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Software · head to head

Buildkite vs Netlify

Buildkite logo

Buildkite

Software

CI/CD pipelines that run on your own compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netlify logo

Netlify

Software

The fastest way to build the fastest sites

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buildkite free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention; Netlify the free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildkite and Netlify actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildkite and Netlify differ
AttributeBuildkiteNetlify
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Buildkite

Nothing recorded that Netlify does not also cover.

Only in Netlify

  • Continuous deployment
  • Instant rollbacks
  • Deploy previews
  • Split testing
  • Forms handling
  • Identity/Auth
  • Serverless functions
  • Edge handlers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Buildkite

No use cases recorded yet. See the Buildkite review.

Netlify

  • Hosting static sites and frontend frameworks with global CDN deliverynot Buildkite
  • Deploy previews on every pull requestnot Buildkite
  • Serverless functions alongside a static sitenot Buildkite
  • Netlify Database and Blob storage for small application statenot Buildkite

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Buildkite

  • Free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention
  • Pro plan is $30 per active user per month, capped at 50 users, with only 10 of the up to 250 concurrent agents included before extra usage
  • Enterprise plan enforces a 30 user minimum even though pricing itself is custom
  • Hosted compute beyond included minutes is metered at $0.004 per vCPU minute on Linux and $0.02 per vCPU minute on Mac

Netlify

  • The free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • Everything is metered in credits, so bandwidth at 20 credits per GB and production deploys at 15 credits each consume the allowance in ways a bandwidth figure alone would not show
  • Compute is billed at 10 credits per GB-hour, so server-rendered work costs more than static hosting
  • Running past the allowance means buying credit packs, at $5 for 500 on Personal and $10 for 1,500 on Pro
  • AI inference is priced by model rather than at a flat credit rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildkite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Buildkite review.

Netlify

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 100GB bandwidth
    • 300 build minutes
    • 1 concurrent build
  • Pro$19/month
    • 400GB bandwidth
    • 25,000 build minutes
    • 3 concurrent builds
  • Business$99/month
    • 600GB bandwidth
    • 35,000 build minutes
    • 5 concurrent builds
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom bandwidth
    • Custom build minutes
    • Unlimited concurrent builds

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildkite if

  • You want to start without paying.
Buildkite review

Choose Netlify if

  • You need continuous deployment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want instant rollbacks.
Netlify review

Questions people ask

Is Buildkite or Netlify better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildkite starts at Free and Netlify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildkite or Netlify?
Buildkite starts at Free and Netlify at Free.
Does Buildkite or Netlify run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Buildkite for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Buildkite do that Netlify cannot?
Netlify covers Continuous deployment, Instant rollbacks, Deploy previews, Split testing.
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Related pages

More on Buildkite

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