Netlify changed how developers deploy static sites. Push to GitHub, get a live URL, done. For JAMstack projects and marketing sites, that experience is hard to beat. But full-stack applications are a different story.
If you've ever watched production sites go dark because one site in your account exceeded its bandwidth limit, you already know the problem. Netlify's account-level credit system means a single site's traffic spike can take down every other site in your workspace. For teams running multiple client projects or several internal tools, that's an unacceptable reliability risk.
This comparison examines why developers search for a Netlify alternative, where Netlify still works well, and when Out Plane is a better fit for full-stack deployments.
Why Developers Look for Netlify Alternatives
Netlify is built around the JAMstack model: pre-rendered HTML, CDN delivery, and serverless functions at the edge. That model has real strengths. It also has real constraints that become visible when you move beyond static sites.
Account-level pausing is the biggest complaint. Netlify operates on a shared credit pool across all sites in an account. When any single site consumes the account's monthly bandwidth or build minutes, Netlify pauses the entire account. That means every site you host, including unrelated projects and client work, goes offline simultaneously. You get an email. Your sites get a 503. Your clients get confused.
Build minutes disappear faster than expected. Netlify charges build minutes for every CI/CD run. This includes commits to preview branches, content updates through Netlify CMS, automatic rebuild triggers from headless CMS webhooks, and dependency updates through bots like Dependabot. Teams with active development cycles burn through 300 free minutes faster than they expect. The Pro plan's 25,000 minutes sound generous until you're running multiple projects and content-driven rebuilds.
Edge Functions consume credits rapidly. Netlify's serverless model charges per invocation and per compute duration at the edge. Applications with authenticated routes, personalization, or dynamic content generation at request time face unpredictable monthly bills as traffic scales. There's no per-second compute model. You're billed for invocations, and credits drain proportionally.
Backend capabilities are limited by design. Netlify is a frontend deployment platform with serverless extensions. It doesn't support persistent server processes, background workers, job queues, or WebSocket connections. Applications that need long-running processes, scheduled tasks, or real-time communication require separate infrastructure. You end up stitching together multiple services to run what could be one deployment on a full-stack platform.
No managed databases. Netlify has no native database offering. You connect to external providers: PlanetScale, Supabase, Neon, or a self-managed instance somewhere else. That's another vendor relationship, another billing account, and another point of failure. Teams building data-driven applications pay for Netlify hosting and a separate database service simultaneously.
Quick Comparison: Netlify vs. Out Plane
| Feature | Netlify | Out Plane |
|---|---|---|
| Backend Support | Edge Functions only | Docker, any framework |
| Managed Databases | None | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB |
| Billing Model | Monthly credits (shared pool) | Per-second compute |
| Account Pausing | Yes, when credits are exhausted | No |
| Docker Support | No | Yes |
| Auto-Scaling | Limited (edge functions) | Yes, all application types |
| SSR Support | Partial (framework adapters) | Full (server-side rendering) |
| Background Workers | No | Yes |
| WebSocket Support | No | Yes |
| Free Credit | 100GB bandwidth + 300 min/mo | $20 compute credit |
Pricing Comparison
Understanding the billing model matters as much as the headline price. Netlify and Out Plane use fundamentally different approaches to charging for compute.
Netlify pricing:
- Starter: Free, includes 100GB bandwidth and 300 build minutes per month
- Pro: $19/month per member, includes 1TB bandwidth and 25,000 build minutes
- Business: $99/month per member with advanced security and compliance features
The shared credit pool model means your free or Pro allocation is consumed by all sites in the account. Bandwidth and build minutes don't distinguish between high-traffic sites and low-traffic sites. A viral post on one site eats into the budget for every other site.
Out Plane pricing:
- No monthly seat fees
- Per-second billing for compute time
- $20 free credit on account creation, no credit card required
- No build-minute limits
- No account-level pausing
- Managed database pricing based on instance size and storage
Per-second billing means you pay for actual compute consumed. An application that serves 1,000 requests in 3 milliseconds each costs fractions of a cent. Applications don't compete with each other for a shared credit pool. A high-traffic deployment doesn't affect an unrelated project's uptime.
For teams running 5 to 20 deployed applications, the absence of account-level pausing is itself worth the switch. The reliability guarantee that Netlify's credit model can't offer is built into Out Plane's billing architecture.
Key Differences Between Netlify and Out Plane
Static-First vs. Full-Stack
Netlify optimizes for static and pre-rendered content delivered through a global CDN. This works extremely well for use cases that match the model: marketing sites, documentation, blogs, and portfolio sites. The CDN edge delivery is fast, and the developer experience for these deployments is polished.
Out Plane is built for applications that need persistent server processes. That includes Node.js APIs, Python services, Ruby on Rails applications, Django, FastAPI, Laravel, and any framework that runs as a long-running server. Docker support means you deploy whatever the container runs, not whatever the platform explicitly supports.
