Blog · September 10, 2026 · Rich Chetwynd You built an internal app with Cursor or Claude. Public hosts put a URL on the internet. Here is what private hosting actually means, and when Croft fits.
Quick answer #
If the app is for your team, not the public internet, do not put it on a public deploy host and hope a password field is enough. You want a private server, company login in front of every app, and access you grant by person. That is what Croft is for.
What people mean by “host a vibe-coded app” #
Vibe coding is building software by chatting with an AI assistant. Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, and Grok can all produce a working app in an afternoon. The hard part is the next step: where does it live?
Most guides answer that with a public platform or a DIY VPS:
- Public hosts (Vercel, Replit, Lovable-style deploy) give you a live URL anyone can open unless you build and maintain login yourself.
- A raw VPS (nginx, Docker, Let’s Encrypt) keeps the box yours, but you own auth, backups, SSL renewals, and every next app.
Neither matches the job most small businesses have: a roster, a stocktake, or a quotes tool for their people.
Private hosting vs a public URL #
| Need | Public host | DIY VPS | Croft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live URL for your team | Yes, if you add auth | Yes, if you wire auth | Yes, login is the platform |
| Company login / SSO | You build it | You build it | Built in |
| Who can open which app | You build it | You build it | You grant per app |
| Database and backups | Extra services | You run them | Included |
| AI can deploy updates | Sometimes | Manual or DIY | Cursor / Claude over MCP |
When a public host is the wrong answer #
Use a public host when the product is meant for customers on the open internet. Do not use one when:
- The data is staff schedules, margins, customer notes, or inventory
- Users should sign in as themselves, not share one password
- Someone leaving the company must lose access the same day
- You do not want every new AI-built app to reinvent login
Those are internal apps. They need a gate in front of the code, not a login page the model might forget.
What private hosting for vibe coding should include #
- Login before the app runs. The app should not contain a fragile auth page. The host checks identity first.
- One place to invite people. Add staff once; they reach every app you allow.
- A real database on your server. The roster lives in the app, not in a chat transcript.
- Deploy from the assistant you already use. Point Cursor or Claude at the host over MCP and keep iterating.
- Rollback. A bad AI change should be one click to undo.
How Croft does that #
Croft is opinionated hosting for vibe-coded internal apps. You get a private server with your name on it. Every app sits behind company login. Connectors
hold API keys so secrets stay out of the code. Point [Cursor](https://oncroft.net/connect/cursor/),
[Claude](https://oncroft.net/connect/claude/), or [ChatGPT](https://oncroft.net/connect/chatgpt/) at your croft, or
use [Croft Build](https://oncroft.net/build/) if you do not want to connect an assistant yet.
If you already built something in Cursor, start here:
[Host a Cursor app behind company login](https://oncroft.net/host-cursor-app/).
FAQ #
Can I just put a password on a Vercel app?
You can, but you are still responsible for building and maintaining that auth, and a public host is designed for public traffic. For team tools, platform-level login is safer than hoping each AI-built app gets auth right.
Is a VPS private enough?
A VPS can be private, but privacy is not the same as access control. Without SSO, invite lists, and per-app grants, you still have a box anyone with the URL or a leaked key can reach. Croft is for people who do not want that project.
Who is this for?
The person who knows the work - roster, stocktake, quotes - and can now build the app with AI. Not an IT buyer assembling an internal developer platform, and not a founder shipping a public SaaS.
How much does Croft cost?
Solo from $24/month on annual billing, Team $99/month on annual. 7-day free trial, no card to start.
Stake out your croft. #
Your team's first app could be live before lunch.
Get your croft 7 days free, no card to start. From $24/month - cancel anytime and take everything with you.