Netlify is a web development and hosting platform that builds your site or web app from Git and serves it on a global edge network, with serverless functions and other backend primitives built in.
Netlify popularized the Jamstack approach of pre-built frontends served from a CDN. Today it supports most modern frameworks, including Next.js, Astro, Nuxt and SvelteKit, and adds an AI Gateway, databases and agent runners for teams building with AI.
Key features
- Git-based continuous deployment with deploy previews for every pull request
- Serverless and edge functions
- Global CDN with automatic HTTPS
- Built-in forms, image CDN, blobs storage and a database
- AI Gateway for calling model providers without managing keys
- Agent runners that let AI agents work on your projects
- Rollbacks, branch deploys and observability tools
Who it's for
Netlify is aimed at frontend developers, agencies, marketing teams and product teams shipping websites and web apps that need fast global delivery without managing servers.
Common use cases
- Hosting marketing sites, docs and blogs
- Deploying Next.js, Astro or SvelteKit apps
- Running lightweight APIs with serverless functions
- Reviewing changes with shareable deploy previews
Pricing
Netlify's pricing page lists credit-based plans:
- Free: $0 forever, with a 300-credit monthly limit.
- Personal: $9 per month for 1 member, with 1,000 credits per month.
- Pro: $20 per month with unlimited members.
- Enterprise: custom pricing.
Extra credits can be bought when auto recharge is enabled, starting at $5 for 500 credits.
Alternatives
- Vercel: the Next.js team's frontend cloud
- Cloudflare Workers: edge compute and Pages hosting from Cloudflare
- Render: full-stack PaaS for servers, workers and databases
FAQ
Is Netlify free?
Yes. Netlify's Free plan is $0 forever and includes 300 credits per month.
What is Netlify used for?
Netlify is used to build, deploy and host websites and web apps from a Git repository, with serverless functions, forms and edge features.
Netlify vs Vercel: which should I choose?
Both are frontend clouds with Git deploys and previews. Vercel is closely tied to Next.js, while Netlify is framework-agnostic and bundles forms, blobs and other primitives.
Can I host a Next.js app on Netlify?
Yes. Netlify supports Next.js, including the App Router and server-side rendering.
How much does Netlify Pro cost?
Netlify Pro costs $20 per month and includes unlimited team members.
Does Netlify support a backend?
Yes. Serverless functions, edge functions, blobs and a database let you build backends without separate servers.