xhostd vs Netlify: always-on apps or serverless web workflows

Netlify combines global web delivery, serverless functions, deployment previews, and managed data services. xhostd brings always-on containers, PostgreSQL, and object storage into one resource plan, with isolated environments for your AI coding agent. Both support full-stack web apps. xhostd is especially useful when your backend needs persistent processes or you prefer a fixed monthly price to paying with usage credits.

What xhostd and Netlify both offer

Both xhostd and Netlify host full-stack web apps that you deploy from git, and both work with AI coding agents.

• Deploys from git, with previews.
• Managed PostgreSQL, with a separate database for each preview.
• An MCP server and an API for AI coding agents.
• Custom domains with automatic HTTPS.
• Logs and visitor analytics.

The differences are in compute, file isolation, and pricing.

Key differences between xhostd and Netlify

Always-on servers or functions with time limits

xhostd: Every app runs in an always-on container, on every plan. There is no sleep mode and no cold start. The container serves web traffic directly. Long-running workers, bots, and queue consumers run the same way.

Netlify: Code runs as functions. A synchronous function stops at 60 seconds, and you can't raise that limit. Background functions run for up to 15 minutes, and scheduled functions for up to 30 seconds. Memory is 1,024 MB by default, and Pro can set it from 1,024 to 4,096 MB. Netlify has no always-on server or container option. On Free and Personal, Netlify Database sleeps after at most 5 minutes idle, and Pro can keep it always on.

Why it matters: A bot, a queue worker, or a long job needs a process that keeps running. On xhostd that process is the default. On Netlify the work has to fit into function runs.

Fixed plans or usage credits

xhostd: Fixed monthly plans: free, then $10, $20, $40, or $80. For example, the $10 Builder plan includes 10 channels, 0.5 CPU core, 1 GB of memory, 10 GB of database storage, and 50 GB of files. There are no traffic, egress, or seat charges. If traffic is disproportionate, xhostd might throttle it after contacting you.

Netlify: Credit plans have been the default since September 4, 2025. Free is $0 with 300 credits, Personal is $9 with 1,000, and Pro is $20 with 3,000. Pro has unlimited members and no seat fees. A production deploy costs 15 credits, compute 10 per GB-hour, bandwidth 20 per GB, and requests 2 per 10K. When a Free account runs out of credits, Netlify pauses every site.

Why it matters: On Netlify more traffic and more deploys use more credits, and on Free an empty balance takes your sites offline. On xhostd a busy month doesn't change the bill.

Python and Docker or JavaScript and Go

xhostd: Apps run Node.js, Python, or any Dockerfile. Public TCP is available on paid plans.

Netlify: Functions run TypeScript, JavaScript, or Go. Python isn't documented, and there is no container option.

Why it matters: If your backend is in Python or ships as a Dockerfile, xhostd runs it as it is. On Netlify it has to fit into TypeScript, JavaScript, or Go functions.

Separate data per channel or shared file stores

xhostd: Production, staging, and preview are separate channels. Each has its own app, URL, database, files, and settings. Nightly snapshots cover the database and files, and pre-deploy snapshots keep the last 1 on Basic and the last 3 on paid plans.

Netlify: Netlify Database, generally available since April 28, 2026, gives each deploy preview its own database branch copied from production. Site-wide Blobs stores are shared with production by default, and only deploy-scoped stores are isolated. Publishing an earlier deploy rolls back code but not the database.

Why it matters: A preview that writes to shared files can change what your live app serves. On xhostd each channel has its own files by default, and each code-running channel also has its own database.

Compute and runtime

xhostd: Each channel runs in an always-on container, on every plan, with no sleep mode and no cold starts. You can run a static site on nginx, an app on a template with Node.js 22, Python 3.13, and uv, or your own Dockerfile. CPU is a guaranteed share that can burst to 2x, from 0.1 core on Basic to 4 cores on Pro, and memory is an account total from 128 MB to 8 GB. A process has no run time limit, so workers, bots, and queue consumers keep running.

Netlify: Netlify runs server code as functions and Edge Functions, in TypeScript, JavaScript, or Go; Python isn't documented. A synchronous function stops at 60 seconds, a background function runs up to 15 minutes, and a scheduled function up to 30 seconds. Memory is 1,024 MB by default and 1,024 to 4,096 MB on Pro. There is no always-on server or container.

Summary: Both run backend code next to your site. The difference: xhostd runs it in an always-on container with no time limit and any Dockerfile, while Netlify runs TypeScript, JavaScript, or Go functions with limits of 60 seconds, 15 minutes, or 30 seconds.

