What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Netlify Platform is that it is easy to deploy the website without changing the code and pushing it manually by myself. Whenever I make any changes to my portfolio website, for example, if I complete any new certification or anything which I need to add to my profile, I just change the code in my local desktop and push it back to GitHub. Through GitHub, Netlify Platform picks up the updated code and it reflects back the new changes, so that made it easy with Netlify Platform cloud environment.
I have a lot to add about my main use case and how I use Netlify Platform in my workflow because it is also easy for me to use multiple options over there. For example, I sometimes use Netlify Platform CLI and sometimes I do it myself on my local desktop and push it to GitHub, but there are pretty much options in Netlify Platform. There is also a lot of documentation present in the platform where I can refer to and make changes if I need to in some other or different ways.
What is most valuable?
The best features that Netlify Platform offers, which really make it shine for me, include its recent integration of AI into it, and that is one of the main features which I like. It also allows deploying a website with the new frameworks, the modern frameworks which are in the market right now.
I like that the AI integration in Netlify Platform auto builds based on the commands because it is easy to deploy a website with just a few commands at our fingertips. When it comes to the new modern frameworks, all the other platforms require extra configurations to get deployed into the DNS servers, but using Netlify Platform, it is easy; everything is handled by Netlify Platform in the backend, and the deployment process and all the CI/CD pipeline that Netlify Platform handles is something which is good in regard to the modern frameworks which are used nowadays.
Netlify Platform has positively impacted my organization and personal projects by making it easy for me to deploy my personal portfolio website without doing all the DevOps and CI/CD pipeline myself. Netlify Platform handled that, and I just need to do my code, push it to GitHub, my repo, and Netlify Platform picks it up from there and refreshes whatever the new code changes I have made, and that made it easy for me to use for my personal project.
What needs improvement?
For the improvements in Netlify Platform, I think it should focus on better marketing because competitors like Vercel and others are present in the market. While Netlify Platform looks clean, neat, and enhanced, it should do better marketing, as it is actually recommended by ChatGPT for small-sized projects. I believe it should also be suggested for larger projects and promoted more so that Netlify Platform is used by multiple people; it should be the go-to cloud environment.
I think the technical side of Netlify Platform can improve, especially in the documentation. They can add more information about new frameworks as they come into the platform or market. They should maintain a troubleshooting page on Netlify Platform docs that comprehensively shows all the steps. Adding more user-friendly animations or navigation would make the platform easier. Moreover, with the documentation, it currently shows all the tabs at one place, and the customer should understand what each use is without having to click into it. They should support more old frameworks as well, to increase the range of utilizations since mostly old frameworks are still in the market, prompting more users to migrate to Netlify Platform.
For how long have I used the solution?
It has been about one year since I started using Netlify Platform, and I hosted my personal portfolio on Netlify Platform cloud, so I have been using it since one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not tested Netlify Platform with a large amount of traffic for larger projects, but I have tested it with my original website, which I hosted. I sent that link to multiple people, recruiters, and friends, and whoever used that or opened it never experienced any issue with the site, such as slow loading or rendering problems, so it seems good with scalability according to me.
How are customer service and support?
I have not had to reach out to customer support from Netlify Platform because I have not encountered any issues. However, I see there are options for AI and customer service; before going to customer service, we can select the AI and get help most of the time, as everything is documented. There is not much need to contact customer support unless there is a problem with billing or some technical glitch, making it not a frequently needed option.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before choosing Netlify Platform, I used GitHub Pages, PythonAnywhere domain, and AWS hosting, but I switched to Netlify Platform because it is easy to use; everything is in one place. I do not need to manually configure or upload files as I had to with the other websites, making my work easier, so I switched to Netlify Platform from the others.
How was the initial setup?
I signed up for Netlify Platform directly and did not come across any of the cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
What was our ROI?
I think I have saved around two to three days by letting Netlify Platform handle all the DevOps and CI/CD work for my portfolio because understanding the configuration, uploading all the files, getting all the configuration right and deploying it to the DNS server takes me at least two days. It has made my workflow much easier, and I see a lot of benefits with that—it is easy to go, free to use, faster, and the UI is also user-friendly when we could find all the essential tabs and necessary things available right in the dashboard when we enter into the platform.
I have seen a return on investment with Netlify Platform; I have saved money by not spending on hosting my website on the internet using providers such as GoDaddy or some popular DNS hosting sites, which cost me hundreds per month. By using the free version provided on Netlify Platform, I save that amount, and I also save time because Netlify Platform handles the deployment processes and CI/CD by itself, so I do not need to manage it all.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I want to mention that the pricing for Netlify Platform is pretty much good. I basically started with a free trial, and there are different options available. The free version is pretty much good if we want to host a static website with a limited number of visitors, for example, a portfolio, and so coming to the pricing and UI part of the Netlify Platform dashboard, using the platform is easier for the users, and such kinds of things are pretty much good with Netlify Platform.
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that currently I am using the free version, and there are different types available which I could say are good and affordable. The price is low compared to the functionalities given by the platform, and since my portfolio website is small with a limited number of users visiting it, the free version works well for me. Upgrading to personal or pro is also a good idea, and there is also a custom enterprise option for companies, which is good for larger needs, but on a short scale, free or personal would be better.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated other options such as AWS and Vercel before ultimately choosing Netlify Platform, as I felt it was a better choice because of the pricing and ease of use with the UI. The platform is stable in my opinion, which is why I chose to use Netlify Platform.
What other advice do I have?
I advise others looking into using Netlify Platform to use it for sure because they can just work on their code, push it to GitHub, connect it with Netlify Platform cloud, and then relax. After that, whatever changes they make to their code on GitHub automatically reflects back on Netlify Platform and their website, eliminating the need for much work or worrying about the pipelines and processes that happen in the backend.
I am generally satisfied with Netlify Platform, as it is going well and helping a lot of people. I hope they keep improving and adding new AI enhancements alongside both new and old existing frameworks so that they are readily available for anyone to choose. This makes the backend processes easier for any developer who chooses Netlify Platform, and I appreciate the work being done at Netlify Platform. My overall rating for this platform is that I do not have a specific numerical rating to provide at this time.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other