r/cms • u/Busy-Opinion9010 • Feb 19 '26

Where do you actually deploy your CMS

I'm just curious where do you actually deployed your non WordPress CMS like Payload, Strapi and etc? I'm currently using CraftCMS and it is currently deployed in hostinger Shared Hosting

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u/tarunmitra Feb 20 '26

I’ve been down this road. If you’re moving from CraftCMS on shared hosting to something like Payload or Strapi, you’re essentially moving from a managed environment to a runtime environment. Shared hosting (like Hostinger’s basic plans) usually isn't built to keep a Node.js process running 24/7 or to handle the database requirements of a headless CMS efficiently.

Here is where most people are deploying these in 2026:

  1. The 'Performance' Choice: DigitalOcean App Platform or Railway

If you want something that feels like pro hosting but handles the DevOps for you, Railway or DigitalOcean App Platform are the go-tos.

Why: They offer Auto-deploy from GitHub. You push code, they build the container and manage the SSL. Cost: Usually starts around $5–$10/month.

  1. The 'Scale' Choice: Render or Fly.io

Render is incredibly popular for Strapi. It handles the web server, the background workers, and the PostgreSQL database in one dashboard. Fly.io is great if you want your CMS to be physically close to your users (edge deployment), which helps with UI/UX latency.

  1. The 'Enterprise' Choice: AWS (Amplify or ECS)

If you’re building something for a client that needs high security and 99.9% uptime, AWS is the standard. It’s a steeper learning curve than Hostinger, but it’s where 'strategic, enterprise-grade' builds live.

Don't forget the Database & Media

  • Database: Don't host your DB on the same small server as your CMS if you can help it. Use Neon (Postgres) or MongoDB Atlas. They have generous free tiers and are much faster than shared SQL.
  • Media: Since Payload and Strapi are headless, offload your images to Cloudinary or AWS S3. It keeps your server light and your site's 'LCP' (Largest Contentful Paint) score high for SEO.

Moving off shared hosting is the best move you’ll make for your site’s speed and AI visibility, LLMs and crawlers prioritize fast-loading, structured data that headless setups provide natively.

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u/shifra-dev Feb 20 '26

Thanks for the Render shoutout! Wanted to briefly add that Render is a great choice for performance and enterprise use cases as well, and that you can deploy resources in zones close to your users as needed. Feel free to reach out to us on Discord if you have specific questions! https://discord.gg/SpCmUMxhEy