The Netlify platform seeks to 'build the future of the web' by providing what they call 'an entire ecosystem of modern tools and services into a single, simlpe workflow for building high performance sites and apps.' This is great news for software developers and web site designers.
The beauty of the Netlify platform is that it truly provides the developer's dream. Essentially, it allows developers to 'just write code.' Here are a number of ways that the Netlify platform does this and makes their platform a great choice for building, deploying, and more.
Used by major companies
The simple fact is: you don't have to take my word for it.
A number of major companies have integrated the Netlify platform into their operations. Netlify's Customer Stories page details a number of customer testimonials that include high praise of the platform.
Netlify's customers include major companies such as Verizon, Nike, and Peloton. And its many testimonials discuss benefits such as blazing fast speed, significant cost-reduction, and more.
In other words, a lot of companies have chosen and love Netlify. Not just me.
Great for Single Page Applications (SPAs)
Netlify is designed to work with Jamstack architecture -- in other words, the JavaScript, APIs, and Markup technology stack. This architecture means building, deploying, and maintaining beautiful and high-performing Single Page Applications is incredibly easy.
I personally prefer using the Vue.js front-end framework for designing websites. Fortunately, Netlify makes working with Vue.js extremely easy. But Netlify also works with a number of other technologies and frameworks. So if you prefer, Netlify can integrate with WordPress too.
Automated building via GitHub
One of my favorite features of the Netlify platform is the ability to connect your Netlify-hosted app to any repository in your GitHub account. Netlify's tagline 'Push to Git, and that's it' is no exaggeration.
All you have to do is connect your Netlify deployment process with your Git repository. After you run your 'git push' command, Netlify automatically recognizes the updates and begins its deployment process to make your work go live.
It can be as simple as that. You can also customize your deployment process as your project's needs dictate. Build commands, publish directories, deployment scripts, and more can be customized however you wish.
Speed and Performance
Netlify's Customer Stories and testimonials represent an accurate depiction of the speed and performance that the platform offers.
One reason that Netlify-hosted applications are so fast is because of Netlify Edge. It represents a global network of prerendered projects that renders having your own Content Delivery Network (CDN) totally unnecessary.
Another reason Netlify has such great speed and performance is because of the technologies it supports and integrates with. The Jamstack architecture that Netlify enables is literally built for speed.
Integration with forms
Another of my favorite features of the Netlify platform is the ability to seamlessly integrate with website forms.
For example, you can quickly and easily set up a contact form for your website without all the extra overhead of server-side code, JavaScript, or a database. Netlify forms take care of everything behind the scenes.
Netlify forms also automatically include a number of features such as spam prevention and protection against bots. And, you can even add reCAPTCHA 2 challenges to your forms.
Security
Online security is a major concern in an age when cyber attacks are all too common. That's why Netlify security is so handy. You can literally do nothing extra beyond deploying your project on Netlify and rest assured that you are getting boosted security.
Among the many benefits of Netlify security are: active Distributed Denial of Service (DDos) mitigation, encryption of all network traffic over Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol -- meaning everything is HTTPS -- and regular penetration testing performed on the platform's network infrastructure.
And, you can do even more to secure your application, including user authentication with Netlify Identity.
Pricing
Yet another of my favorite features of the Netlify platform is its pricing structure.
Netlify pricing includes three clearly defined and priced tiers, in addition to a customized Enterprise tier for the largest of operations. Why do I love their pricing so much? Because Netlify has a free Starter tier that is actually free.
I have been able to deploy a number of high-quality, fast, and secure applications through Netlify's platform without paying a dime. And in the case that I need more, the Pro tier is a wonderfully low-priced $19.99 / month.
Documentation
As a software developer and website designer, I know the frustrations of having to deal with platforms and APIs that are not well-documented. That is why I love Netlify's documentation so much.
I have been able to find official Netlify documentation that covers every feature or issue I have had questions about in enough, but not too much, detail.
Furthermore, because Netlify is widely utilized, finding even more environment- and project-specific support is incredibly easy using search engines like Google.
All the extras
Netlify has so many other features and integrations on its platform that it is impossible to capture them adequately in this one post. But, just to name a few others that you might be interested in, Netlify also offers:
- easy integration with Mailchimp via Zapier
- analytics data via Netlify Analytics
- support for e-commerce, including integration with Stripe payments
- serverless functions via Netlify functions
- integrations with Content Management Systems (CMS)
For all those reasons and more, I believe the Netlify platform is a simple, fast, and secure platform for developers of all experience levels.