Is it Possible to Launch a Website Without an Existing Backend or Server?

You'll definitely need to upload your files to a hosting service to make your site live. I personally use Railway, but there are tons of other great hosting services out there too. It’s worthwhile to explore the options that suit your needs.

Short answer: YES! While you'll need a server or some sort of hosting solution, the specifics depend on how your website is set up. There are many services offering free basic plans for hosting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript websites. For example, Surge provides free subdomains and hosting, which I found helpful when I was learning web development. If you have a more intricate backend, you might need a different hosting solution though!

When you mention 'server', I think you're referring to the physical server hardware. Unfortunately, you'll need both the hardware and the software aspects to make it work. There are free software-based servers available, and if you're up for it, you can even run a server from your home network using your personal computer! For your backend, if your website can operate independently without needing a backend service, you might not need one at all.

If your site is just simple HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can use platforms like S3 or GitHub Pages to host your content easily. It’s a bit abstracted, and you won’t have to manage any servers directly. If you want more control later, consider diving into using Docker to set things up on your local machine first, then transition to a VPS.

Since you're using PHP, that will serve as your backend. You're likely running it locally as you develop. To deploy, you'll need a hosting service that supports PHP. There are budget-friendly shared hosting options available, which could be a good fit for you.