Raff wins on fixed application-compute tiers, $0 public egress, full Docker Compose import, long-running workers, private services, and first-party managed MySQL. Netlify wins on its $0 plan, global CDN, unlimited deploy previews, framework-aware frontend delivery, and mature edge and collaboration workflow. Choose Netlify for globally delivered frontend projects; choose Raff for connected container stacks whose monthly compute and transfer costs should be visible before launch. Raff Apps starts at $3/month, while Netlify Personal is $9/month and Netlify Pro starts at $20/month under the current credit model.
Netlify and Raff Apps overlap in Git deployment, serverless execution, preview environments, managed data services, custom domains, and production observability, but they optimize for different workloads. Netlify packages frontend delivery through a global CDN and meters production deploys, compute, bandwidth, and requests as credits. Raff packages web services, workers, cron jobs, private services, persistent volumes, and managed databases as explicit resource tiers with per-second billing and published monthly ceilings. Review Cloud VM vs App Platform before choosing either platform.
Netlify vs Raff: which is right for you?
The decision is frontend delivery versus general application hosting.
| Decision factor | Choose Raff Apps | Choose Netlify |
|---|
| Primary workload | Containerized APIs, web services, workers, cron jobs, private services, and multi-service stacks | Static sites, framework frontends, serverless functions, edge logic, and globally cached web applications |
| Entry price | Micro at $3/month | Free at $0 with 300 credits; Personal at $9 with 1,000 credits |
| Billing model | Fixed resource tier, per-second proration, monthly ceiling | Plan allowance measured through credits for deploys, compute, bandwidth, and requests |
| Public transfer | $0 public egress | 20 credits per GB of bandwidth |
| Deployment package | GitHub, buildpacks, Dockerfile, container image, or Docker Compose | Git, API, CLI, framework builds, Functions, and Edge Functions |
| Data layer | Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Valkey plus object storage | Netlify Database, Blob storage, and platform integrations |
| Global delivery | External CDN can be added | Global CDN and edge deployments are built in |
| Team workflow | No seat fee and spend cap enabled by default | Pro includes unlimited members, deploy previews, analytics, and shared environment controls |
Netlify is the better default for a frontend team that wants Git previews, global asset delivery, instant cache invalidation, and framework-oriented deployment without operating containers. Raff is the better Netlify alternative when the system includes continuously running processes, private TCP services, persistent storage, a MySQL database, or several Docker Compose services that should remain portable.
Netlify overview
Netlify is a managed web platform for building, deploying, and serving modern websites and applications. It connects to source repositories, creates production and preview deployments, distributes assets through a global CDN, runs serverless and edge functions, manages domains and TLS, and provides collaboration and observability features around the deployment lifecycle.
The current credit-based plans are:
- Free — $0/month: 300 credits, unlimited deploy previews, custom domains with SSL, Functions, Netlify Database, Blob storage, and global CDN delivery.
- Personal — $9/month: 1,000 credits, priority email support, smart secret detection, and longer observability history.
- Pro — from $20/month: 3,000 or more credits, unlimited members, private organization repositories, shared environment variables, concurrent builds, analytics, and team controls.
- Enterprise — custom: 99.99% SLA, enterprise network tier, SSO, SCIM, log drains, organization controls, and dedicated support.
Credits create one common usage currency. A production deploy consumes 15 credits, compute consumes 10 credits per GB-hour, bandwidth consumes 20 credits per GB, and web requests consume 2 credits per 10,000 requests. Deploy previews and branch deploys do not consume production-deploy credits, but their traffic and requests still use the relevant meters.
Netlify's clearest advantages are frontend workflow maturity, global delivery, unlimited preview deployments, framework support, edge functions, one-click rollback, instant cache invalidation, and a permanent free entry path. Its trade-off is that a growing site can consume credits through several independent behaviors rather than one application-server line item.
Raff overview
Raff Apps is a managed application platform for teams that need source and container deployment without administering the underlying operating system. It supports GitHub deployments, buildpacks, Dockerfiles, existing images, and full Docker Compose imports.
Raff Apps supports five primary process types: public web services, private services, background workers, timezone-aware cron jobs, and one-off jobs. It also provides pull-request previews, immutable revisions, rollback, persistent volumes, scale-to-zero behavior, managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, Valkey, object storage connections, and private links to other Raff services.
