Netlify
Hosting and deployment platform for websites and web applications, with deployments on every commit, functions and forms. Free plan with limited credits; Pro plan at $20 a month.
For a static site, a web server, a deployment script and a proxy do the job. Netlify brings deployment on every commit, branch previews, the worldwide delivery network, forms and serverless functions with nothing to manage. Replaceable for a showcase site you rarely change; less so for a team that deploys ten times a day.
What you lose
- Deployment on every commit and branch previews
- The worldwide delivery network
- Forms and serverless functions with nothing to manage
- Managed HTTPS and domains
Existing alternatives to Netlify
- CoolifyOpen source
Free platform (Apache-2.0) to install on your server to deploy sites, applications and databases.
The prompt to build it yourself
Build me a self-hosted static site deployment to replace Netlify. Stack: a small Linux server, Caddy, a small Node service to receive webhooks, GitHub Actions or Forgejo. To do: - Each site lives in /srv/sites/<name>/; Caddy serves the current folder through a symbolic link, automatic HTTPS, one subdomain per site. - On every push to the main branch, CI builds the site and uploads the result by rsync into a new dated folder; the symbolic link only switches if the upload succeeded, which allows a rollback in one command. - One preview per branch at <branch>.<name>.mydomain, removed when the branch is closed. - A forms endpoint: POST received, honeypot anti-spam, email sent through configurable SMTP. - Simple monitoring (site online, disk space) with email alert. Out of scope: worldwide delivery network, serverless functions, A/B tests. README: adding a site, rollback, DNS and server configuration.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Netlify be replaced by a custom-built tool?
- casevibecode verdict: Partly replaceable. For a static site, a web server, a deployment script and a proxy do the job. Netlify brings deployment on every commit, branch previews, the worldwide delivery network, forms and serverless functions with nothing to manage. Replaceable for a showcase site you rarely change; less so for a team that deploys ten times a day.
- What is Netlify used for?
- Hosting and deployment platform for websites and web applications, with deployments on every commit, functions and forms. Free plan with limited credits; Pro plan at $20 a month.
- What alternatives to Netlify already exist?
- Coolify (open source). Options to compare before committing to a custom build.
Community feedback
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