No it’s not the only way. But it’s one option. Depending on the host service you use they probably have an easy way to create mySQL databases via their Cpanel. I know Chillidog and some others make this super simple. The only “tricky” thing is you need to store relevant info (database name, database password, etc.) somewhere secure for future reference. But that’s true for every credit card as well.
I haven’t used Kuler’s SQL stack myself, but it seems to be a very reasonable option given what you want to accomplish.
You may also want to have a look at Drupal CMS. But you might be even more scared as Drupal is a full blown System with a steep (and I mean steep) learning curve. https://www.drupal.org/8