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Most buyers should pick Netlify.
Choose Netlify for code-driven deployments, Git-based previews, serverless functions and app services on a global edge network. Choose SiteGround for managed web or WordPress hosting with defined storage, CPU and inode limits, plus hosting support. Netlify’s Free plan makes experimentation possible, but paid usage is credit-based and its listed prices include unresolved figures. SiteGround’s shared-hosting prices start low when prepaid annually, then renew at substantially higher monthly rates.
01Side by side
| Netlify | SiteGround | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly plans use credits, with paid concurrency and credit add-ons. | Introductory annual shared-hosting rates; monthly and cloud plans also listed. |
| Free tier | Free plan includes 300 credits per month. | No free hosting plan; Website Builder has a 14-day trial. |
| API and app services | Serverless functions, storage, identity and AI Gateway. | Coderick AI app builder and AI Studio. |
| CLI and docs | CLI deployment command is listed on the homepage. | Web and WordPress hosting are the stated entry points. |
| Integrations | Git, Claude, Codex, APIs and AI models through AI Gateway. | Homepage names no third-party integrations. |
| Deployment model | Deploy from Git, CLI, drag and drop, or AI agent. | Managed web hosting, including WordPress hosting. |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Limits and scaling | Credits, build concurrency and agent-run concurrency vary by plan. | Storage, CPU seconds, inodes and cloud resources vary by plan. |
Netlify Choose Netlify if
- Choose Netlify if Git pushes should trigger deployments and previews.
- Choose Netlify if you need serverless functions and app storage.
- Choose Netlify if you want a free deployment plan.
SiteGround Choose SiteGround if
- Choose SiteGround if you need managed WordPress hosting.
- Choose SiteGround if you want defined hosting storage and CPU limits.
- Choose SiteGround if you need 24/7 live support.
02Pricing at real usage
Netlify’s Free plan costs $0 per month and includes 300 credits, one concurrent build and one concurrent agent run. Personal is listed at $9 monthly with 1,000 credits; Pro starts at $20 with 3,000–20,000 credits. The pricing page also shows unresolved Personal figures of $12 and $15 and a Pro figure of $25; it does not clarify annual billing. Extra credits cost $5 per 500 on Personal or $10 per 1,500 on Pro, and extra builds cost $40 each.
SiteGround’s shared-hosting prices are introductory rates prepaid for 12 months: StartUp is $1.99 per month, GrowBig $3.99 and GoGeek $5.99. Renewal rates are $17.99, $29.99 and $44.99 per month. Monthly rates are higher: $24.99, $34.99 and $49.99. Cloud plans list $100–$400 monthly. SiteGround says resource breaches may trigger throttling, process termination or an upgrade.
03API, SDKs and integration
Netlify connects deployments to Git pushes and creates preview URLs for pull requests. Its homepage also lists deployment from the CLI, drag and drop, or an AI agent. The CLI command shown is npm i -g netlify-cli netlify deploy --allow-anonymous. For app code, Netlify describes serverless functions for APIs, data and file storage, built-in identity, and AI model connections through AI Gateway. It names Claude and Codex as AI-agent integrations. The vendor does not publish a specific language or SDK list on its homepage.
SiteGround’s integration story is centered on its hosted web and WordPress products, Coderick AI for building apps and websites through chat, and AI Studio for chatting with multiple models and accessing agents. Its homepage does not name third-party integrations. It does not present a comparable Git deployment or CLI workflow there. For either product, confirm supported frameworks, API details and migration paths against your application’s requirements before committing.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Neither vendor publishes an open-source licence, self-hosting option or data-export path on its product pages. Ask each vendor what you can export, in which formats, and whether that includes application data, files and deployment configuration.
Netlify’s functions, identity, storage and AI Gateway are platform services. Replacing them may mean adapting application code and moving data, so map those dependencies before using them for core application state. SiteGround offers WordPress hosting and says customers can start or migrate WordPress sites; that gives WordPress users a stated migration route, but it does not answer what data or configuration can be exported later. The shared hosting plans also specify resource ceilings, while cloud plans list fixed CPU, RAM, storage and transfer allowances. Compare those limits with your deployment and migration needs, not just the starting price.
Questions people ask
Is GitHub or Netlify better?
They serve different roles in a deployment workflow. Netlify says it can deploy on Git pushes and create preview URLs for pull requests. If your decision is about where to deploy a web app, Netlify provides that hosting workflow; the right choice also depends on what you need from your Git provider.
How much does Netlify cost per month?
Netlify lists a Free plan at $0, Personal at $9 per month and Pro at $20 per month. Personal includes 1,000 credits; Pro includes 3,000–20,000. The pricing page also shows other Personal and Pro price figures without resolving them, so verify the current charge before budgeting.
Is Netlify open source?
Netlify does not publish an open-source licence on its product pages. Its product is presented as a hosted platform for building, deploying and running apps. If your project requires open-source software or self-hosting, ask Netlify about licensing and deployment options before adopting its platform services.
What should I check before scaling either platform?
For Netlify, check credit use, build concurrency and agent-run concurrency, along with the cost of additional credits or builds. For SiteGround, compare storage, CPU seconds, inodes and transfer allowances with expected demand. Its pricing notes say resource-limit breaches may lead to throttling, process termination or an upgrade.