Guides to hosting, domains and building with AI
Plain-English answers from people who run hosting every day: putting a site online, fixing errors, DNS, and what the big platforms really cost.
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70 guides shown
How-to
Step-by-step: deploy, connect and move your site.
- How to host a Next.js app outside VercelRun a Next.js app on a real Node.js server with server rendering and API routes, deployed from Git, a zip or your AI tool.2 min read
- Supabase hosting: how to put your Supabase app onlineGive a site built with AI its Supabase database: find the keys, add them safely and check the connection works.2 min read
- How to move a site from shared hostingMove a static or Node.js site off old shared hosting without downtime, and keep your email where it is.2 min read
- Environment variables explained: what they are and how to use themWhat environment variables are, why secrets belong in them, .env files, build-time vs runtime values, and how to set them without leaking keys.7 min read
Building with AI
Vibe coding, MCP and putting what AI builds online.
- How to put a site you built with Claude onlineBuilt a site with Claude or Claude Code? Put it online with your own address in a few minutes, then update it by asking Claude.3 min read
- What is vibe coding? A practical guide to building with AIVibe coding means building software by describing it to an AI and running what it writes. Where the term came from, the tools, the risks and how to ship.8 min read
- What is an MCP server? The Model Context Protocol explainedMCP lets AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT use outside tools and data. How MCP servers work, local vs remote, sign-in, security and a real example.8 min read
- How to build a website with AI, from idea to your own domainBuild a website with AI step by step: choose a tool, write prompts that work, edit and test it, then put it online with your own domain, free to start.6 min read
- What is serverless? Functions vs long-running servers, explainedServerless runs your code only when a request arrives. How it differs from a long-running server, cold starts, costs, and when each is the better fit.6 min read
Hosting basics
What hosting is, the kinds there are and what it costs.
- How to host a website: a plain-English guideEverything you need to put a website online: the kinds of hosting, choosing one, getting a domain, uploading your site, HTTPS, email and what it costs.4 min read
- What is web hosting? How it works and the types of hostingWeb hosting explained in plain English: how it works, the main types of hosting (shared, VPS, dedicated, cloud, app platforms) and how to choose one.8 min read
- Shared hosting vs VPS: the real differences and which you needShared hosting vs VPS compared: performance, control, security, cost and upkeep, with clear advice on when to stay on shared hosting and when to move.6 min read
- Static vs dynamic websites: what they are and which you needWhat a static website is, what makes a site dynamic, the pros and cons of each, examples, and how the choice changes your hosting and costs.5 min read
- How much does a website cost? Hosting, domain, email and building itWhat a website really costs in 2026: hosting, domain, email, and building it yourself with AI or hiring a designer, with honest ranges and worked examples.7 min read
- What is uptime? What 99.9% really means, and how to monitor itWhat website uptime is, what 99%, 99.9%, 99.99% and 99.999% mean in minutes of downtime, how SLAs work, and how to monitor your own site.6 min read
- cPanel vs Plesk: how the two control panels comparecPanel vs Plesk compared fairly: interface, operating systems, WordPress, licensing and which suits a hosting customer or someone running their own server.7 min read
- The best free website hosting in 2026: an honest comparisonFree hosting from Cloudzyro, GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel and Render compared on real limits, business use and what happens when busy.6 min read
Domains and DNS
Choosing a domain and the records that point it at your site.
- How to point your domain at your siteUse your own domain for a site: the www and bare-domain records to add, how long it takes and how to check it's working.2 min read
- What is DNS? How the internet's address book worksDNS turns names like example.com into the addresses computers use. How a lookup works, the main record types, TTLs, propagation and how to check yours.7 min read
- What is a domain name? A plain-English guideA domain name is your address on the internet. Its parts, how it differs from a URL and hosting, who runs domains, what one costs and how to own one.6 min read
- How to choose a domain name: 10 rules that hold upPick a domain that's easy to say, spell and remember. Which ending to choose, names to avoid, trademark checks and what to do when yours is taken.6 min read
- What is a subdomain? Examples, uses and how to set one upA subdomain is a name in front of your domain, like blog.example.com. What they're for, subdomain vs subfolder, the DNS records to add and how to check.5 min read
- A record vs CNAME: what's the difference and which to useAn A record points a name to an IP address; a CNAME points it to another name. When to use each, the rules that trip people up, and how to check yours.6 min read
- What is an MX record? How email finds your domainMX records tell the internet which servers receive email for your domain. How they work, what priority means, common examples and how to check yours.6 min read
- www vs non-www: which should your site use?Should your site be www.example.com or example.com? Neither is better for SEO. What actually differs, how to pick one and how to redirect the other.5 min read
- DNS propagation: how long it really takes, and how to check itDNS changes don't propagate; cached answers expire. How TTLs decide the wait, why nameserver changes are slower, and how to check with dig.6 min read
Pricing explained
What other platforms and tools really cost.
