Netlify is a deployment platform for static and dynamic web projects. On the free Starter tier you get 100 GB bandwidth monthly and 300 build minutes, both enough for small projects or portfolio sites. The key differentiator is that commercial use is explicitly allowed, unlike Vercel's Hobby plan.
Who Netlify Suits
Pick Netlify if you're deploying a non-Next.js project, building with a framework like React, Vue, or Astro, or running a freelance web design practice that needs multiple paid client sites on the free tier. The 300 free build minutes per month and unlimited sites make it practical for agencies building small customer projects without subscription costs. Built-in form handling via Netlify Forms eliminates the need to wire up a separate backend for contact submissions or surveys.
Where It Falls Short
Netlify's Next.js support lags Vercel's. Features like App Router, Server Actions, and incremental static regeneration work via the @netlify/next plugin, but they arrive later and sometimes require configuration workarounds. If your whole stack is Next.js, Vercel integrates these features natively without friction. The free tier also limits you to one concurrent build, which slows CI pipelines when multiple team members push code at once. Image optimization is available but not as tightly integrated as Vercel's core feature.
Alternatives Worth Considering
Vercel remains the default for Next.js shops because its native support avoids the plugin layer. For non-framework static sites or minimal hosting needs, plain object storage on Cloudflare R2 or AWS S3 with a CDN is often simpler and cheaper than any platform.