What is Netlify and what type of websites it is suitable for
Published on 2026-10-26 by frfrand
Netlify for static sites, deploy previews and functions; when to use ArduMaker
If your page is mainly HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or a site generated with Astro, Netlify can handle the deployment in very few steps. But a static page and a backend with a database are not the same thing, even if they look identical from the browser.
I'm not going to sell you the idea that one platform is perfect for everyone. What's useful is understanding what work it saves you, what work remains yours, and how much it can cost to maintain it when the project stops being a test.
Netlify: what it really offers you
Netlify offers frontend deployment, CDN, previews, and functions for certain dynamic cases. It's useful for content sites, documentation, and marketing. For bases or services that need to stay running, evaluate how they will connect to external providers.
An example you could have tomorrow
A tour presentation page with photos, itineraries, and a form can live on Netlify. But when the visitor chooses a time slot, availability needs to be checked and a reservation created. That logic can work in FastAPI with PostgreSQL hosted on ArduMaker, leaving the frontend where it's best delivered.
How to get started without overcomplicating things
- Compile the site locally with
npm run buildand note the output folder, such asdist. - Connect the repository to Netlify and verify the build command and the published directory.
- Test a deploy preview and check internal routes: a SPA may need fallback rules.
- Connect the domain and configure variables only where appropriate; public ones travel to the browser.
- Measure real load times and verify if functions or external services have additional costs.
The fifth step is often the one that gets skipped: opening the application from another device, executing an operation that writes data, checking a log, and verifying it again after restarting. That is worth more than a screenshot where the panel says "deployed".
The mistake I would avoid
Do not host secrets in the browser's JavaScript. And do not assume that a stateless function is suitable for receiving persistent connections or saving photos to the file system. Separate frontend from storage and processing.
There is another simple rule: if the project has clients or payments, do not experiment with migrations directly on the only copy of the database. Test in a separate environment, keep a verifiable copy, and prepare how to roll back.
How would I solve the same in ArduMaker?
ArduMaker can serve the static frontend from Nginx on a VPS and host the backend in the same environment. The benefit is controlling the application and database; the cost is operating the server and, if you need global reach, adding appropriate CDN distribution.
In a typical case, you could create the VPS in ArduMaker, connect the Git repository, install or manage PostgreSQL according to the application, define the execution process, and publish an HTTPS domain. If there is a worker that takes several minutes, separate it from the HTTP service. And if the project has multiple clients, organize them by Company to avoid mixed permissions and resources.
| Need | Netlify | ArduMaker |
|---|---|---|
| Main model | Netlify offers frontend deployment, CDN, previews, and functions for certain dynamic cases | VPS with management tools, Git, services, and MCP |
| System access | Depends on the platform or server where it is installed | VPS environment administration |
| Database and workers | Depend on the product and its configuration | Can run on the VPS according to available resources |
| Maintenance | Shared or assumed by you according to the service | Application and system require control and maintenance |
What I would look at before paying or migrating
I wouldn't choose based on a single figure on the pricing page. Note CPU, RAM, persistent storage, traffic, backups, support, and maintenance time. If you need to add a managed database, a workers service, or a licensed panel, include them. If you want redundancy between servers, you also have to design it: a VPS alone is not high availability.
So, which one would I use?
Netlify is very attractive for static sites and previews. ArduMaker weighs more when the website is part of an application with internal processes or services.
An honest test: publish a minimal API, connect it to a database, stop the process to see what the system logs, and try to recover it. The platform with which your team can repeat those steps without suffering is usually the one that brings you the most value.
Sources and further reading
- Netlify official documentation
- Comparison of Netlify with ArduMaker
- How VPSs work and what they are for
The final idea: first solve a real problem with the tool. Then compare how much effort it takes you to maintain it. That's where the difference between a demo and an application you can deliver to a client appears.