- Vercel pricing explained: Hobby, Pro and what you'll really payVercel's Hobby, Pro and Enterprise plans in plain words: what's included, how seats and usage are billed, worked examples and how to keep your bill down.3 min read
- Netlify pricing explained: credits, plans and what happens when you run outHow Netlify's credit-based plans work: what Free, Personal and Pro include, what each deploy and GB costs in credits, and what happens when credits run out.2 min read
- Railway pricing explained: plans, usage and what you'll really payHow Railway's pricing works: the Free, Hobby and Pro plans, per-second CPU, memory and traffic charges, worked monthly examples and how to keep costs down.3 min read
- Render pricing explained: workspace plans, instances and bandwidthHow Render's pricing works: the Hobby, Pro and Scale workspace plans, what each service instance costs, bandwidth and build charges, with worked examples.3 min read
- Heroku pricing explained: dynos, databases and what you'll really payHow Heroku's pricing works: Eco, Basic, Standard and Performance dynos, Postgres and Key-Value Store prices, worked monthly examples and how to keep costs down.3 min read
- Claude pricing explained: Free, Pro, Max, Team and the APIClaude's Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans, how usage limits work, and API prices per model, with worked examples and ways to spend less.6 min read
- Supabase pricing explained: plans, compute and add-onsHow Supabase's pricing works: the Free, Pro, Team and Enterprise plans, compute sizes and credits, usage charges and add-ons, with worked monthly examples.5 min read
- Cursor pricing explained: plans, weekly usage and teamsHow Cursor's pricing works in The X Subscription: Free, Plus, Premium, Super, Ultra and Teams, the weekly usage pool, top-ups and model rates.5 min read
- Replit pricing explained: Starter, Core, Pro and publishing costsHow Replit's pricing works: the Starter, Core, Pro and Enterprise plans, monthly credits, effort-based Agent pricing and what publishing an app costs.5 min read
- Cloudflare Pages pricing explained: free static hosting and Workers plansHow Cloudflare Pages and Workers are priced: free static hosting, the $5 Workers Paid plan, request and CPU charges, build limits and worked examples.5 min read
- Lovable pricing explained: plans, credits and what you'll payHow Lovable's pricing works: Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise, credit tiers, what a credit buys, daily and monthly grants, and worked monthly examples.4 min read
- Bolt.new pricing explained: tokens, plans and hosting limitsHow Bolt.new's pricing works: the Free, Pro, Teams and Enterprise plans, monthly tokens and rollover, Bolt hosting limits and worked monthly examples.5 min read
- Fly.io pricing explained: Machines, storage and data transferHow Fly.io's pricing works: per-second Machines, volumes, data transfer by region, Managed Postgres and support plans, with worked monthly examples.5 min read
- Neon pricing explained: Free, Launch, Scale and compute hoursHow Neon's Postgres pricing works: the Free, Launch and Scale plans, CU-hours and storage, what's included, worked monthly examples and how to spend less.5 min read
- AWS Amplify pricing explained: builds, hosting and SSRHow AWS Amplify Hosting is priced: build minutes, storage, data transfer and server-side rendering charges, the Free Tier, and AWS's own worked examples.4 min read
Troubleshooting
What errors mean and how to fix them.