Current application tiers are:
| Tier | vCPU | RAM | Ephemeral disk | Monthly ceiling |
|---|
| Micro | 0.25 | 512 MB | 2 GB | $3.00 |
| Starter | 0.5 | 1 GB | 5 GB | $6.99 |
| Standard | 1 | 2 GB | 10 GB | $16.99 |
| Pro | 2 | 4 GB | 20 GB | $27.99 |
| Pro Max | 4 | 8 GB | 40 GB | $61.99 |
| Scale | 8 | 16 GB | 80 GB | $119.99 |
Raff made the cost-control decision before designing the deployment surface: public application egress is $0, seats are not billed, every instance has a visible monthly ceiling, and the spend cap is enabled by default. This is most useful when an application contains several always-on services and the team wants a bounded bill before traffic arrives.
The wider Raff platform reports 3,000+ customers and 15,000+ production VMs, a 99.9% uptime SLA, a 4.4/5 Trustpilot rating, and a 4.6/5 G2 rating. Raff is newer and geographically narrower than Netlify. Netlify has the stronger global frontend network; Raff has the more explicit general-purpose service and resource model.
Netlify pricing vs Raff pricing
Netlify and Raff charge for different units.
Raff charges each running service by an explicit vCPU, RAM, and disk tier. Billing is prorated by the second, but the published monthly value is the ceiling for one continuously running instance. Public egress and team seats cost $0.
Netlify charges a plan price that includes credits. Credits are then consumed by production deployments, compute, bandwidth, web requests, forms, database usage, and AI activity. Auto recharge is disabled by default; when a project reaches the credit limit without recharge, projects on the account can pause until the next billing cycle or a plan change.
| Buying position | Raff Apps | Netlify | Practical difference |
|---|
| Free evaluation | No permanent free app tier | Free at $0 with 300 credits | Netlify is stronger for no-cost experiments and static sites |
| Personal production | Starter at $6.99 for 0.5 vCPU and 1 GB | Personal at $9 with 1,000 credits | Raff publishes resources; Netlify publishes a shared usage allowance |
| Small team | Standard at $16.99 for 1 vCPU and 2 GB | Pro starts at $20 with unlimited members and 3,000 credits | Netlify includes frontend collaboration; Raff includes fixed application compute |
| Larger service | Pro at $27.99 for 2 vCPU and 4 GB | No direct fixed-instance equivalent | Netlify cost follows credits; Raff cost follows selected service resources |
| Additional team members | $0 | $0 on current Pro credit plans | Both avoid per-seat growth on these plans |
A direct speed or capacity equivalence cannot be inferred from this table. Netlify credits combine multiple platform behaviors, while Raff tiers describe a continuously available service. The correct model starts with the application's deployment frequency, compute GB-hours, public bandwidth, request count, number of processes, and need for a global CDN.
Netlify pricing and credit rates were checked against its official pricing page on July 30, 2026. Raff pricing follows the current July 2026 Raff Apps rate card.
Bandwidth and transfer policy
Netlify meters web bandwidth at 20 credits per GB. The meter includes assets, web content, image delivery, file downloads, function responses, and other project traffic sent to the internet. Web requests are metered separately at 2 credits per 10,000 requests.
The included bandwidth depends on how the account spends its total credit allowance. A Free account with 300 credits could theoretically spend all credits on 15 GB of bandwidth, but production deployments, requests, compute, forms, database usage, and AI usage draw from the same balance. A Pro account starting with 3,000 credits could theoretically cover 150 GB if every credit went to bandwidth.
Raff Apps prices public application egress at $0. API responses, downloads, and normal application traffic do not create a per-GB Apps line item. The team still pays for the selected running service and any separate persistent storage or managed database resources.
Netlify's global CDN can reduce origin work and provide lower latency to distributed users. That advantage is real and can justify the credit model for static and cacheable sites. Raff is easier to forecast for download-heavy APIs, media endpoints, package delivery, or dynamic responses where traffic should not alter the application-platform bill.
