A Cost-Free, Worry-Free Hosting Solution
A Netlify Site is a website that fully utilizes Netlify’s Free Tier, offering 100GB of bandwidth and 100 form submissions per month at no cost (as of November 2024).
This updated Free Tier replaces the old Starter Tier, which had a critical flaw: unexpected overage charges. Previously, exceeding bandwidth limits led to automatic invoices and account suspensions until payment was made—sometimes resulting in developers facing thousands of dollars in surprise fees.
With the new Free Tier, there are no financial risks—if you hit the limit, your site simply pauses until the next month when your bandwidth resets. This makes a Netlify Site an excellent choice for small businesses, freelancers, and startups, eliminating concerns about hosting fees, bandwidth overages, or surprise charges.
“Netlify’s new Free plan joins Netlify’s other self-serve pricing plan options and is exactly what it says on the tin: free forever with no financial risk. On the Free plan, you can deploy commercial projects, personal sites, or other creative explorations you want to share on the web.”
Read Full ArticleSmarter Site Management with a Custom CMS
A Netlify Site isn’t just about hosting—it includes an easy-to-use, custom-built Content Management System (CMS). While Netlify originally developed Decap CMS, this version has been customized for mobile-first usability, intuitive navigation, and a modern visual design.
Once your site is live, you can manage everything through the CMS:
- Add and edit content with structured fields
- Preview changes in real-time before publishing
- No plugins, no database management, no coding required
Built-In Analytics: Track Your Site’s Performance
Netlify makes it incredibly simple to set up Google Analytics, allowing you to track visitor activity, traffic sources, and engagement metrics without any technical complexity. Unlike traditional hosting setups that require manually injecting tracking scripts, Netlify lets you:
- Easily integrate Google Analytics by pasting your tracking ID into the settings—no coding required.
- Monitor key metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and user behavior in real time.
- Ensure fast performance—Netlify’s global CDN ensures that analytics scripts load quickly without slowing down your site.
For businesses and personal projects alike, having built-in analytics means you can make data-driven decisions about your content and marketing strategies with minimal setup.
Form Handling Without Extra Plugins
Forms are an essential part of any website, whether you're gathering contact inquiries, newsletter sign-ups, or customer feedback. Netlify provides built-in form handling, eliminating the need for third-party plugins or database management.
How It Works:
- 100 Free Submissions Per Month: Plenty for most small businesses and personal sites, with an option to upgrade if needed.
- Instant Notifications: Form responses can be emailed directly to you, or you can integrate them with Slack, Zapier, or other tools.
- Spam Protection: Netlify provides basic spam filtering to prevent junk submissions, keeping your data clean and relevant.
- Submission Storage & Export: View submissions through Netlify’s dashboard or download them as CSV files for easy record-keeping.
What Happens If You Hit the Free Limit?
Just like bandwidth, form submissions reset at the start of each month. If you reach the 100-submission cap, forms will stop collecting responses until the next reset—no unexpected charges or forced upgrades.
This makes Netlify’s built-in form handling an ideal, worry-free solution for businesses and creators who need simple yet powerful form functionality.
Storage: Where is a Netlify Site Stored?
A Netlify Site is stored on GitHub, a cloud-based platform for managing and storing code. Your website files are stored inside a repository (or "repo" for short), which acts as a folder that keeps track of all changes made to your project over time.
Your storage limit depends on whether your repository is private or public:
| Repo Type | Storage Limit | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| Private Repo | 500MB | Only you (and invited collaborators) can see the code. |
| Public Repo | 5GB | Anyone can view and copy your site’s code. |
Both options are equally secure—your Netlify Site itself remains protected regardless of whether the repository is public or private. The main difference is visibility: if you don’t mind sharing your code, a public repo allows for more storage.
How Does Netlify Compare to Other Hosting Platforms?
Many hosting services charge premium prices just to match Netlify’s free offerings:
| Feature | Netlify Website | Wix | Webflow | GoDaddy | WordPress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting Cost | Free (100GB bandwidth) | $17/month | $18/month | $12/month | $4/month |
| Performance & Speed | Fast & optimized | Slower (code bloat) | Fast but complex | Moderate | Varies |
| Custom CMS | Yes (mobile-friendly) | Basic | Advanced, steep learning | No real CMS | Requires plugins |
| Design Flexibility | Fully custom | Template-based | Full control, complex | Limited | Full control, technical |
| Scalability | Easy upgrades | Must upgrade plans | Scales well, expensive | Limited | Requires development |
| Google Analytics | Pre-configured & free | Paid plan required | Manual setup | Limited analytics | Requires plugin |
| Ease of Use | Simple setup | Beginner-friendly | Complex, steep learning | Very simple | Requires setup |
| Security & Updates | Managed & always updated | Auto-updates | Auto-updates | Auto-updates | Manual updates needed |
| Custom Solutions | Yes, fully tailored | No | Limited | No | Yes, with development |
For a startup, freelancer, or personal project, this cost difference is substantial. With Netlify, you get high-performance hosting, CMS, analytics, and form handling—all free.
Why Choose a Netlify Site?
A Netlify Site is built for those who need a professional, scalable, and cost-effective website solution. It’s ideal for:
- Startups & freelancers who need a reliable online presence
- Businesses looking for a no-maintenance, high-performance site
- Developers wanting a streamlined hosting experience
With zero hosting fees, a custom CMS, integrated analytics, and seamless form handling, a Netlify Site is the best way to launch a fast, modern, and affordable website.
