Netlify vs Kamal for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Netlify Overview

Netlify is the standard for deploying static sites and JAMstack applications. Push code to Git, Netlify builds it, puts it on a CDN, and gives you a URL. Preview deploys for branches, form handling, serverless functions, and free SSL. It's a complete frontend hosting solution with almost no configuration required.

I reach for Netlify whenever I need to deploy something static. The workflow is fast, the free tier covers most solo projects, and I don't have to think about infrastructure. That last part is the key. Netlify handles CDN routing, SSL certificates, build caching, and edge delivery without me touching anything.

The scope is narrow by design. Netlify hosts static content and runs short-lived serverless functions. It's not trying to be a full application platform, and that's fine for the projects it targets.

Kamal Overview

Kamal is a deployment tool built by the Basecamp team (the Rails folks). It deploys Docker containers to any server you own using SSH. No Kubernetes, no managed platform, no vendor lock-in. You define your services in a YAML config, run kamal deploy, and your Docker images are pulled and started on your VPS with zero-downtime rolling deploys.

Kamal 2 made things significantly simpler than the original version. It uses kamal-proxy (a lightweight reverse proxy) instead of Traefik, handles SSL automatically via Let's Encrypt, and supports deploying multiple services and accessories like databases and Redis alongside your main app.

I tried Kamal for a Rails project on a Hetzner VPS and the experience was clean. The deploy config is a single YAML file. Running kamal setup provisions everything. Running kamal deploy builds your Docker image, pushes it to a registry, pulls it on the server, and swaps traffic with zero downtime. It's what Capistrano was for the Docker era.

Key Differences

Platform vs tool. Netlify is a hosted platform. You deploy to their infrastructure. Kamal is a deployment tool. You use it to deploy to your own server. Netlify manages everything. Kamal automates deployment but you still own and manage the server.

What they deploy. Netlify deploys static files and serverless functions. Kamal deploys Docker containers. Any application that runs in Docker can be deployed with Kamal. Rails, Django, Node, Go, anything. The scope of what Kamal can handle is much broader.

Infrastructure ownership. With Netlify, your code runs on Netlify's infrastructure. With Kamal, your code runs on servers you control. This means Kamal gives you more control and better economics at scale, but also more responsibility.

Developer experience. Netlify's experience is push-and-forget. Kamal's experience is more hands-on. You write a deploy config, run CLI commands, and manage your server. Kamal simplifies deployment significantly compared to raw Docker Compose or Kubernetes, but it's still more involved than Netlify's fully managed approach.

Cost comparison. Netlify free tier costs nothing. Kamal is free but requires a VPS ($3-6/month). For a single static site, Netlify is clearly cheaper. For a full application stack, Kamal on a cheap VPS beats the monthly cost of managed platforms like Railway or Render.

Zero-downtime deploys. Netlify handles this with atomic deploys for static content. Kamal handles this with rolling container deploys and health checks. Both achieve zero-downtime, but through different mechanisms.

Accessories and services. Kamal can deploy "accessories" like Postgres, Redis, and background workers alongside your main app, all from the same config file. Netlify has no concept of running additional services.

When to Choose Netlify

• Your project is a static site, blog, or client-side application
• You want zero infrastructure to manage
• Fast, free deploys with preview URLs matter to you
• You don't want to own or maintain a server
• Simplicity and speed of deployment are your top priorities

When to Choose Kamal

• You're deploying a full-stack application with a backend
• You want Docker-based zero-downtime deploys to your own VPS
• You prefer owning your infrastructure over renting platform time
• You need to deploy databases and background workers alongside your app
• You're already comfortable with Docker and want a clean deployment workflow

The Verdict

Netlify and Kamal solve completely different problems. Netlify is a hosting platform for static content. Kamal is a deployment tool for Docker applications on your own servers. Comparing them directly is like comparing a CDN with a deployment script.

If you're deploying a frontend or static site, use Netlify. Don't set up a VPS and configure Kamal to serve HTML files. That's unnecessary work for a solved problem.

If you're deploying a backend application and want the simplicity of a managed platform without the managed platform price, Kamal is worth learning. It turns a $5/month Hetzner VPS into a production deployment target with zero-downtime deploys, SSL, and multi-service support. The initial setup takes more time than clicking "Deploy" on Railway, but the ongoing cost savings and infrastructure control are significant.

For many solo developers, the practical setup is Netlify for the frontend and Kamal for deploying the backend to a VPS. Simple frontend hosting paired with affordable, controlled backend deployment.