Node.js is simple to set up and allows you to focus on and optimize your usage of a single language; namely Javascript.
You can get started with learning this on your local machine without setting up a dedicated server. Once you're ready to test it out in the wild you can either go with a serverless option, which charges you on a per operation basis, or you can procure a VPS, which is safer financially, but then you'll have to be sure to set up the firewall (ufw is simple to use) and reverse proxy server (I'm fond of NGINX) correctly. There are a few other security measures to be taken as well, such as fail2ban and configuring sshd.
This seems like a decent guide to get started on that aspect.