Deploy Node.js + Express + MongoDB App on Railway for FREE (2026 Guide)

Deploy Node.js + Express + MongoDB App on Railway for FREE (2026 Guide)

Deploying a Node.js application used to be complicated, but with Railway, you can get your backend online in just a few minutes.

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to deploy a complete Node.js + Express + MongoDB application for FREE using Railway.

What You'll Learn

• Set up a Node.js + Express project

• Create a GitHub repository

• Create a Railway account

• Connect GitHub with Railway

• Deploy the application

• Connect MongoDB

• Test the live deployed app

Tech Stack

• Node.js

• Express.js

• MongoDB

• Railway

• GitHub

Step 1: Project Overview

Our application is built with Node.js, uses Express.js for routing, and stores data in MongoDB.

Step 2: Create a GitHub Repository

Initialize Git and push your project to GitHub.

Step 3: Create a Railway Account

Visit the Railway website and sign up using your GitHub account.

Step 4: Connect GitHub & Deploy

• Click New Project.

• Select Deploy from GitHub Repo.

• Choose your repository.

• Railway will automatically build and deploy your app.

Step 5: Add Environment Variables

In Railway, open your project and add the required environment variables.

Step 6: Test the Live Application

Once deployment is complete, Railway will provide a live URL.

Open the URL in your browser and verify that your API or application is working correctly.

Video Tutorial

Source Code

Conclusion

That's it! 🎉 You've successfully deployed a Node.js + Express + MongoDB application on Railway for FREE.

This setup is perfect for portfolio projects, APIs, MERN stack backends, and learning cloud deployment.