Feature comparison: Netlify vs Raff
Deployment and frontend workflow
| Feature | Raff Apps | Netlify |
|---|
| Git deployment | GitHub | Git providers, CLI, API, and agent workflows |
| Framework detection | Buildpacks and configuration | Broad framework-aware deployment |
| Dockerfile and images | Available | Not the primary deployment unit |
| Full Docker Compose import | Available | No native whole-stack Compose import |
| Deploy previews | Pull-request preview environments | Unlimited deploy previews and branch deploys |
| Global CDN | External CDN can be added | Built in |
| Instant cache invalidation | Application/CDN dependent | Built in |
Process and compute model
| Feature | Raff Apps | Netlify |
|---|
| Always-on web service | Available | Frontend, Functions, and edge execution model |
| Private service | Available | Not a general private-service product |
| Long-running worker | Available | Async workloads and functions, not a general worker container |
| Cron jobs | Timezone-aware jobs | Scheduled Functions |
| Edge functions | Use application or external edge architecture | Built in |
| Scale to zero | Available | Serverless execution scales around requests |
Data and storage
| Feature | Raff Apps | Netlify |
|---|
| Persistent mounted volume | Available | Blob and database products rather than a general mounted filesystem |
| Managed PostgreSQL | First-party Raff service | Netlify Database |
| Managed MySQL | First-party Raff service | No first-party managed MySQL product listed |
| Redis-compatible cache | Managed Valkey | External integration required |
| Object storage | S3-compatible Raff Object Storage | Netlify Blobs |
| Private app-to-database link | Available on Raff private fabric | Architecture depends on selected data product |
Collaboration and controls
| Feature | Raff Apps | Netlify |
|---|
| Team seats | $0 | Unlimited on Pro; one member on Free and Personal |
| Spend control | Enabled by default | Auto recharge disabled by default; credit limit pauses projects |
| Rollback | Immutable revisions and one-click rollback | One-click rollback |
| Observability | Service logs and platform monitoring | Request, bandwidth, runtime, function, edge, and web analytics |
| Enterprise identity | Raff account and enterprise controls | SSO, SCIM, org controls, and enterprise support |
Netlify leads in globally delivered frontend projects, edge execution, deploy previews, cache behavior, and frontend observability. Raff leads in portable containers, Docker Compose, fixed service resources, long-running processes, private services, managed MySQL, persistent volumes, and $0 public egress.
Features and reliability: Raff vs Netlify
There are 0 controlled head-to-head Raff-versus-Netlify application benchmarks as of July 30, 2026. The products use different delivery and execution models, so a synthetic comparison between one container and one function would not establish a credible performance winner.
Frontend delivery
Netlify's global CDN, edge deployments, cache invalidation, image delivery, and framework adapters are stronger defaults for a geographically distributed frontend. Static assets can be served close to users without the application team operating a separate CDN.
Raff Apps currently runs application compute in us-east. A team can place a CDN in front of a Raff service, but that layer must be selected and configured separately. For a static or cache-heavy international site, Netlify has the stronger default architecture.
Application services
Raff provides explicit continuously running resources. Standard exposes 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM; Pro exposes 2 vCPU and 4 GB. This model fits APIs, workers, WebSocket services, private TCP services, and applications that need a predictable process lifetime.
Netlify Functions and Edge Functions fit request-driven workloads and frontend-adjacent logic. They remove server-process management but require teams to work within function execution, runtime, and platform patterns rather than treating the deployment as a general long-running container.
Deployment reliability
Both platforms provide preview environments and rollback workflows. Netlify adds a mature global deployment system, instant cache invalidation, production and branch contexts, and an Enterprise 99.99% SLA. Raff provides immutable revisions, health-aware deployment, one-click rollback, direct support, and a broader 99.9% platform SLA.
Stateful workloads
Netlify is strongest when state lives in managed platform data products or external services. Raff supports mounted persistent volumes and first-party relational and cache products beside the application. A production relational database should still use a managed database rather than depend on an application container's filesystem.
When you should choose Netlify over Raff
- A permanent free plan matters — Netlify Free costs $0 and includes 300 monthly credits.
- The project is frontend-first — framework builds, previews, CDN delivery, cache invalidation, and frontend observability are integrated.
- Global static delivery is required — Netlify's CDN is built into the deployment workflow.
- Every branch needs review — deploy previews are unlimited and support collaborative feedback.
