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GitHub Pages vs Netlify

Two frontend cloud options for hosting. When each fits, what it costs, who moves from one to the other, and what makers who chose it say.

GitHub PagesFrontend cloudllms.txtCLI
NetlifyFrontend cloudllms.txtIn Bolt
Ask your AI about this, with this page as the source:ChatGPT ↗Claude ↗Perplexity ↗

Which fits you

Choose GitHub Pages if
  • Free hosting for static sites, docs and landing pages published straight from a repo.

Use it whenYour site is fully static and the code is on GitHub.

Trade-offStatic files only — no server code, no preview URLs for pull requests, and soft bandwidth limits.

Choose Netlify if
  • You built a Next.js or other frontend-heavy app and want preview URLs on every pull request

Use it whenYour site is static or JAMstack on a framework other than Next.js.

Trade-offServer-side features run as functions with time limits; long-running work needs another host.

At a glance

GitHub PagesNetlify
Used by113 makers' products · 129 open-source projects241 makers' products · 54 open-source projects
Cost at default usagerequests 5 million requests, data transfer out 100 GB, serverless function compute 100 GB-hours—$27/mo Pro 3,000 credits
Downloads323.1k/wk−55% vs npm
PricingFree for public repositories; private-repo sites need a paid GitHub plan. · paid from $4/user/mo (GitHub Team)Free tier; paid plans from $9/month, billed by monthly credits. · paid from $9/mo
Free tierYesYes
Open sourceNoNo
Incidents, 90 daysfrom its status page50+ (15 major)11 (4 major)

What makers say

Makers on using it for hosting, from Product Hunt and Starter Story interviews, each linked to the source. Products with a page of their own and fuller notes first.

On GitHub Pages
GitHub Pages made hosting incredibly simple—no extra servers, no hassle. Since the project is built with Jekyll, GitHub Pages was the perfect choice for quick and free static site deployment.
GitHubTree, the makerSep 2026 ↗
Webtrotion relies on GitHub Actions if you're deploying on GitHub Pages.
Webtrotion, the makerSep 2026 ↗
A big shoutout to GitHub Pages for providing the simple, reliable, and free hosting that makes Keep to Notes accessible to everyone. Being able to deploy and serve a static web application directly from the repository is incredibly convenient and aligns perfectly with the project's goal of being an easy-to-use, readi…
NotesMigrator, the makerSep 2026 ↗
On Netlify
Hosts tidymacapp.com and serves the app itself. Deploying is dragging a folder onto a page. For a solo dev shipping a $9 utility, that's exactly the right amount of infrastructure.
Tidy, the makerSep 2026 ↗
Turn has been served from Netlify since v1 and it handles our global user base well. I also love being able to use the A/B testing function of Netlify to test new features.
Turn, the makerSep 2026 ↗
Netlify is great for hosting next.js. I used to love Vercel, but decided to switch due to the recent updates. Overall it has been quick and easy to deploy and have so far not had any issues.
Random Song Generator, the makerSep 2026 ↗
37 more on the Netlify page →

Loved and watch-outs

Themes that recur in makers' words and Hacker News comments, each linked to what it summarises.

GitHub PagesNothing that recurs in what we collected yet.
Netlify
Most loved
  • Connecting a GitHub repo gives automatic builds and deploys on every commit. PHPH 2HN
  • The free tier covers low-traffic static sites. PHHNHN 2
  • Built-in forms, pull request previews, SSL, CDN and instant rollbacks remove extra setup. HNPH
Watch-outs
  • Free-tier sites get paused at usage limits, and large surprise bills have happened. HNHN 2HN 3
  • Price increases and weak bot-traffic protection push small customers to look elsewhere. HNHN 2
  • Scammers abuse netlify.app subdomains, so some sites and DNS blocklists block them. HNHN 2HN 3
On Product Hunt: 5.0★, 57 reviews · mentioned most: easy deployment, Git integration, automatic builds

Who uses each

GitHub Pages113 makers' products
Billy.shBonifycasdoorCoso.aiFabi.aiFeedback Wizard AIFolioHarborHunchOpenMarkdownPeakRoutinePenguinHarness+101 more
Netlify241 makers' products
AritectAviquillBank Statement ConverterBurnLinkClaio.aiDEV CommunityDiracDoverEddie AIEyedropperFlexi DomainGreta+229 more
Used by both — often one replacing the other, or each for a different part of the product
sourcecred

What makers pair each with

With GitHub Pages
Frontend Framework
Database
Backend Framework
LLM API
With Netlify
Frontend Framework
Transactional Email
Web Analytics
Database

Neither quite right?

See the whole hosting decision →
VercelFrontend cloudNext.js apps — zero-config deploys and preview URLs.vs Netlify →
CloudflareEdge platformCheap global hosting with Workers, plus database (D1) and storage (R2) on the same platform.vs Netlify →
RailwayPaaSServers, workers and databases deployed together, with almost no configuration.vs Netlify →
RenderPaaSA Heroku-style platform for web services, cron jobs and Postgres.vs Netlify →
Fly.ioContainer platformDocker apps that should run close to users in many regions.
Amazon Web ServicesHyperscaler cloudThe widest catalog of building blocks — Lambda, containers, managed databases, queues — to assemble your own infrastructure.
Hetzner CloudYour own serverA lot of CPU and RAM per euro, in European, US and Singapore regions.
CoolifyYour own serverA Heroku- or Vercel-style dashboard on your own server, with many one-click services.