[mattbrewsbytes]

The approach here to answering your questions is to give you the easiest path towards making something.

1. Cloud hosting? No - buy the cheapest linux virtual server you can - like $5/month hosting. Cloud is most appropriate for variable compute needs (which edtech has) but you're not there yet. When you have scaling problems, solve scaling problems. Since you have a trial user at home you could build it out locally or use VPN tools to allow access to a server inside for the short term. Once you have a solid product, then figure out longer term hosting.

2. Tech Stack? Regarding your context - pick the tech stack you are quite comfortable with, its probably easiest to go with Python of the ones you listed since there is likely to be lots of docs on setting that up for a small hosting company once you get to that point.

[omniglottal]

When you say "no" to cloud hosting in the same sentence as you recommend buying a VPS in the cloud... it's odd.

[1_1xdev1]

A VPS paid monthly isn’t “cloud”. It’s just a server.

“Cloud” tends to assume elasticity, pay by minute, managed software services, etc.

“On the internet” isn’t cloud automatically

[kohanz]

I think that's a subjective interpretation.

Others would define a cloud server as any server that someone else owns and you don't have physical access to it.

[mattbrewsbytes]

VPS have been around for longer than “cloud” computing. In layman’s terms, yes cloud means someone else’s computer, but here and in other tech focused circles it usually means some kind of software defined compute services. A VPS where you login and install your stack and patch it I wouldn’t consider as cloud.

The main point I was making was figure out hosting later after figuring out the product/market fit.