Deploys and AI agents

xhostd: Every app has its own git repository. A push stores the code, and a deploy publishes a chosen branch or commit; GitHub-connected apps can also deploy on each push. Every deploy passes a health check before a blue-green switch, and a failed deploy leaves the previous version serving. Agents work through a hosted MCP server, an HTTP API with an OpenAPI spec, and plugins for Claude Code and Codex.

Netlify: Netlify deploys through git or the API, with Deploy Previews and controls for production publishing. Publishing an earlier deploy rolls back the code, and a production deploy costs 15 credits. An official MCP server and a CLI connect external agents. On credit plans, Agent Runners run Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, or OpenCode from the dashboard.

Summary: Both deploy from git and work with AI agents through an MCP server and an API. The difference: xhostd hosts a git repository for each app and health-checks each deploy before it takes traffic, while Netlify can run coding agents for you from its dashboard.

Database

xhostd: Every code-running channel gets its own PostgreSQL database, included in the plan. Your app receives a main connection, a direct connection for migrations, and a read-only connection; on newer database servers the main connection is pooled through PgBouncer in transaction mode. PostGIS is available. Database storage is an account total across all your apps and channels, from 500 MB on Basic to 80 GB on Pro, as a soft limit: xhostd reaches out instead of stopping your app.

Netlify: Netlify Database, generally available since April 28, 2026, is managed PostgreSQL with branching on credit plans. Free includes 3 databases and 5 GB. On Free and Personal a database sleeps after at most 5 minutes idle, and Pro can keep it always on. Connection pooling and database export are not documented.

Summary: Both include managed PostgreSQL. The difference: xhostd sizes the database by plan, from 500 MB to 80 GB, while Netlify Free includes 5 GB across 3 databases, which sleep when idle on Free and Personal.

File storage

xhostd: Each channel gets its own S3-compatible bucket, so standard S3 libraries work. Versioning is always on, and old versions and deleted files are kept for 120 days. File storage is an account total across all your apps and channels, from 2 GB on Basic to 400 GB on Pro, as a hard limit. Files are served through your app; there are no public object URLs.

Netlify: Netlify Blobs stores files through Netlify's storage APIs and SDK, so code that uses it might need changes to run elsewhere. A store is site-wide or deploy-scoped. An S3-compatible API, versioning, and storage limits are not documented.

Summary: Both store your app's files next to the app. The difference: xhostd gives each channel an S3-compatible bucket with versioning, while Netlify Blobs uses Netlify's own API.

Environments and previews

xhostd: Production, staging, and previews are separate channels. Each channel is its own container with its own URL, file bucket, environment overrides, up to 5 custom domains and, for code-running apps, its own PostgreSQL database. A new preview starts with an empty database, so tests never touch production data. Channels come from one account-wide pool: 3 on the free plans, then 10, 20, 40, or 80.

Netlify: Each deploy preview gets its own Netlify Database branch, copied from production. Blobs files are isolated only in deploy-scoped stores, because site-wide stores are shared with production by default. Deploy Previews have no deploy-credit charge, but their requests, compute, and database usage still use credits.

Summary: Both give previews their own database. The difference: an xhostd preview starts with an empty database and its own bucket, while a Netlify preview copies production data into a branch and shares site-wide files by default.

User sign-in

xhostd: Google sign-in is built into every channel and custom domain, on every plan, with no OAuth app to create. After sign-in, your app receives a signed token with the user's ID, email, and name, and verifies it against xhostd's public keys. Your app decides which pages need sign-in.

Netlify: Netlify Identity provides sign-in for your app's users and is included at no extra cost on all credit-based plans. You can also use the Auth0 extension or an authentication library.

Summary: Both include sign-in for your app's users. The difference: xhostd's built-in sign-in is Google, with no OAuth app to create, while Netlify Identity comes with Netlify's credit-based plans and the Auth0 extension is another option.

Backups and recovery

xhostd: Nightly snapshots cover the database and files, and xhostd also takes a snapshot before each deploy. Free plans keep 24 hours of nightly snapshots and the last pre-deploy snapshot; paid plans keep 7 days and the last 3. A restore can run read-only, behind a maintenance page, or live, and a code rollback boots the previous image without a rebuild. xhostd restores to these snapshots, not to any chosen moment.

Netlify: Netlify Database keeps backups for 3 days on Free, 7 days on Personal, and 30 days on Pro. Publishing an earlier deploy restores code but not the database. Point-in-time recovery and backups of Blobs are not documented.

Summary: Both back up the database and roll code back. The difference: xhostd also snapshots files and takes a snapshot before each deploy, while Netlify keeps database backups longer on Pro, at 30 days.

