WHAT IS NETLIFY?
Netlify is a cloud platform for building, deploying and hosting websites and web apps, and the company that popularised the term Jamstack. Rather than renting a server, you connect a Git repository, and Netlify builds your project, serves it from a global edge network with automatic HTTPS, runs your backend code as serverless functions, and gives every pull request a preview URL. It is not a traditional web host (no cPanel, no FTP); it is a Jamstack platform that manages the infrastructure for you. Netlify stands out for being framework-agnostic and for built-in features that Vercel lacks, including form handling, split testing and identity. It has a free Starter tier for personal projects, with paid plans for commercial teams. This guide is independent: HostList takes no payment from Netlify.
What Netlify actually does
Netlify connects to your Git repository and turns each push into a live, globally served website. It installs dependencies, runs the build, distributes the output across its edge network, and serves it over HTTPS, with one-click rollbacks to any previous deploy. Backend logic runs as serverless functions or Deno-based Edge Functions, so there is no server to maintain. Scaling, caching and certificates are handled automatically.
Where Netlify differs from Vercel is breadth: it treats every framework equally rather than optimising for one, and it bundles capabilities (forms, split testing, identity, a CMS) that would otherwise need separate services. That makes it a natural home for static sites, Astro projects, and marketing sites that need form capture or A/B testing out of the box.
Key features at a glance
Push to GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket and Netlify builds and deploys automatically, with instant one-click rollbacks.
Every pull request gets a live preview URL so teams can review and comment before merging to production.
Sites are served from a worldwide CDN with automatic HTTPS, so visitors load assets from a nearby location.
Run backend code as serverless functions, or Edge Functions on the Deno runtime that execute close to the user.
Capture form submissions with no backend or third-party service, a feature Vercel does not offer natively.
Branch-based A/B testing and identity tooling are built in, useful for marketing pages and gated content.
Astro, Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Hugo, Eleventy, Gatsby and others all deploy through first-class adapters.
Who Netlify is for
Netlify suits teams who deploy from Git and value framework freedom and built-in tooling: static sites, Astro and Hugo projects, documentation, and marketing sites that want forms, split testing or identity without extra services. Its flat team pricing makes it attractive for larger teams who would otherwise pay per seat. Solo developers run side projects on the free Starter tier.
It is a weaker fit when you need the deepest Next.js integration (Vercel leads there), a long-running server, or the lowest bandwidth cost at very high traffic. In those cases, look at other Jamstack platforms such as Cloudflare Pages, or browse the full field in the HostList directory.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Netlify used for?
Netlify is used to build, preview, deploy and host websites and web apps directly from a Git repository, without managing servers. It is popular for static sites, Jamstack projects, documentation, marketing sites and frontends built with Astro, Next.js, Hugo and similar frameworks. Its built-in forms, split testing and identity features make it a common pick for marketing teams who want those capabilities without bolting on separate services.
What is Netlify (the netlify.app domain)?
When you deploy a site to Netlify without a custom domain, it is served on a free subdomain ending in netlify.app (for example, my-site.netlify.app). So a netlify.app address simply means the site is hosted on Netlify. You can add your own custom domain at any time on every plan, including the free tier.
Is Netlify a hosting provider?
Netlify hosts your site, but it is not a traditional web host. There is no cPanel, shared hosting plan or FTP upload. It is a Jamstack platform (a platform-as-a-service) built around Git deployments, a global edge network and serverless functions. You deploy code and the platform manages the rest. Netlify is the company that popularised the term Jamstack.
Is Netlify free?
Netlify has a free Starter tier with 100 GB of bandwidth a month, automatic deployments, deploy previews, serverless functions and a limited number of free form submissions. Commercial teams that need more build minutes, concurrency, analytics or support move to the paid Pro plan. Most personal and small projects run comfortably on the free tier.
Who made Netlify?
Netlify was founded in 2014 by Mathias Biilmann and Christian Bach, and it is the company credited with coining and popularising the term Jamstack (JavaScript, APIs and Markup). It is a privately held, venture-backed company. Netlify also maintains open-source tooling, including the content management system now known as Decap CMS.
Is Netlify better than Vercel?
Neither is universally better; it depends on the stack. Netlify is the stronger pick for multi-framework teams, static and Astro sites, and projects that want built-in forms, split testing or identity without third-party tools. Vercel is the stronger pick for Next.js and full-stack apps that need its deepest framework integration. See our full Vercel vs Netlify comparison for the side-by-side.