensuring you replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Save and exit. Now, enable the site by creating a symlink to sites-enabled, test the configuration, and restart Nginx:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

# Test Nginx syntax (Crucial! Do not skip)
nginx -t

# Restart Nginx to apply changes
systemctl restart nginx

7. Securing Your App with SSL (HTTPS)

In today's web landscape, shipping an application without an SSL certificate is unacceptable. Browsers will flag it as insecure, and Google will penalize your SEO rankings. Thankfully, Let's Encrypt provides free SSL certificates, and Certbot automates the installation.

Important: Before running these commands, ensure your domain's A Record is pointing to your Hostinger VPS IP address in your DNS settings.

# Install Certbot and the Nginx plugin
apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

# Run Certbot (it will automatically detect the domain from your Nginx config)
certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Certbot will ask for your email address and prompt you to agree to the Terms of Service. Always select the option to Redirect HTTP to HTTPS when asked, ensuring all visitors use a secure connection.