AWS Amplify vs Netlify
AWS Amplify vs Netlify compared for European indie developers and small startups. Pricing, EU jurisdiction, GDPR posture, and why Runsite (an EU-registered PaaS in Frankfurt) is worth a look.
AWS Amplify vs Netlify: quick answer
AWS Amplify and Netlify both offer Git-push deploy workflows, but they differ where it counts. AWS Amplify and Netlify are both US-headquartered, so neither escapes US jurisdiction or the CLOUD Act, and neither runs EU-native infrastructure or offers hard spending caps. For European teams that need GDPR-compliant hosting in Frankfurt with predictable EUR billing and a permanent free tier, Runsite is the EU-native alternative to both.
// aws amplify problems → runsite solutions
Common AWS Amplify frustrations. Sound familiar?
Every AWS Amplify frustration, solved.
AWS Amplify problem
"AWS is too complex"
IAM roles, VPCs, CloudFormation, Amplify CLI: deploying a simple app requires DevOps knowledge.
Runsite solution
Git push and done
No AWS Console. No IAM. Connect your repo, pick EU, deploy. Two minutes.
AWS Amplify problem
"I can't understand my AWS bill"
Lambda invocations, API Gateway requests, S3 operations, data transfer, 20+ line items.
Runsite solution
Simple, fixed pricing
One plan. One monthly price. With a hard spending cap so you never overpay.
AWS Amplify problem
"Free tier expires after 12 months"
AWS free tier is a 12-month trial. After that, everything is billed.
Runsite solution
Free forever, no expiry
Runsite's free tier doesn't expire. Build side projects without watching a countdown.
// comparison
Runsite vs AWS Amplify
Side-by-side. No marketing fluff, just facts.
| Feature | Runsite | AWS Amplify |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity | ✓ Simple: git push deploy | AWS Console + IAM + CloudFormation |
| EU Data Centers | ✓ Frankfurt (eu-central) | ✓ eu-west, eu-central |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ EU entity | Complex: requires AWS DPA |
| Backend Hosting | ✓ Full containers | Lambda functions |
| Pricing Clarity | ✓ Fixed plans | ✗ 20+ line items per invoice |
| Free Tier | ✓ Permanent | ✓ 12 months then paid |
// the other side
What about Netlify?
Netlify excels at static sites. Runsite handles everything else: backend, databases, and full-stack apps on EU servers.
// netlify problems → runsite solutions
Common Netlify frustrations. Sound familiar?
Every Netlify frustration, solved.
Netlify problem
"Netlify can't host my backend"
Netlify Functions are limited to 10-second execution. Long-running APIs need a separate hosting provider.
Runsite solution
Persistent containers for any backend
Run long-lived processes, WebSocket servers, background workers: anything Docker can run.
Netlify problem
"No managed databases"
Netlify doesn't offer databases. You need PlanetScale, Supabase, or AWS RDS on top.
Runsite solution
PostgreSQL + Redis included
Managed databases on the same platform. One bill, one dashboard, one support channel.
Netlify problem
"Compute runs in the US"
Netlify Functions run in US regions by default. EU users get higher latency.
Runsite solution
EU-only compute and storage
Everything runs in our Frankfurt (eu-central) region. Sub-20ms for users in DACH and Benelux, single-digit ms within Germany.
// comparison
Runsite vs Netlify
Side-by-side. No marketing fluff, just facts.
| Feature | Runsite | Netlify |
|---|---|---|
| Backend Hosting | ✓ Full containers, any stack | Serverless functions only |
| EU Data Centers | ✓ Frankfurt (eu-central) | ✗ CDN edge only |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ EU entity, full compliance | ✗ US company |
| Docker Support | ✓ Any Dockerfile | ✗ Not supported |
| Managed Database | ✓ PostgreSQL from €5/mo | ✗ Not available |
| Static Hosting | Via S3 + CDN | ✓ Excellent |
| Free Tier | ✓ Permanent | ✓ Generous for static |
// in-depth comparison
How AWS Amplify and Netlify each compare to Runsite
AWS Amplify vs Runsite
You picked Amplify because it promised to smooth over the sharp edges of AWS, and to a point it does. It simplifies deploying frontend and full-stack applications on AWS infrastructure, handling CI/CD and hosting, and it can wire up backend resources like Lambda, DynamoDB, and Cognito through its CLI and libraries. If your team already lives in the AWS ecosystem, that friction reduction is real.
