Ample vs Netlify: which should host an app with a backend? | Ample

The short version

Netlify is the better choice for static sites and front ends whose dynamic work fits short JavaScript or Go functions. Ample is the better choice for an app with a real backend: a Python, Ruby, PHP, Java or Node server, a worker or a WebSocket service, with Postgres, MySQL, Redis or MongoDB that a coding agent can deploy alone.

Before you choose

Netlify is built around a global CDN and serverless functions; it says itself that it has no long-lived server. Ample runs the server. If your app is mostly static, Netlify is hard to beat; if the backend matters, read on.

Ample and Netlify side by side

Ample Netlify
Free plan $0 with no card. 2 apps running at once, 2 vCPU, 2 GB memory, 3 GB volumes, 1 GB bucket storage, 2 buckets. $0 with 300 credits a month as a hard limit, including functions, Netlify Database and Blobs.
Paid plans Custom plans priced on volume (number of apps, limits, spending caps). No public list price; see pricing. Personal $9 a month (1,000 credits), Pro from $20 a month (3,000 credits), with unlimited members.
Spending limit Free has a hard budget ($5 a month, $2 a day). At the cap, apps stop serving until the account is back under budget; nothing is deleted and nothing is billed. When credits run out, every project on the team pauses until the next cycle unless auto recharge is turned on.
How apps run Each app runs as a normal long-running process in its own microVM with its own kernel. Serverless functions and Deno-based edge functions; no long-lived server.
Long-running servers and workers Yes. Web services and background workers (--kind worker) run as ordinary processes. No. Synchronous functions stop at 60 seconds and background functions at 15 minutes.
Languages Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Elixir, Rust and static sites, detected from the repository. TypeScript, JavaScript and Go functions.
Docker images No. Ample builds from source; Dockerfile build steps are not run. No.
Databases Managed Postgres, MySQL, Redis and MongoDB, each in its own microVM, created automatically when the code needs one. Netlify Database, managed Postgres that sleeps after 5 minutes idle; 3 databases on Free.
Object storage S3-compatible buckets, optionally published through Ample's CDN. Netlify Blobs (its own SDK; no S3 API documented).
Persistent disk Persistent volumes attached to the app. None.
Custom domains and TLS Custom domains with automatic TLS. Custom domains with automatic Let's Encrypt certificates on all plans.
Regions No region choice. Global CDN; functions run in one selectable region.
Scheduled jobs Scheduled jobs: a command or HTTP request on a cron schedule (any time zone) or interval, with retries and run history (ample job create). Scheduled functions with a 30-second limit.
Agent access CLI, remote MCP server (OAuth), A2A endpoint and agent skills. Deploys are synchronous and return JSON with an exit code: 0 live, 1 failed, 2 needs input. Remote MCP server, a ChatGPT app, a Claude connector, agent skills and llms.txt.
Agent signup without a person Yes. ample auth signup creates an account with no browser, card or CAPTCHA; a person claims it by email within 48 hours. Partly. netlify deploy --allow-anonymous publishes a static site without an account, to be claimed within an hour; functions need an account.

Competitor facts come from that company's own pricing pages and documentation, checked on the date shown in the sources. Plans change; follow the source links for current numbers.

Which one fits

Choose Ample when

Choose Netlify when

Move a Netlify project to Ample

  1. 1

Translate netlify.toml

Note the build command and publish directory, redirects in _redirects or netlify.toml, and any scheduled functions.

  1. 2

Wrap functions in a server

Netlify Functions become routes in a small server (for example Hono or Express); background functions become a worker, and scheduled functions become Ample jobs (ample job create).

  1. 3

Plan and deploy

A static site deploys as a static service; an app with a server gets a web service and any database it needs.

ample plan --write && ample up
  1. 4

Move data

Dump Netlify Database with pg_dump and restore it; copy Blobs into an Ample bucket and switch to an S3 client.

  1. 5

Point your domain

Add the domain to the app, update DNS to the target Ample prints, and keep the old app running until the new one answers on the domain.

ample domain add <app-name> www.example.com

Frequently asked questions

Can Ample host a static site like Netlify?

Yes. A folder with an index.html or a Vite build deploys as a static service with HTTPS. Netlify's global CDN will usually be faster for visitors far from Ample's servers.

Does Ample pause apps when the budget runs out, like Netlify?

Yes. On the Free plan both stop at the limit instead of billing. Ample keeps every app and its data and serves it again once the account is back under budget.

Can I keep Netlify for the front end and use Ample for the API?

Yes. Deploy the API to Ample, set its URL in the front end's environment, and keep the site on Netlify.

Where these facts come from