GitHub is a version control and code repository platform, while Netlify is a specialized deployment and hosting platform for static sites and serverless functions. They serve different primary purposes but are often used together in modern development workflows.
Netlify vs GitHub — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based Git repository hosting with collaboration tools and CI/CD automation via Actions.
Cloud platform specializing in static site hosting with CI/CD, serverless functions, and form handling.
Primary Function. Free Tier Storage. CI/CD Capabilities. Serverless Functions. Team Collaboration Features. Monthly Active Users. Pricing Model
Choose GitHub if you need comprehensive code repository management, version control, and team collaboration for any project type with powerful CI/CD through GitHub Actions. Choose Netlify if your primary goal is deploying and hosting modern static sites, JAMstack applications, or serverless functions with zero-config deployment and built-in performance analytics.
GitHub: 2000 minutes with Actions | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Enterprise edition only ($231/user/year minimum) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited LFS (with 1GB free tier) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Advanced with CodeQL (free on public repos) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Over 100 million developers | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Yes, with unlimited repositories | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Third-party plugin | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: 2,000 minutes (GitHub Actions) | Netlify: 300 minutes
GitHub: $4/user/month (GitHub Team) | Netlify: $19/month
GitHub: GitHub Functions (beta/limited) | Netlify: Netlify Functions (native, 125k/month free)
GitHub: Via GitHub Pages or custom workflow | Netlify: Automatic for every pull request
GitHub: Version control & code collaboration | Netlify: Deployment & hosting platform
GitHub: Unlimited repos, 100 GB/repo max | Netlify: Not applicable (not a repo host)
GitHub: Basic insights for Actions only | Netlify: Deployment, traffic, and performance analytics
GitHub: 2,000 (GitHub Actions) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: GDPR-compliant (multiple regions) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: User analytics enabled by default | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Enterprise (paid, proprietary) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: 2,000 (public) / 500 (private) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: $4 per user/month | Netlify: $19/month
GitHub: Unlimited (97M+ total) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Configurable required reviewers + CODEOWNERS enforcement | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: N/A (requires external CI/CD) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited (via Actions) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: No (code storage only) | Netlify: Yes (Netlify Functions, AWS Lambda, Deno)
GitHub: Community integrations only | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited (via GitHub Actions) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: $231+ (GitHub Enterprise) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Actions (separate workflow service) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Pull Requests with detailed approval workflows | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: Audit logs, SSO, IP allowlisting (Enterprise only) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Apps marketplace plugin | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: No, Enterprise tier required ($231/user/year) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: 80M+ public repos | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: 10,000+ GitHub Apps | Netlify: 300+ official integrations
GitHub: 70+ million | Netlify: 1+ million
GitHub: Unlimited repositories (1GB LFS limit) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: US-based servers, limited EU compliance | Netlify: N/A
Built-in Code Scanning & Security Features
GitHub: Advanced (SAST, secret scanning, dependency alerts) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: For-profit (Microsoft subsidiary) | Netlify: N/A
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: San Francisco, California, USA
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Budget & SMB challenger
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Not natively supported
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: React, Vue, Next.js, Gatsby, Hugo, Jekyll, etc.
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: No native database (third-party integrations)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: OAuth providers, third-party integrations
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Unlimited with automatic git integration
Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Yes, with notifications and spam filtering
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: None (requires external integration)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Pro plan ($19/month) and above
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Limited (Functions only)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: N/A (static-first)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 125,000 invocations
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 220+ points of presence
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Role-based access control, audit logs, team management
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Built-in with traffic, performance metrics
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 2-5 minutes (Git setup required)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Yes, with serverless functions
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Yes (Netlify Forms)
Serverless Function Invocations (Free Tier)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 2-3 minutes (UI-based)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 40+ (broad support)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 300 minutes/month
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: $19/month (covers unlimited sites)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Not supported natively
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 10 seconds (most tiers)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: 60-120 seconds (with build)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Yes (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
GitHub: N/A | Netlify: Yes (real-time dashboard, Lighthouse)
How to choose between GitHub and Netlify
Netlify vs GitHub — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Netlify vs GitHub. Contains 133 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Netlify vs GitHub — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Netlify vs GitHub.
Yes, absolutely. GitHub hosts your code repository, and Netlify connects via webhooks to automatically deploy whenever you push to GitHub. This is the standard JAMstack workflow: code on GitHub, deploy via Netlify. They're complementary, not competing platforms.
GitHub Pages provides free static site hosting (up to 1GB per site), but it requires manual deployment configuration or GitHub Actions setup. Netlify provides zero-config deployment as its primary feature, making it simpler for modern web apps.
Which platform is better for serverless functions?
Netlify Functions are purpose-built for serverless with zero configuration—just write functions in a directory. GitHub Functions are in limited beta. For serverless-first development, Netlify is significantly easier, though AWS Lambda offers more advanced features.
What's the learning curve for each platform?
GitHub has a steeper learning curve due to Git concepts, branching, and CI/CD YAML configuration, but it's foundational for any developer. Netlify is simpler—connect a repo and deploy automatically—but offers less control for advanced CI/CD customization.
Can I use GitHub Actions as a free alternative to Netlify?
Partially. GitHub Actions can deploy to any hosting service (including your own server), and you get 2,000 free minutes/month. However, you still need a hosting platform. Netlify combines deployment + hosting + CDN, making it more complete for static sites than Actions alone.
How to Choose Between GitHub and Netlify
Primary Function: GitHub has Git repository hosting & version control, while Netlify has Deployment & static site hosting.
Free Tier Storage: GitHub has Unlimited public/private repos, while Netlify has 300 minutes/month build time.
CI/CD Capabilities: GitHub has GitHub Actions (included free), while Netlify has Native build & deploy pipeline.
Serverless Functions: GitHub has GitHub Functions (limited), while Netlify has Netlify Functions (native support).
Team Collaboration Features: GitHub has Issues, PRs, discussions, wikis, while Netlify has Split testing, analytics, rollbacks.
Monthly Active Users: GitHub has 100+ million developers, while Netlify has 1+ million active users.
Pricing Model: GitHub has $4-21/user/month (Team plans), while Netlify has $19-199/month (site-based).