Does NestJS Work With Docker?
NestJS and Docker work seamlessly together; Docker is the standard deployment platform for containerized NestJS applications in production.
Quick Facts
How NestJS Works With Docker
NestJS applications are Node.js-based and containerize exceptionally well with Docker. The framework's modular architecture and dependency injection system don't require special configuration for Docker deployment—you simply create a Dockerfile with a Node.js base image, install dependencies, and run the compiled application. Multi-stage builds are recommended to optimize image size by separating the build stage (which includes TypeScript compilation) from the runtime stage. Docker's environment variable support pairs naturally with NestJS's ConfigModule for managing different configurations across development, staging, and production environments. Docker Compose is commonly used for local development, allowing developers to run NestJS alongside databases, Redis, and other services without installing them locally. The main consideration is proper signal handling in containerized environments—NestJS handles SIGTERM correctly via its lifecycle hooks, ensuring graceful shutdowns when Docker stops containers.
Best Use Cases
Multi-Stage Dockerfile for NestJS
docker build -t my-nestjs-app .# Stage 1: Build
FROM node:18-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
# Stage 2: Runtime
FROM node:18-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install --only=production
COPY --from=builder /app/dist ./dist
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "dist/main.js"]Known Issues & Gotchas
Build optimization: unoptimized Dockerfiles create large images (1GB+) due to node_modules in runtime stage
Fix: Use multi-stage builds with separate build and runtime stages; use .dockerignore to exclude unnecessary files
Port binding issues in containers when NestJS listens on localhost (127.0.0.1) instead of 0.0.0.0
Fix: Configure NestJS to listen on 0.0.0.0 or use HOST environment variable to expose the application outside the container
TypeScript compilation adds overhead; .ts files shouldn't be included in runtime images
Fix: Build TypeScript during Docker build stage and only copy compiled .js and package.json to runtime image
Node modules caching invalidates with any package.json change, slowing builds
Fix: Copy package.json first, run npm install, then copy application code to leverage Docker layer caching
Alternatives
- •Express.js with Docker—more lightweight but lacks NestJS's structured architecture
- •Fastify with Docker—faster performance but requires more manual setup for enterprise features
- •Go/Gin with Docker—smaller images and better concurrency, but different language ecosystem
Resources
Related Compatibility Guides
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