How to deploy an Express app for free from a ZIP

What the Free plan includes.

Sitedropper Free is a $0 plan for a small real deployment workflow. The dashboard is the source of truth for the current ZIP limit shown beside Choose ZIP.

• Up to 3 projects
• 30 deployments per month
• Draft, Password protected, and Public sharing
• Sitedropper URL

Before you build.

Run tests and any TypeScript/build step locally. A plain JavaScript Express project may not have a build script; its start script is the important production check.

• express listed in package.json.
• A start script that runs the production server.
• A server that reads process.env.PORT and does not bind only to localhost.
• A root or health route you can test after deployment.

Build and check Express locally.

Run these commands from the project root. Finish the local check before creating the archive so the deployment is not the first place a dependency, compile, or startup error appears.

The final server command stays running. Open the local URL in another terminal or browser, complete the checks, then stop it with Ctrl+C.

npmpnpmYarn

npm

Check the Express project with npm

Use npm when package-lock.json is the project lockfile. If the project has no lockfile yet, run npm install once instead of npm ci and keep the generated lockfile.

Check the Express project with npmCopy Check the Express project with npm code

npm ci
npm run build --if-present
npm start

pnpm

Check the Express project with pnpm

Use pnpm when pnpm-lock.yaml or the packageManager field selects pnpm. Keep the lockfile and any workspace manifest with the source archive.

Check the Express project with pnpmCopy Check the Express project with pnpm code

corepack enable
pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
pnpm run --if-present build
pnpm start

Yarn

Check the Express project with Yarn

Use Yarn only when the checked-in release accepts --frozen-lockfile, which matches Sitedropper’s current generated build. Otherwise choose the project’s npm/pnpm lockfile or an existing Dockerfile instead of changing commands only for upload.

Check the Express project with YarnCopy Check the Express project with Yarn code

corepack enable
yarn install --frozen-lockfile
# Uncomment commands that exist in package.json:
# yarn run test
# yarn run build
yarn start

Use one dependency workflow: keep the lockfile that matches the selected package manager and do not mix install commands.

Create the ZIP on your operating system.

Package reviewed source and build metadata; use the exclusions to keep local-only files out. The Windows and macOS recipes include graphical menu guidance, while the commands remain the precise archive contract.

No command line required

Directly create the ZIP in your file system.

First create and inspect a clean staging folder containing only the required source, manifest, configuration, and entry-point files. In Windows File Explorer, right-click the reviewed selection and choose Compress to → ZIP File. On macOS, Control-click the reviewed selection and choose Compress Items.

Open the resulting archive before upload. If an outer folder wraps the expected files, recreate the ZIP by selecting the folder’s contents instead.

Or create and inspect the ZIP from the command line.

macOSWindowsLinux

macOS

Compress the reviewed source in Terminal

The exclusions keep common dependencies, caches, local data, and secrets out. Finder users must first make and inspect an equivalent clean staging folder, then select its contents, Control-click, and choose Compress Items—not compress the raw project folder.

1. Run from the project root.
2. Inspect project-specific local files before upload.
3. Confirm the manifest, lockfile or requirements, source, and entry point are present.

Compress the reviewed source in TerminalCopy Compress the reviewed source in Terminal code

if [ -e site.zip ]; then echo "site.zip already exists. Move or rename it before continuing." >&2; exit 1; fi
zip -qr site.zip . -x "node_modules/*" ".venv/*" "venv/*" ".git/*" "__pycache__/*" "*/__pycache__/*" "*.py[cod]" ".next/*" "dist/*" "build/*" "out/*" ".cache/*" ".turbo/*" ".env" ".env.*" "*/.env" "*/.env.*" ".npmrc" "*/.npmrc" "*.sqlite" "*.sqlite3" "db.sqlite3" "*.log" ".DS_Store" "*/.DS_Store" "site.zip" ".sitedropper-package/*"
unzip -l site.zip | head -60

Windows

Stage and compress the source in PowerShell

A clean staging folder prevents dependencies, caches, local databases, and secrets from entering the ZIP. For File Explorer, stop after robocopy, inspect the staging contents, select them, right-click, and choose Compress to → ZIP File; never compress the unreviewed project folder.

1. Run from the folder containing the manifest or requirements.txt.
2. Review the staging folder created beside the project before upload.
3. The command intentionally leaves the staging folder in place and never deletes it automatically.

