Shipping Your App: Hosting and CI/CD

Code on your laptop helps one person. A URL helps anyone. Hosts now automate what used to be hand-configured servers — pick by what the app needs: pages, an always-on server, a database, background work.

CI/CD in one paragraph

CI (continuous integration): each change gets automatically checked — build, tests. CD (continuous deployment): passing changes get built and published. Push code, checks run, the live site updates. Timing varies by provider; the point is the path is repeatable.

GitHub in the middle

GitHub stores the history and connects to the hosts:

• Every change tracked; bad deploy? Roll back.
• Plugs into Vercel and Zeabur directly.
• GitHub Actions runs tests on each commit, free for individuals.

Where to host: managed or VPS

A managed platform does the operating work. A virtual private server gives control — and chores. Start managed.

Vercel — pages and front ends

This site runs here. Link the repo once; each push to main builds and publishes. Cached pages served near visitors, HTTPS handled. Right shape for content sites and small services.

Zeabur — databases and always-on work

My other apps live here: containers for services and databases, networking and domains included, less upkeep than a self-managed VPS.

The loop

1. Build and test locally, with a coding assistant or otherwise.
2. git push origin main to GitHub.
3. The host (Vercel for pages, Zeabur for back ends) builds, checks, publishes, routes the domain.

Push to live takes as long as the build takes. Watch it land; don’t assume.