Step 8 — Instant deploy with Replit

Fly.io is fast but Replit doesn't even leave the browser. Lowest-friction PaaS for learners.

First deploy — straight from the browser

1. Sign up at https://replit.com (GitHub login works).
2. Create Repl → pick "Node.js" or "Python" template.
3. Write index.js or main.py:

import express from "express";
const app = express();
app.get("/", (req, res) => res.send("Hello from Replit"));
app.listen(3000, () => console.log("Listening on 3000"));

4. Click ▶ Run → webview on the right.
5. Top-right Deploy → Static or Reserved VM → Deploy.

Live at https://my-repl.replit.app with auto HTTPS.

Four deployment modes

For learning, Static is free. Backends start at Reserved VM (paid).

.replit file

run = "node index.js"
entrypoint = "index.js"

[deployment]
run = ["sh", "-c", "node index.js"]
deploymentTarget = "cloudrun"

Secrets

Use the 🔒 Secrets panel on the left, not .env. Auto-injects as env vars and doesn't leak when forked.

Replit DB — persistence in one line

import Database from "@replit/database";
const db = new Database();
await db.set("count", 1);
const count = await db.get("count");

Small KV store. Fine for learning. For real SaaS, use PostgreSQL (Replit also offers PG via Neon) or an external DB.

Fly.io vs Replit

Learning · pair programming · hackathons → Replit. Stable hosting · custom domain → Fly.io.

Try it

Move the Node.js app from getting-started into Replit and deploy as Static. When done, Settings → Delete this Repl.

AI Agent — generate apps from natural language

Replit's differentiator. Top-right Agent button:

"Build a Todo app with PostgreSQL + Express + login"

→ files · code · DB · deploy are scaffolded automatically. Lowest entry barrier in the field.

Similar tools:

• Bolt.new (quick Vite/Next PoC)
• v0.dev (Vercel — UI components)
• Lovable (Supabase full-stack)
• Google AI Studio Build (Gemini · Cloud Run)

See AI Web IDE comparison for the full table.

Deeper

• Replit note
• AI Web IDE comparison
• Google AI Studio

Next

Step 9 covers GitHub Pages — completely free static hosting.