Stage and compress the source in PowerShellCopy Stage and compress the source in PowerShell code

$ProjectRoot = (Resolve-Path .).Path
$ProjectName = Split-Path $ProjectRoot -Leaf
$Stage = Join-Path (Split-Path $ProjectRoot -Parent) "$ProjectName-sitedropper-package"
if (Test-Path $Stage) { throw "$Stage already exists. Move or rename it before continuing." }
if (Test-Path .\site.zip) { throw "site.zip already exists. Move or rename it before continuing." }
robocopy $ProjectRoot $Stage /E /XD node_modules .venv venv .git .next dist build out .cache .turbo __pycache__ .sitedropper-package /XF .env .env.* .npmrc site.zip *.pyc *.pyo *.sqlite *.sqlite3 db.sqlite3 *.log
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ge 8) { throw "robocopy failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem
$Archive = Join-Path $ProjectRoot "site.zip"
[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::CreateFromDirectory($Stage, $Archive)
tar.exe -tf .\site.zip

Linux

Compress the reviewed source in a Linux terminal

The exclusions keep common dependencies, caches, local data, and secrets out. Install your distribution’s zip package first if needed.

1. Run from the project root.
2. Inspect project-specific local files before upload.
3. Confirm the manifest, lockfile or requirements, source, and entry point are present.

Compress the reviewed source in a Linux terminalCopy Compress the reviewed source in a Linux terminal code

if [ -e site.zip ]; then echo "site.zip already exists. Move or rename it before continuing." >&2; exit 1; fi
zip -qr site.zip . -x "node_modules/*" ".venv/*" "venv/*" ".git/*" "__pycache__/*" "*/__pycache__/*" "*.py[cod]" ".next/*" "dist/*" "build/*" "out/*" ".cache/*" ".turbo/*" ".env" ".env.*" "*/.env" "*/.env.*" ".npmrc" "*/.npmrc" "*.sqlite" "*.sqlite3" "db.sqlite3" "*.log" ".DS_Store" "*/.DS_Store" "site.zip" ".sitedropper-package/*"
unzip -l site.zip | head -60

Inspect before upload: compare the ZIP listing with the archive tree below and remove dependencies, caches, local data, and secrets.

Check the archive root.

The package start script must point to a file included in the archive. Exclude node_modules, .env files, logs, caches, and local uploads.

site.zip
├── package.json
├── package-lock.json / pnpm-lock.yaml / yarn.lock
├── server.js / app.js / compiled-source entry
├── src/ (when used)
└── public/ or views/ (when used)

Upload the Express ZIP to Sitedropper.

Create a Draft project, upload site.zip, follow the deployment, and open the generated URL only after the progress reaches Ready.

The dashboard screenshots use fictional project and account data. Yellow outlines identify the documented controls.

1. 01

   Create a project

   Open Projects, choose New project, enter a name, and select the highlighted Create project action. New projects begin as Draft.

   

2. 02

   Upload the ZIP

   Open the project’s Upload and deploy card, then select the highlighted Choose ZIP control or drop the archive into the same area.

   

3. 03

   Open the deployed site

   Wait for Analyze, Build, and Deploy to finish. Then use the highlighted Open Sitedropper site action to review the generated URL.

   

Dashboard screenshot

Dashboard action

Close ×

Check the Express result.

Use the deployed URL like a visitor rather than relying only on the successful status.

• Open / or the project’s documented health route.
• Test one API response and confirm it returns the expected content type.
• Load a view/static asset when the server provides one.
• Verify the server does not depend on files created only on your local machine.

Update Sitedropper Project settings.

Project settings are separate from framework configuration. Update the project name or description, keep Draft while reviewing, then choose Password protected or Public only when that matches the intended audience. Free does not include Private sharing by email, URL customization, or custom domains.

The dashboard screenshots use fictional project and account data. In the first settings image, the existing yellow outline marks Open site; the Project settings card is visible below and is identified by the instructions.

1. 01

   Review Project settings

   The Project settings card is below the project header. Update the name or description, review the generated URL, and keep the first deployment Draft while you test it.

   

2. 02

   Choose who can open the site

   Open Visibility. Free includes Draft, Password protected, and Public. Select Public only when anonymous access is intentional, then close the menu and choose Save changes.

   

Dashboard screenshot

Dashboard action

Close ×

Finish the change: close the visibility menu, select Save changes, and wait for the “Changes saved” confirmation before leaving the page.

Troubleshoot this Express deployment.

The deployment never becomes ready

Check that the start script launches the server and that it reads process.env.PORT instead of only port 3000.

The server listens only on localhost

Remove an explicit 127.0.0.1/localhost bind or use 0.0.0.0.

npm start cannot find the entry file

Compare package.json scripts with the ZIP listing. Include the source or compiled entry that the command names.

Views or public files return 404

Build paths from the application directory rather than a machine-specific absolute path, and keep those folders in the ZIP.

Know the Free-plan boundaries.

• The application must be stateless on its local filesystem.
• Sitedropper does not provide an application database, cron process, or background worker in this ZIP workflow.
• Keep credentials and local environment files out of the archive.

The generated Sitedropper URL remains available on Free. Check the dashboard for current usage and upload limits before starting another deployment.

Express deployment FAQ.