Networking and domains

xhostd: Every channel gets an HTTPS address, and each channel can add up to 5 custom domains with automatic certificates, on every plan. Paid plans add one public TCP endpoint per channel, with an optional IP allowlist.

Netlify: Netlify supports custom domains with automatic HTTPS and serves sites from 100+ edge locations. Raw TCP is not documented.

Summary: Both include custom domains with automatic HTTPS. The difference: xhostd adds a public TCP endpoint on paid plans, while Netlify serves sites from 100+ edge locations.

Logs and monitoring

xhostd: You get deploy and runtime logs, including logs from earlier containers, plus health findings with latency percentiles (p50, p95, and p99) and resource readings. Visitor analytics show visits, unique visitors, top pages, broken links, and status codes, without adding a script to your pages.

Netlify: Netlify provides deploy logs, observability, web analytics, and performance monitoring. Log retention depends on the plan.

Summary: Both include logs and visitor analytics. The difference: xhostd keeps logs from earlier containers and reports latency percentiles, while Netlify adds performance monitoring and sets log retention by plan.

xhostd and Netlify pricing

xhostd: Fixed monthly plans: Basic free, Builder $10, Indie $20, Studio $40, and Pro $80. For example, Builder includes 10 channels, 0.5 CPU core, 1 GB of memory, 10 GB of database storage, and 50 GB of file storage. Hosting, PostgreSQL, storage, and backups are included, with no traffic, egress, or seat charges; xhostd might throttle disproportionate traffic after contacting you. See xhostd plans.

Netlify: Credit plans have been the default since September 4, 2025: Free at $0 with 300 credits, Personal at $9 with 1,000, Pro at $20 with 3,000, and Enterprise. A production deploy uses 15 credits, compute 10 per GB-hour, bandwidth 20 per GB, and requests 2 per 10K. Pro includes unlimited members with no seat fees. A Free account that runs out of credits has all its sites paused.

Summary: Both start free, and Netlify Pro, like xhostd, has no seat fees. The difference: xhostd charges a fixed monthly price with no traffic charges, while Netlify meters deploys, compute, bandwidth, and requests in credits.

Price example: On xhostd, a small always-on app with PostgreSQL and file storage costs $0 on the free Basic plan (0.1 CPU core, 128 MB of memory), or $10 a month on Builder (0.5 core, 1 GB). On Netlify, the Free plan includes 300 credits a month and up to 3 databases with 5 GB, but its databases sleep after at most 5 minutes idle and every site pauses when the credits run out.

Where xhostd is a better fit

xhostd is the stronger choice when:

• You run a bot, a queue worker, or a long job. xhostd has no run time limit, while Netlify functions stop at 60 seconds, or at 15 minutes in the background.
• You write your backend in Python or ship it as a Dockerfile. xhostd runs it in a container, while Netlify functions run TypeScript, JavaScript, or Go.
• You want previews that keep their files apart from production. Each xhostd channel has its own S3-compatible bucket, while Netlify's site-wide Blobs stores are shared with production by default.
• You want a fixed monthly bill that traffic and deploys don't change. Netlify meters bandwidth, requests, and deploys in credits and pauses every site on a Free account that runs out.

Where Netlify is a better fit

Consider Netlify if you want:

• Global edge delivery. Netlify serves sites from more than 100 edge locations and supports many frameworks.
• Agents in the dashboard. On credit plans, Netlify can run Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, or OpenCode from its dashboard. On xhostd, you work with the agent you already use.
• A larger free database. Netlify's Free plan includes 3 databases and 5 GB, which sleep after at most 5 minutes idle. xhostd's free plan has 500 MB that never sleeps.
• Longer database backups on Pro. Netlify keeps database backups for 30 days on Pro, and xhostd keeps nightly snapshots for 7 days on paid plans.

xhostd vs Netlify at a glance

	xhostd	Netlify
Compute model	Always-on containers	Serverless and edge functions
Sleep and cold starts	None, on every plan	Not documented; idle databases sleep
Run time limit	None	60 s sync, 15 min background
Languages and Docker	Node.js, Python, any Dockerfile	TypeScript, JavaScript, Go; no Docker
Database	PostgreSQL in every code-running channel, included	Netlify Database, managed PostgreSQL
File storage	S3-compatible bucket per channel, included	Netlify Blobs, own API
Previews with their own data	Yes, every channel	Database branch; Blobs shared by default
Point-in-time recovery	No; nightly and pre-deploy snapshots	Not documented; backups 3–30 days
AI agent access	Hosted MCP server, API, plugins	MCP server, API, Agent Runners
Pricing model	Fixed plans, $0 to $80	Credit plans: $0, $9, $20