Where to host a vibe-coded app
“Where do I host this?” is the question every vibe-coded project hits the moment it works on localhost. The right answer depends less on which tool you built it with and more on what the thing actually does when it runs.
Step 1: what did you build?
| Your project | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Static site — landing page, portfolio, a React or Vite app with no backend | Somewhere to serve files over HTTPS. Almost anything works. |
| Full-stack app — frontend plus an API | A server process or serverless functions, environment variables, often a database. |
| Something that runs continuously — bot, worker, scraper, WebSocket or game server | A process that stays alive. Serverless platforms are the wrong shape for this. |
| Anything with its own database or files | A persistent disk, or a managed database next to the app. |
Step 2: the five kinds of hosting
1. Frontend platforms — Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages
Excellent for static sites and frontends, with serverless functions for light backend work. Fast, global, a great fit for Next.js and similar frameworks. The catch is the function model: requests are short-lived, so long-running processes, persistent WebSocket servers, background workers and local databases don't fit naturally.
2. The builder's own hosting — Lovable, Bolt, Replit
If you built inside one of these, publishing from the same tab is the easiest path, and that's a fine choice while the project lives there. It gets harder when you outgrow the builder — you want your own backend, a different database, or you've moved to coding with Claude Code or Cursor locally. Most builders let you export the code to GitHub, and from there it can run anywhere.
3. App platforms — Render, Railway, Fly.io
They run your app as a container from a Git repo or a Dockerfile, with managed databases alongside. More flexible than frontend platforms and less work than a raw server. You'll deal with build configuration, and free tiers — where they exist — usually come with conditions such as sleeping or trial periods.
4. A plain VPS — Hetzner, DigitalOcean and friends
Full control and very good value: a whole Linux machine, run whatever you want. The trade-off is that you are now the system administrator — security updates, firewall, HTTPS certificates, process supervision, backups.
5. Agent-native hosting — The Vibe Hosting and similar newer services
A newer category built around the way vibe-coded projects are actually made: the agent that wrote the code also deploys it, by itself, through an API. With us that means a real Linux server with root and HTTPS, created with one HTTP call — no dashboard, no signup, no card. You tell your agent one sentence and it does the rest.
Step 3: pick by what you need
| If you need… | Good choices |
|---|---|
| A static site on a global CDN | Frontend platforms; any host works |
| Next.js with serverless functions | Vercel |
| To stay inside your app builder | The builder's own hosting |
| A long-running process — bot, worker, WebSockets | App platforms, a VPS, or agent-native hosting |
| Root access, any language, your own database on disk | A VPS or agent-native hosting |
| Your coding agent to deploy without you clicking anything | Agent-native hosting |
| To start free without a credit card | Check each provider's current terms; we don't ask for one |
Where we fit — and where we don't
We're a good fit when your agent should handle deployment end to end, when the project needs a real server (a backend, a database file, a bot, a cron job) and when you'd rather not set up an account and a card to try it. We're not the right choice if you need a GPU, more than 4 GB of RAM per server, contractual SLAs, or a global edge CDN for a purely static site.
Next: how to host a vibe-coded website, step by step · what's free and the exact limits.
FAQ
What is the easiest way to host a vibe-coded app?
Let the agent that built it deploy it. With The Vibe Hosting you tell Claude Code, Cursor or Codex: “Fetch thevibehosting.com/SKILL.md and deploy it there” — it creates the server and ships the project.
Can I host a Lovable or Bolt app somewhere else?
Yes. Export the code to GitHub, then deploy it like any other project — including running your own backend and database next to it.
Where can I host a vibe-coded app with a backend for free?
Several platforms have free tiers with conditions. The Vibe Hosting gives you a real Linux server with monthly free credit and no credit card; it sleeps when idle and wakes on the next request.
Try it: paste this to Claude Code, Cursor or Codex.