- ✓Basic terminal knowledge (SSH commands)
- ✓A registered domain name (or eligible Nepali citizenship for a free .np domain)
- ✓A Git repository hosted on GitHub or GitLab
- ✓Basic understanding of DNS record types (A, CNAME, Nameservers)
🚀 What You Will Learn & Build
- ▸Complete roadmap from zero to live production domain in Nepal
- ▸Comparison: Free cloud hosting (Vercel/Render) vs. Shared cPanel vs. Self-managed VPS
- ▸How to connect a free .com.np domain to global edge platforms with Cloudflare DNS
- ▸Eliminating the '/public' folder security blunder in shared cPanel Laravel deployments
- ▸Curated links to troubleshooting checklists and DNS propagation guides
Deployment Architectures Compared for Nepali Developers
| Platform Type | Cost (NPR/Month) | Tech Supported | Maintenance Overhead | Ideal Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel / Netlify | Free (Hobby) | Next.js, React, Astro, Static | Zero (Serverless) | Developer portfolios, technical blogs, frontend MVPs |
| Shared cPanel Hosting | NPR 200 – 600 | PHP 8.2+, Laravel, MySQL | Low (cPanel GUI) | Local business websites, college PHP projects |
| Unmanaged VPS (Ubuntu) | NPR 700 – 2,000 | Node.js, Docker, MongoDB, Python | High (Linux, Nginx, SSL, PM2) | Production MERN apps, multi-tenant SaaS, production APIs |
The Free .com.np Domain Opportunity
Never point your .np domain directly to cheap shared hosting nameservers. Point it to Cloudflare's free nameservers. Cloudflare provides instant DNS record updates (1-minute TTL), free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and edge caching.
Step-by-Step Deployment Tutorials in This Cluster
✨ Expected Output & Verification
A high-performance hosting setup with a verified domain and SSL security that costs little to no money for students and startups in Nepal.
🧪 How to Test the Implementation
- 1Submit personal .np domain application at register.com.np with citizenship scan and cover letter
- 2Create a free Cloudflare account and add your domain to obtain your nameservers
- 3Deploy your frontend to Vercel and your backend to VPS or cPanel
- 4Verify global propagation using 'dig yourdomain.com.np +short' in terminal
⚠️ Common Errors & How to Fix Them
Root Cause: Cloudflare SSL set to 'Flexible' while origin server enforces HTTPS, creating an infinite redirect loop.
Fix: In Cloudflare dashboard, go to SSL/TLS and change encryption mode from 'Flexible' to 'Full' or 'Full (strict)'.
Root Cause: Extracting the entire Laravel project directly into public_html without changing the document root.
Fix: Place the core Laravel application in the home directory, and place ONLY the contents of public/ inside public_html.
🛡️ Security Considerations & Best Practices
- !Disable password authentication on VPS and use Ed25519 SSH keys only.
- !Enable UFW firewall on Ubuntu: allow only ports 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), and 443 (HTTPS).
- !Never commit production .env credentials or database passwords to public GitHub repositories.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Approval typically takes 1 to 3 business days during working hours (Sunday through Thursday). If rejected, Mercantile sends an email stating the exact reason (e.g., name mismatch or illegible document scan).
📌 Summary of Key Takeaways
By combining free .com.np domains, Cloudflare DNS, Vercel serverless edge hosting, and budget VPS infrastructure, developers in Nepal can run enterprise-grade applications at near-zero starting cost.
Official References & Further Reading
Written by Manoj Neupane
AuthorSoftware developer and programming instructor, Nepal
Building software systems and SaaS platforms with Laravel, Next.js, and Node.js. Passionate about helping students and developers in Nepal master practical, real-world development skills.