Netlify is a web platform where developers build, deploy, and scale websites and web apps from one place. It connects to your Git repository and automatically pushes your changes live every time you update your code.

With Netlify, you get everything your app needs in one place, from APIs and file storage to data management and performance controls, all without backend setup required. It's a solid pick whether you're shipping a personal project or running a production app for millions of users.

What is Netlify?

Netlify is a cloud-based platform built for modern web development with around 13,000 AI-generated sites deployed on it daily. In fact, vibe-coding tool Bolt.new has already gotten past the 1 million mark of sites launched through Netlify.

It popularized the JAMstack approach, which separates the front end from the back end to make sites faster and easier to manage. It handles everything from instant deployments and deploy previews to one-click rollbacks and built-in observability, without you ever touching a server.

What are Netlify's key features?

Netlify has built-in tools that eliminate the need to stitch together separate services just to get a modern web project live.

• Global CDN: Serves your site's assets from edge locations closest to your visitors, so pages load fast anywhere in the world.
• Serverless functions: Run backend code without managing a server; build APIs, process forms, and handle data directly on the platform.
• Edge functions: Executes logic at the content delivery network (CDN) level before a page reaches the user, enabling dynamic experiences without heavy backend processes.
• Deploy previews: Every code change gets a live preview URL so teams can test and give feedback before anything goes live.
• Branch deploys: Each Git branch gets its own deploy, giving web developers a clean way to build and test features in isolation.
• Built-in forms: Collect contact form submissions without third-party services – just add an attribute to your HTML and Netlify handles the rest.
• Observability: Real-time status on every request, build, and function your site executes, all accessible from one dashboard.
• AI gateway: Integrate AI services like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini without managing separate credentials or accounts.

Netlify vs traditional hosting: what makes it different?

Traditional hosting puts server management processes, including updates, uptime monitoring, scaling, and security patches, on the user. Netlify, meanwhile, flips that model. From your first visitor to your first million, Netlify handles infrastructure automatically, with no complex setup and no surprise bills when you scale.

Traditional hosts also require manual deployments; Netlify handles this component automatically every time you push to GitHub or any connected Git branch. Built-in features like deploy previews, branch deploys, and build hooks supersede the need for separate CI/CD tools entirely. For teams that want to launch fast without managing infrastructure, that difference is significant.

Netlify pricing: free and paid plans

Netlify's free plan is genuinely free forever. It offers 300 monthly credit limits and features like unlimited deployment previews, access to functions, and AI models. It's a solid starting point for personal projects and side builds.

When your project grows, Netlify’s paid plans offer the features that help you scale:

• Personal ($9/month): Built for sites ready for real traffic. You get 1,000 credits per month, smart secret detection to automatically catch exposed credentials in your code, one day of observability history, and priority email support.
• Pro ($20 per member/month): Designed for teams that need to ship faster together. You get 3,000 credits per month, three concurrent builds, shared environment variables across your team, private organization repo support, and 30 days of analytics and metrics.
• Enterprise (Custom pricing): Built for teams that can't afford downtime or security gaps. It includes a 99.99% uptime SLA, high-performance builds, SSO and SCIM for access control, log drains, 24/7 dedicated support, and organization-level management tools.

FAQs:

How do I host a website on Netlify?

Start by creating a free Netlify account, then connect it to your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository. You can also deploy directly from AI tools like Bolt or Cursor, or drag and drop a folder to get a project live instantly.

Once connected, Netlify detects your framework, runs your build command, and publishes your site to a live URL automatically. Every future push to your main branch triggers a new deployment. It takes under five minutes from start to finish for most projects.

Can I have multiple Netlify accounts?

Yes, Netlify supports multiple teams under separate accounts, and you can be a member of more than one team. If you have a Free or Personal plan, you cannot add additional team member seats, but any plan gives you the ability to add unlimited free Reviewer roles so others can access and give feedback on your projects.

Many web developers keep a personal account for side projects and a separate team account for client or work cases. Just note that projects cannot be transferred from a team on a credit-based pricing plan to a team on a legacy plan.

What is "Ask Netlify?"

Ask Netlify is an AI-powered assistant that lets you type any questions and get an answer drawn from Netlify's documentation, CLI reference, API endpoints, and Support Forums. Instead of hunting through pages of content, you just ask in plain language and get a direct answer.

You can access it through the navigation search bar on the Netlify docs site, or through the Netlify dashboard App for Slack by entering @Netlify in any channel where it's been added. It's a key feature for quick troubleshooting, and editors and teams find it useful for learning how specific features work.

Can I connect a custom domain?

Yes, you can, and the whole process is straightforward. Here’s how it’s done:

1. From your project dashboard, go to Domain management.
2. Set your domain. Choose whether to use Netlify DNS or an external DNS service.
3. If you're using external DNS, you'll add a CNAME or A record through your domain registrar pointing to Netlify.

DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate across the global navigation system, so don't panic if it doesn't go live instantly. Netlify also handles HTTPS automatically once your domain is connected, so visitors don't need to go through any manual SSL setup.

How to migrate a site to Netlify without breaking anything?

Step 1: Build and test your site on Netlify first.

Before touching your DNS, deploy your site on Netlify and test it thoroughly on the default .netlify.app URL. Make sure every page loads, every form works, and every function executes correctly before moving forward.

Step 2: Copy your existing DNS records.

Log into your current DNS provider and copy all existing DNS records before making any changes. This ensures nothing gets lost or missed during the transition.

Step 3: Switch your domain's name servers.

Once your site is confirmed working on Netlify's platform, go to your domain registrar and update your name servers to point to Netlify's. This is the step where the migration process officially begins.

Step 4: Keep your old hosting active.

Do not shut down your old hosting immediately after switching name servers. Keep it running during the transition so visitors aren't left with a broken site while DNS changes are still propagating.

Step 5: Wait for DNS propagation.

Expect up to a full 24 hours for the changes to propagate globally. DNS changes don't go live instantly, since propagation time varies depending on your registrar and region.

Step 6: Resolve any domain-specific issues.

If anything breaks during or after the migration, Netlify's docs include a dedicated guide on domain migration best practices. You can also use Ask Netlify to get direct answers to specific questions about your setup.