Hot Updater - Self-hosted OTA updates for React Native

Build a custom backend server for Hot Updater database with any framework and ORM.

Installation

Install the server package and standalone plugin.

npm install @hot-updater/server @hot-updater/standalone --save-dev

Architecture

Self-hosted mode lets you control the database layer while using existing cloud storage plugins.

How it works:

CLI: Uses standaloneRepository in hot-updater.config.ts to send requests to your server
Server: Handles database operations with @hot-updater/server
Storage: Uses existing plugins (AWS S3, Supabase, Cloudflare R2, Firebase)

This approach gives you full control over metadata while leveraging reliable cloud storage.

CLI Configuration

Configure your Hot Updater CLI to use the self-hosted database.

hot-updater.config.ts

import { defineConfig } from "@hot-updater/core";
import { bare } from "@hot-updater/bare";
import { s3Storage } from "@hot-updater/aws";
import { standaloneRepository } from "@hot-updater/standalone";

export default defineConfig({
  build: bare(),
  storage: s3Storage({
    region: "auto",
    endpoint: process.env.R2_ENDPOINT,
    credentials: {
      accessKeyId: process.env.R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID!,
      secretAccessKey: process.env.R2_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY!,
    },
    bucketName: process.env.R2_BUCKET_NAME!,
  }),
  database: standaloneRepository({
    baseUrl: "http://localhost:3000/hot-updater",
  }),
});

Storage Plugins

The storages field in your server configuration acts as a decoder/interpreter for storage URIs. Here's how it works:

When you run npx hot-updater deploy from your hot-updater.config.ts, the bundle is uploaded and a storageUri is saved to the database
When the API returns bundle information, the server decodes the storageUri using the storage plugin to generate a download URL
React Native clients download the bundle using this URL

Multiple Storage Plugins

storages is an array, allowing you to configure multiple storage providers simultaneously. Each plugin acts as a decoder for its specific storage URI format.

Use cases:

Bundles stored across different storage providers
Migrating between storage providers (old and new bundles coexist)
Multi-region deployments with different storage backends

Example with multiple plugins:

src/hotUpdater.ts

export const hotUpdater = createHotUpdater({
  database: kyselyAdapter({ db, provider: "sqlite" }),
  storages: [
    s3Storage({ /* AWS S3 config */ }),
    supabaseStorage({ /* Supabase config */ }),
    myCustomStorage({ /* My Custom Storage */})
  ],
  basePath: "/hot-updater",
});

The server automatically uses the correct plugin to decode each storageUri based on its format.

Recommendation: Match Your CLI Configuration

For most use cases, use only the storage plugin that matches your CLI's hot-updater.config.ts.

CLI (hot-updater.config.ts):

storage: s3Storage({ ... })

Server (src/hotUpdater.ts):

storages: [s3Storage({ ... })]

This ensures consistency and simplifies configuration. Only use multiple plugins when you need to support bundles from different storage providers.

Available official plugins:

s3Storage - AWS S3 and Cloudflare R2
supabaseStorage - Supabase Storage
firebaseStorage - Firebase Cloud Storage

Database Adapters

Start by setting up your database adapter. Choose the ORM that fits your project:

Drizzle - TypeScript ORM with SQL-like syntax
Prisma - Next-generation ORM with intuitive data modeling
Kysely - Type-safe SQL query builder
MongoDB - Native MongoDB driver

Server Frameworks

After configuring your database, choose the framework that fits your stack:

Hono - Lightweight Web Standard framework
Express - Popular Node.js framework
Elysia - Modern Bun-first framework

Key Features

Framework Agnostic: Use Hono, Express, Elysia, or any Web Standard framework
ORM choice: Drizzle, Prisma, Kysely, or native MongoDB driver
Database control: PostgreSQL, SQLite, or MongoDB on your infrastructure
Cloud storage: Leverage existing AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, Supabase, or Firebase storage
Type safety: Full TypeScript support across all adapters
Production ready: Built-in graceful shutdown and error handling

Overview