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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Netlify

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Netlify logo

Netlify

Technology

The fastest way to build the fastest sites

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Netlify the free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, Netlify covers Continuous deployment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Netlify actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Netlify differ
AttributeDepotNetlify
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLIWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
Founded20222014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

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.

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Netlify
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Netlify
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Netlify
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Netlify

Netlify

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

Where each one falls short

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

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

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

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Netlify

Free
  • Free PlanFree
    • 300 credit limit
    • Deploy previews, custom domains with SSL, functions, database storage
    • Global CDN access
  • Personal Plan$9/month
    • 1000 credits
    • Smart secret detection
    • Extended observability 1-day
  • Pro Plan$20/month
    • 3000 credits
    • Private repositories, shared environment variables
    • Concurrent builds 3 plus
  • Enterprise Plan$null/mo
    • Unlimited credits
    • 99.99 percent SLA guarantee
    • Enterprise networking, SSO/SCIM integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot 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 Depot or Netlify better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot 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, Depot or Netlify?
Depot starts at Free and Netlify at Free.
Does Depot or Netlify run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. Netlify runs on Web.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what Netlify is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Netlify cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Netlify covers Continuous deployment, Instant rollbacks, Deploy previews, Split testing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Netlify: Is Netlify free?

Netlify offers a free tier with 300 credits per month, suitable for individual developers. It includes deploy previews, custom domains with SSL, functions, database storage, and global CDN access.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Netlify: What is Netlify's pricing model?

Netlify charges based on credits. Production deployments cost 15 credits at 0.10 dollars each. Compute costs 10 credits per GB-hour at 0.07 dollars. Bandwidth costs 20 credits per GB at 0.13 dollars. Web requests cost 2 credits per 10000 requests at 0.01 dollars.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Netlify: What does the Pro plan include?

The Pro Plan costs 20 dollars per month and includes 3000 credits, private repositories, shared environment variables, 3 plus concurrent builds, and 30-day analytics periods.

Source
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