Netlify vs Railway for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Netlify Overview

Netlify is the platform that popularized JAMstack hosting. You connect a Git repo, it builds and deploys your static site to a global CDN. Done. For frontend projects, the experience is nearly frictionless. Push a commit, get a preview URL in 30 seconds. Forms, redirects, and basic serverless functions are all baked in without touching a backend.

I've used Netlify for landing pages, Astro blogs, and simple React apps. The free tier is generous enough that most solo projects never need to upgrade. 100GB bandwidth, 300 build minutes per month, and serverless functions included. The dashboard is clean and the deploy logs actually make sense when something breaks.

Where Netlify falls short is anything beyond static content. If your project needs a database, a persistent backend process, or background workers, you'll need another platform alongside Netlify. Their serverless functions work for light API endpoints, but they're not a substitute for an actual backend.

Railway Overview

Railway is an application platform that handles the stuff Netlify doesn't. Databases, backend services, background workers, cron jobs. You can deploy a Django app with Postgres and Redis in a few clicks. Railway provisions the infrastructure, gives you connection strings, and handles the networking between services.

I started using Railway when I needed a quick staging environment for a Django project. The experience was smooth. Railway detected my Dockerfile, built the image, connected my Postgres database, and the whole stack was running in under five minutes. The usage-based pricing meant I only paid for what I actually used during testing.

Railway's pricing model is different from most platforms. Instead of fixed tiers, you pay for compute and memory by the hour. A small backend service running 24/7 costs roughly $5-10/month. Add Postgres and you're looking at another $5-7. It's predictable for small projects but can surprise you if something spikes.

Key Differences

What they actually do. This is the fundamental divide. Netlify hosts static files and runs edge/serverless functions. Railway runs persistent processes, databases, and full application stacks. They solve different problems. Comparing them directly is like comparing a CDN with a VPS.

Database support. Railway can spin up Postgres, MySQL, Redis, and MongoDB as managed services in your project. Netlify has no database support at all. If your project needs a database, Railway handles it natively. On Netlify, you'd pair it with Supabase, PlanetScale, or another external service.

Pricing philosophy. Netlify uses a traditional tier model with a generous free tier and a $19/month jump for Pro. Railway charges usage-based, which means your costs scale with actual usage. For a static site that gets moderate traffic, Netlify is cheaper. For a backend that runs idle most of the day, Railway can be cheaper since you pay for what you use.

Deploy model. Netlify deploys are atomic. Your site is built, the static output is pushed to the CDN, and the switch happens instantly. Railway deploys are container-based. Your Dockerfile builds, the container starts, and health checks confirm it's running. Netlify deploys are faster for static content. Railway deploys handle more complex stacks.

Serverless vs persistent. Netlify's functions spin up on request and shut down after execution. Railway's services run continuously. If your API needs WebSockets, long-running connections, or background processing, Railway handles it. Netlify's functions are limited to short-lived request/response cycles.

When to Choose Netlify

• Your project is a static site, blog, or frontend SPA
• You want free hosting with generous limits
• Built-in form handling saves you from building a backend
• Your backend lives somewhere else and you only need to deploy the frontend
• You value instant atomic deploys and preview URLs for every branch

When to Choose Railway

• Your project needs a backend, database, or persistent services
• You're deploying a full-stack app with Postgres, Redis, or worker processes
• Usage-based pricing fits better than a fixed monthly fee
• You need WebSockets, cron jobs, or background task processing
• You want one platform for both your API and your database

The Verdict

Netlify and Railway aren't really competitors. They serve different parts of the stack. The real question is whether your project needs a backend.

If you're building a static site, a JAMstack frontend, or a blog, Netlify is the obvious pick. The free tier handles it, deploys are instant, and you don't need to think about infrastructure.

If you're building something with a backend, database, or any persistent process, Railway is the platform to look at. It handles full application stacks without the complexity of managing your own VPS.

Honestly, the best setup for many solo developers is both. Netlify for your frontend, Railway for your API and database. They complement each other well, and combined you're still spending less than $20/month for a complete stack.