- What is a 404 error? What it means and how to fix itA 404 Not Found means the server is up but can't find the page you asked for. Why it happens, how to fix one as a visitor or site owner, and SEO effects.6 min read
- What is a 502 Bad Gateway error, and how do you fix it?A 502 Bad Gateway means a server in the middle got a bad answer, or none, from the server behind it. The causes, and fixes for visitors and site owners.6 min read
- 403 Forbidden: what it means and how to fix itA 403 Forbidden means the server understood the request but won't let you see the page. The common causes, and fixes for visitors and site owners.6 min read
- 500 Internal Server Error: what it means and how to fix itA 500 Internal Server Error means the site's server hit a problem it can't handle. What causes it and how to fix it on nginx, Apache, Node and WordPress.6 min read
- 504 Gateway Timeout: what it means and how to fix itA 504 Gateway Timeout means a proxy waited too long for the server behind it. Why it happens, timeouts in nginx, Apache and Cloudflare, and how to fix it.5 min read
- 429 Too Many Requests: what it means and how to fix itA 429 Too Many Requests means you've hit a rate limit. How to fix it as a visitor or API user, how to set limits well, and how Retry-After works.5 min read
- 400 Bad Request: what it means and how to fix itA 400 Bad Request means the server couldn't process the request because something in it was malformed. Common causes, from cookies to bad JSON, and fixes.5 min read
- 503 Service Unavailable: what it means and how to fix itA 503 Service Unavailable means the server can't handle requests right now, often overload or maintenance. What causes it and how to fix it for good.5 min read
- 405 Method Not Allowed: what it means and how to fix itA 405 Method Not Allowed means the address exists but doesn't accept that kind of request, like a POST to a static page. Causes and fixes by server.5 min read
- 401 Unauthorized: what it means and how to fix itA 401 Unauthorized means the request needs valid credentials it didn't have: a sign-in, password or API key. How it differs from 403, and how to fix it.5 min read
- 413 Request Entity Too Large: what it means and how to fix itA 413 error means an upload or request body is larger than the server allows. How to raise the limit in nginx, Apache, PHP, Express, Next.js or Cloudflare.5 min read
- 301 vs 302 redirects (and 307, 308): which to use301 and 308 are permanent redirects, 302 and 307 temporary. How they differ, how Google treats each, and how to set them in nginx, Apache and Next.js.5 min read
- DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN: what it means and how to fix itDNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN means DNS says the domain doesn't exist. Why it happens, quick fixes for visitors, and what site owners should check.6 min read
- ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED: what it means and how to fix itERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED means your browser couldn't turn a web address into an IP address. What causes it, in pages and in DevTools, and how to fix it.5 min read
- DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG: what it means and how to fix itDNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG means the DNS server your device uses isn't working. How to fix it on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and your router.5 min read
- This site can't be reached: what each version means and how to fix itThis site can't be reached is Chrome's heading for several errors. Match the line under it to the cause, then fix it fast, as a visitor or site owner.5 min read
- ERR_CONNECTION_RESET: what it means and how to fix itERR_CONNECTION_RESET means the connection to a site was cut off mid-way. The usual causes, from VPNs and firewalls to servers, and how to fix each one.5 min read
- ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT: what it means and how to fix itERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT means the site's server never answered. Why that happens, quick fixes for visitors, and what site owners should check.5 min read
- ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED: what it means and how to fix itERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED means the server said no to the connection, usually because nothing is listening. Fixes for visitors, site owners and localhost.5 min read
- ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR: what it means and how to fix itERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR means the secure connection broke during setup. What causes it, fixes for visitors, and how site owners can test with openssl.5 min read
- Your connection is not private: what it means and how to fix itYour connection is not private means a site's HTTPS certificate failed a check. What each NET::ERR_CERT code means and how visitors and owners fix it.5 min read
- SSL handshake failed: what it means and how to fix itAn SSL handshake failure means client and server couldn't agree how to secure the connection. Causes, Cloudflare error 525, and how to test with openssl.5 min read
- NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID: what it means and how to fix itNET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID means a site's certificate is expired or your clock is wrong. How to tell which, and how to fix and prevent it.5 min read
- ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: what it means and how to fix itERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS means a page keeps redirecting in a loop. Fix it as a visitor, and find the loop as an owner, including Cloudflare's Flexible SSL.5 min read
- CORS error: what it means and how to fix itA CORS error means the browser blocked a response because the server didn't allow your origin. How CORS and preflight work, with Express and Next.js fixes.7 min read
- Error establishing a database connection: how to fix itWhy WordPress shows Error establishing a database connection and how to fix it: wp-config.php, cPanel prefixes, MySQL limits, and Supabase or Neon apps.7 min read
- Cloudflare errors 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525 and 526 explainedWhat Cloudflare's 520 to 526 errors mean, which side is at fault and how to fix each, from a server that's down or too slow to a bad origin certificate.7 min read
- WordPress white screen of death: how to fix itA blank WordPress page or critical error usually means a PHP fatal error. Turn on WP_DEBUG, find the plugin or theme, and fix memory or PHP version issues.6 min read
- Mixed content error: what it is and how to fix itMixed content is an HTTPS page loading files over HTTP. Find them in dev tools, then fix them in code, with WP-CLI in WordPress, or with a CSP header.6 min read
Compare hosts
Side by side on price and limits, from each company's own pricing pages.
- Cloudzyro vs Vercel
- Cloudzyro vs Netlify
- Cloudzyro vs Render
- Cloudzyro vs Railway
- Vercel alternatives
- Netlify alternatives
- Vercel vs Netlify
- Render vs Vercel
- Railway vs Render
- Netlify vs Render
- Railway vs Vercel
- Railway vs Netlify
- Heroku vs Render
- Heroku alternatives
- Railway alternatives
- Render alternatives
- Hostinger vs Bluehost
- Vercel vs AWS
- Vercel vs AWS Amplify
- Vercel vs Cloudflare
- Heroku vs Vercel
- Fly.io vs Render
- Fly.io vs Railway
- Fly.io alternatives
- Cloudflare Pages vs Netlify
Looking for help with the console?
The docs cover every page of the console, step by step.