Build-Minute Billing vs. Per-Second Compute
Build-minute billing creates an indirect relationship between usage and cost. You don't pay for how much your application serves users. You pay for how often it rebuilds. A busy content team rebuilding a site 50 times a day runs up costs regardless of traffic volume.
Per-second compute billing tracks the work your application actually does. Serving a request costs compute time. Idling costs nothing. This model rewards efficient applications and penalizes neither developer activity nor content updates.
Account Pausing vs. Continuous Uptime
Netlify's account-pausing behavior is a consequence of its credit architecture. The platform needs a mechanism to stop resource consumption when credits run out, and that mechanism is account-level suspension. It's a coherent system, but it creates reliability risks for teams hosting multiple projects.
Out Plane's per-second billing doesn't require account suspension. Usage above a threshold prompts a payment, not a site takedown. Applications continue running. Billing handles overages separately from service availability.
No Databases vs. Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB
Running a database on Netlify means running it somewhere else and connecting to it over the network. That's a reasonable approach when you're building JAMstack applications that query external APIs. It's a friction point when you're building applications that own their data.
Out Plane provisions managed databases in the same platform. PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB instances deploy alongside application containers. Connection strings are available as environment variables. Backups and version upgrades are managed by the platform. Teams don't maintain a separate database vendor account.
Limited Backend vs. Docker and Any Framework
Netlify supports a curated list of frontend frameworks through framework adapters. Serverless functions run in a managed runtime that imposes timeout limits and stateless constraints. Custom runtimes or frameworks that don't fit the serverless model require workarounds.
Out Plane runs Docker containers. If it runs in a container, it runs on Out Plane. That includes compiled binaries, custom runtimes, GPU workloads, and frameworks with no PaaS support elsewhere. The deployment target is the container, not a managed runtime.
When Netlify Still Makes Sense
Netlify is a strong platform for the use cases it was designed for. If your project fits those use cases, Netlify remains a competitive option.
Pure static sites and JAMstack applications deploy cleanly on Netlify. If your entire site is pre-rendered HTML served from a CDN with no persistent backend, Netlify's model is well-suited. Build once, distribute everywhere.
Marketing sites benefit from Netlify's CDN edge delivery and deploy preview workflow. Non-technical stakeholders can preview changes before they go live. The editing and review experience is mature.
Documentation sites generated by tools like Docusaurus, Hugo, or Astro are natural fits. Low build frequency, predictable output, no backend requirements.
Teams using Netlify CMS have existing workflows integrated with the platform. Migration costs are real. If the current setup works and you're not running into account-pausing or backend limitations, there's no pressing reason to switch.
When Out Plane Is a Better Fit
Out Plane addresses use cases where Netlify's architecture creates friction or technical limitations.
Full-stack applications that combine a frontend with a backend API need persistent server processes. Out Plane runs both in the same platform, with separate deployments for the frontend, API, and any background services.
Backend APIs and microservices that run Express, Fastify, Flask, FastAPI, Django, Rails, Laravel, NestJS, or any other server framework deploy as containers. No adapter, no serverless constraints, no timeout limits.
Applications that require databases avoid maintaining a separate database vendor. Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB provision in the same account. Connection strings pass to containers as environment variables.
Server-side rendering with Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Remix, or any SSR framework runs as a full server process. There's no dependency on framework-specific adapters or edge runtime compatibility.
Dynamic content and authenticated routes that generate personalized responses at request time don't burn edge function credits. Server-side rendering at application speed handles these patterns without invocation-based billing.
Teams hosting multiple projects avoid account-level pausing. Each deployment bills independently. A high-traffic project doesn't affect unrelated projects.
Predictable billing without account suspension events. Per-second compute costs are calculable from traffic volume and application behavior. Monthly costs scale with usage, not with credit exhaustion events.
Summary
Netlify solves a specific problem well: deploying static and pre-rendered content through a global CDN with a smooth developer experience. For that use case, it remains capable and fast.
The platform's constraints become limiting when you build applications that need persistent servers, real databases, background workers, or reliable uptime across multiple projects. Account-level pausing is the clearest indicator that Netlify's architecture wasn't designed for the reliability requirements of production full-stack applications.
Out Plane is built for full-stack deployments. Docker support, managed databases, per-second billing, and no account suspension together define a platform that matches how production applications actually work.
Key points:
- Netlify pauses all sites in an account when any site exceeds credit limits
- Out Plane uses per-second billing with no account-level suspension
- Out Plane supports Docker, persistent servers, and managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB
- Netlify has no native database offering and limited backend support
- Out Plane includes $20 free credit with no credit card required
Ready to deploy a full-stack application? Get started with Out Plane and receive $20 in free credit. For framework-specific deployment guides, see our tutorials for Next.js, NestJS, Django, and FastAPI.