An AI-built website needs an application server when its own code must run on the server for each request or as a background process. A site made of ready-to-serve HTML, CSS and browser JavaScript can use static hosting. The tool used to generate the design does not settle this choice.
Inspect the delivered files
Start with the exported project rather than its preview. Look for a build command, a server start command, backend routes and environment-variable instructions. A package file may contain only build tools; it does not by itself mean a production Node.js process is necessary.
- Ready HTML pages and assets: test the exported files on a static web server.
- A frontend build: run its documented build and identify the output directory.
- Server routes, database queries or scheduled jobs: list the runtime and services they need.
- A contact form using an external service: confirm where submissions actually go.
Test the business action
A convincing preview can conceal a button that has no working destination. Submit the contact form with test data, follow the confirmation and verify receipt. For a shop, use the payment provider's test workflow before enabling real payments. Keep private service credentials out of browser code and exported public files.
Record each dependency as either part of your deployment or an external service you maintain separately. This makes ownership and recurring costs easier to discuss before launch.
Choose the next step
Use the export and publishing guide to prepare the handoff. For a Next.js project, check static-export compatibility before choosing an environment. Vibe Hosting AI Builder creates multi-page sites with preview, editing and source export; application hosting requirements still depend on the project you intend to run.
The useful purchase decision is a verified deployment path: files that can be served directly, or a runtime with a start command, dependencies and an acceptance check.