Netlify vs GitHub Pages for static sites

Why this comparison matters

If you are building a static site, chances are you will quickly run into two popular options: Netlify and GitHub Pages. Both let you publish a site straight from a Git repository, and both are widely used by developers.

But they are not built for the same kind of projects.

This guide compares Netlify and GitHub Pages from a practical point of view, especially if you are a beginner or working on a real product instead of a demo site.

What GitHub Pages is good at

GitHub Pages is tightly integrated with GitHub. If your code already lives in a GitHub repository, publishing a site can feel almost effortless.

You push code to a branch, usually main or gh-pages, and GitHub Pages serves the files as a website.

Strengths of GitHub Pages

GitHub Pages works best when:

You want a simple documentation site
You are hosting a personal portfolio
You do not need backend features
You want zero configuration

There is no separate dashboard to learn. Everything happens inside GitHub.

Limitations of GitHub Pages

The simplicity comes with tradeoffs:

No built-in forms handling
No serverless functions
Limited build customization
No deploy previews for pull requests
No environment variables for runtime logic

GitHub Pages also has restrictions on build tooling. You cannot fully control the build environment unless you generate the site locally and commit the output.

What Netlify is built for

Netlify is designed as a full static and frontend hosting platform. It does more than serve files.

Netlify connects to your Git repository, builds your site on every change, and gives you production-ready features out of the box.

Strengths of Netlify

Netlify shines when you need:

Automatic builds on every commit
Custom domains with HTTPS
Netlify Forms for contact forms
Netlify Functions for backend logic
Environment variables per deploy
Deploy previews for every pull request
Easy redirects and rewrites

This makes Netlify a strong choice for real products, marketing sites, and SaaS landing pages.

Example: deploy previews

With Netlify, every pull request gets its own live preview URL. This is extremely useful for reviewing content and design changes before merging.

GitHub Pages does not offer this feature.

Custom domains and HTTPS

Both platforms support custom domains, but the experience is different.

With GitHub Pages, setting up HTTPS and DNS usually involves more manual steps and external configuration.

With Netlify, custom domains and HTTPS are handled directly in the dashboard, including automatic SSL certificates.

For beginners, Netlify is much easier here.

Forms and backend features

This is one of the biggest differences.

GitHub Pages cannot process forms or handle backend requests on its own. You need third-party services for everything.

Netlify includes:

Netlify Forms without JavaScript
Netlify Functions for APIs and logic
Scheduled functions and background tasks

If your static site needs even a small amount of dynamic behavior, Netlify is usually the better fit.

Pricing and limits

GitHub Pages is completely free for public repositories.

Netlify offers a generous free tier, but advanced features have limits. For many small projects, the free plan is more than enough.

The key difference is not price, but capability.

Which one should you choose

Choose GitHub Pages if:

You want the simplest possible setup
You are hosting documentation or a personal site
You do not need forms or backend features

Choose Netlify if:

You are building a real product or business site
You want deploy previews and better workflows
You need forms, functions, or environment variables
You care about scaling beyond a basic site

Final thoughts

GitHub Pages is excellent for what it is: a simple static hosting solution tightly integrated with GitHub.

Netlify goes much further and acts as a full platform for modern frontend projects.

If your site is growing, or if you want fewer limitations, Netlify is usually the better long-term choice.