- Edge execution fits the logic — Edge Functions run close to users without a separate edge provider.
- A credit ceiling is acceptable — projects pause rather than creating unbounded overage when auto recharge remains disabled.
- Enterprise web controls are required — Netlify offers SSO, SCIM, log drains, organization management, and a 99.99% Enterprise SLA.
When you should choose Raff over Netlify
- The application is containerized — Raff accepts Dockerfiles, existing images, buildpacks, and full Docker Compose stacks.
- Long-running processes are required — web services, private services, and workers map directly to persistent service types.
- Compute should be explicit — Raff publishes vCPU, RAM, disk, and monthly ceiling for every tier.
- Public egress must stay predictable — Raff Apps prices public transfer at $0.
- Managed MySQL is required — Raff provides MySQL beside PostgreSQL and Valkey.
- Mounted persistent storage is required — durable volumes can survive deployments and restarts.
- One platform should cover app and infrastructure services — Apps connects to managed databases, object storage, VMs, and Kubernetes.
- Docker Compose portability matters — a local multi-service definition can be imported rather than translated into several frontend-platform products.
Review Render Alternative 2026 and Vercel Alternative 2026 for nearby deployment decisions.
Migrating from Netlify to Raff
A Netlify-to-Raff migration is straightforward for portable application code, but frontend delivery and serverless behavior need explicit replacement.
- Inventory the Netlify project. Record the framework, build command, publish directory, Functions, Edge Functions, scheduled jobs, redirects, headers, forms, Identity, Blobs, Database, environment contexts, domains, analytics, and deploy-preview behavior.
- Choose the Raff package. Use a buildpack for a conventional application, a Dockerfile for reproducible builds, a container image for an existing artifact, or Docker Compose for a multi-service stack.
- Map execution units. Convert HTTP Functions into web-service routes, background work into workers, and schedules into Raff cron jobs. Edge Functions may require application middleware or an external edge layer.
- Move state. Export Netlify Database data through PostgreSQL tooling, copy Blob objects to Raff Object Storage, recreate secrets, and replace Forms or Identity with an appropriate application or external service.
- Rebuild delivery behavior. Configure redirects, response headers, caching, image delivery, an external CDN where required, health checks, custom domains, and preview-environment rules.
- Test and cut over. Validate builds, routes, authentication callbacks, functions, jobs, storage, database connections, and global latency; lower DNS TTL to 300 seconds, switch traffic, and retain Netlify during the rollback window.
Operational gotchas:
- Netlify redirect and header rules do not automatically become application or proxy configuration.
- Edge Functions may rely on edge-only APIs that are unavailable inside a conventional container.
- Netlify Identity and Forms are product dependencies, not only configuration files; replace them before DNS cutover.
- Blob URLs and database connection details change after migration.
- A U.S.-East origin does not reproduce Netlify's global CDN latency without an external CDN.
- Deploy-preview environment variables and production variables should be mapped separately.
About Netlify
<a href="https://www.netlify.com/" rel="external noopener">Netlify</a> is a web development platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco. It provides Git and API deployments, global CDN delivery, deploy previews, serverless and edge functions, Netlify Database, Blob storage, forms, identity features, observability, security controls, and enterprise web-delivery services. Pricing and product details in this comparison were checked against official Netlify sources on July 30, 2026.
Conclusion: Netlify or Raff?
The comparison resolves across four measured axes:
- Frontend delivery — Netlify provides a global CDN, edge functions, framework adapters, and unlimited deploy previews.
- Application model — Raff provides portable containers, private services, long-running workers, cron jobs, and Docker Compose import.
- Pricing — Netlify starts at $0 and meters usage through credits; Raff starts at $3 with explicit resource ceilings.
- Transfer — Netlify charges 20 credits per GB; Raff Apps prices public egress at $0.
Choose Netlify when the product is primarily a globally delivered frontend and the built-in CDN, edge, preview, and collaboration workflow removes more work than the credit model adds. Choose Raff when the system is a connected application stack whose compute resources, process types, databases, and transfer costs should remain explicit.
Raff supports 3,000+ customers and 15,000+ production VMs, with a 4.4/5 Trustpilot rating and a 4.6/5 G2 rating. Review Raff Apps, current Raff pricing, and Cloud VM vs App Platform before migration.
