Learn how to containerize your full-stack Ionic + Node.js application using Docker and Docker Compose. Create portable and scalable apps with ease

 Dockerizing a Full-Stack Ionic + Node.js Application

Overview

Deploying full-stack applications can be a headache, especially when dependencies, OS versions, or tools differ across environments. That’s where Docker shines. It allows you to create isolated, reproducible environments for your Ionic frontend, Node.js backend, and even MongoDB database.

In this guide, you'll learn how to:

• Containerize the frontend (Ionic + Angular)
• Containerize the backend (Node.js + Express or NestJS)
• Connect everything using docker-compose
• Run your stack with a single command

Project Structure

For clarity, let’s assume this layout:

my-app/

├── client     # Ionic frontend project

├──  server   # Back end Project

├── docker-compose.yml

 

Step 1: Backend Dockerfile (Node.js)

Create  Dockerfile inside the server-node/ directory:

 # server/Dockerfile

FROM node:18

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./

RUN npm install

COPY . .

EXPOSE 3000

CMD ["node", "index.js"]

Step 2: Frontend Dockerfile (Ionic)

Inside client/, create the Dockerfile:

# client/Dockerfile

FROM node:18 AS build

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./

RUN npm install

COPY . .

RUN npm run build

# Serve with Nginx

FROM nginx:alpine

COPY --from=build /app/www /usr/share/nginx/html

EXPOSE 80

CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]

Step 3: Docker Compose Setup

In your root directory, create docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'

services:

  backend:

    build: ./server

    ports:

      - "3000:3000"

    volumes:

      - ./server:/app

    restart: always

  frontend:

    build: ./client

    ports:

      - "8080:80"

    depends_on:

      - backend

    restart: always

This configuration builds and runs both the frontend and backend containers, linking them together.

Optional: Add MongoDB Support

For using MongoDB in your backend, add this service:

 mongo:

    image: mongo

    ports:

      - "27017:27017"

    volumes:

      - mongo-data:/data/db

volumes:

  mongo-data:

Running the Stack

docker-compose up --build

Benefits of Dockerizing Your Stack

• Consistent environments across dev/staging/prod
• Simple to test and debug full-stack features
• Easy onboarding—developers just run one command
• Ready for deployment on any cloud or VPS

Production Tip: Use Environment Files

For secrets or configuration (like DB URLs, ports, etc.), use .env files and map them inside docker-compose.yml using the env_file option.

Final Words

Docker brings order to full-stack development chaos. Whether you're building a prototype or deploying a production app, containerizing your Ionic + Node.js stack ensures everything runs smoothly and predictably.