The abstractions only go so far. You still need an AWS account, IAM configuration, and familiarity with CloudFormation under the hood. Billing inherits AWS complexity, with invocations, storage, data transfer, and request counts across multiple services making cost prediction difficult. The 12-month free tier is a trial, not a permanent offering. Runsite requires no cloud provider account, offers fixed monthly plans with hard spending limits, and keeps all infrastructure in EU data centers under EU jurisdiction.
If the AWS overhead feels disproportionate to your project size, you get git-push deploys, managed PostgreSQL, and GDPR compliance without learning IAM policies or navigating the AWS Console.
Netlify vs Runsite
Your side project began as a static Astro site, then someone asked for a contact form, and now you need a backend. That is where many teams hit the edge of what Netlify does well. Netlify essentially created the Jamstack deployment category, and for static sites, SPAs, and projects built with Gatsby, Hugo, or Astro, its build pipeline and global CDN are excellent. The free tier for static hosting is genuinely generous, and deploy previews and split testing are well-implemented.
Backends are the sore spot. Netlify Functions are serverless with a 10-second execution limit, there are no managed databases, and compute runs on US-based infrastructure. Grow past static content and you stitch together Netlify for frontend, a separate provider for your API, and another for your database. Runsite hosts full-stack applications on one platform: Docker containers for any backend, managed PostgreSQL, and S3 storage, all in EU data centers.
If your project has outgrown Jamstack constraints and you want one platform for frontend, backend, and database with GDPR compliance built in, Runsite consolidates what would be three separate services.
// why consider runsite
Beyond AWS Amplify and Netlify
EU PaaS for indie developers and small European startups. One region: Frankfurt.
EU-First Infrastructure
While AWS Amplify and Netlify default to US markets, Runsite is built exclusively for European developers. Frankfurt (eu-central) region, EU entity, EU jurisdiction, with no transatlantic transfers.
Real GDPR Compliance
EU-registered entity. Your data is governed by European law. No US jurisdiction, no CLOUD Act.
Predictable Pricing
No per-invocation charges, no surprise bills. Fixed plans with hard spending caps and Telegram alerts.
Common Questions
FAQ
Which is better for EU hosting, AWS Amplify or Netlify?
Neither AWS Amplify nor Netlify is EU-native. Both are US-based (AWS Amplify: a US AWS service; Netlify: US-headquartered) and route most traffic through US regions, with EU availability that is usually limited or gated behind higher tiers. Even when you can select a European region, the parent company stays subject to the US CLOUD Act, which can compel disclosure of EU customer data. For genuine EU data residency, an EU-registered platform is the safer choice: Runsite runs exclusively in Frankfurt (eu-central) under EU jurisdiction, with no transatlantic transfers and no CLOUD Act exposure — the kind of guarantee neither US provider can make.
Which has the better free tier, AWS Amplify or Netlify?
Free tiers on both AWS Amplify and Netlify change frequently and tend to share the same catch: compute that sleeps after inactivity, bandwidth or build-minute caps, or trial credits that expire after a fixed window. They are fine for quick experiments but rarely sustainable for an always-on hobby project. If a permanent free tier matters, read the current terms carefully. Limits are often buried in the pricing footnotes. Runsite takes the opposite approach: a free tier with no credit card and no expiry, designed to keep small projects online indefinitely rather than nudging you onto a paid plan.
Is AWS Amplify or Netlify GDPR-compliant?
Both AWS Amplify and Netlify can be configured to support GDPR-compliant workloads through a signed Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and EU region selection where available. However, as US-incorporated entities they remain subject to the US CLOUD Act regardless of where the data physically sits, which is a documented sticking point for European compliance and DPO review. For workloads where US jurisdiction is a hard blocker (public-sector, healthcare, or privacy-sensitive consumer apps), an EU-headquartered provider removes the ambiguity entirely. Runsite is EU-registered with data kept inside the EU, so GDPR posture is the default rather than a configuration exercise.
What is the cheapest way to deploy a side project, AWS Amplify or Netlify?
For a single small service, both AWS Amplify and Netlify can look inexpensive on paper. The headline price rarely matches the real bill. Per-service billing, metered bandwidth, build minutes, and add-ons for databases or key-value stores stack up quickly, and neither platform offers a hard spending cap to stop a surprise invoice. The cheapest predictable option is one with fixed monthly pricing and an enforced ceiling. Runsite bills in EUR from €5/month with hard spending caps and Telegram alerts, plus a permanent free tier, so a side project stays cheap by design, not by careful monitoring.
// explore alternatives
Try the European Alternative
Skip the AWS Amplify vs Netlify debate. Deploy on Runsite.
Start Free on Runsite →