Nodion vs Netlify
Netlify pioneered the Jamstack deployment workflow and remains one of the most popular platforms for static sites and frontend applications. It offers serverless functions, edge computing and a global CDN. Nodion is a European full-stack PaaS that supports any application via Docker and Buildpacks, with managed databases, object storage, transactional emails and DNS built in.
| Feature | Nodion | Netlify |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Stuttgart, Germany (EU) | San Francisco, USA |
| Data Residency | EU, US and APAC regions | Global CDN (US-managed) |
| GDPR by Default | Yes | DPA available |
| Managed Applications | Yes (Docker + Buildpacks) | Static sites + serverless functions |
| Managed PostgreSQL | Yes | Netlify DB (via Neon, limited) |
| Managed MySQL | Yes | No |
| Managed Valkey / Redis | Yes | No |
| Object Storage | Yes (S3-compatible) | Netlify Blobs |
| Global CDN | Yes (25 locations) | Yes |
| Transactional Emails | Yes (SMTP) | No |
| Managed DNS | Yes (free, GeoDNS) | Yes |
| Billing Model | Per-second | Per-seat + usage |
| Free Tier | First 5 EUR/month free | Yes (100 GB BW, 300 build min) |
| Docker + Buildpacks | Yes | No |
| 1-Click Deploy Marketplace | 25+ apps | Starter templates |
Static Sites vs Full-Stack Applications
Netlify is designed for static sites, single-page applications and Jamstack workflows. Backend logic runs as serverless functions built on AWS Lambda, which means short-lived request-response cycles only. There are no long-running processes, background workers or WebSocket connections. Nodion supports any application that runs in a Docker container: Rails apps, Django services, Go APIs, Node.js servers, background workers and more. If your project is a static site with a few API endpoints, both platforms work. If you need a full backend, Nodion is the right fit.
EU Hosting and Data Sovereignty
Netlify is a US company headquartered in San Francisco. While it applies GDPR rights to all users regardless of location, the company operates under US jurisdiction and uses Standard Contractual Clauses for EU data transfers. Nodion is a German company operating under EU law, with data stored in EU data centers by default. For teams where the legal entity behind the platform matters as much as the data protection policies, this is an important distinction.
Pricing and Billing
Netlify's free tier is generous for static sites, but the moment you need a Pro feature the cost jumps to $19 per team member per month. A five-person team pays $95 per month before any usage overages for bandwidth or build minutes. Nodion has no per-seat fees. You only pay for the compute and storage you actually consume, billed down to the second. The first 5 EUR of monthly usage is free for every user with no payment method required. A full-stack application with a database that would require Netlify Pro plus external services can run on Nodion for a few euros per month.
Database and Backend Capabilities
Netlify recently introduced Netlify DB, a serverless PostgreSQL database powered by Neon. It is a relatively new addition designed for simple use cases. There is no MySQL, no Redis and no full-featured database management. Nodion offers fully managed PostgreSQL and MySQL with automated backups and NVMe storage, plus managed Valkey for caching. If your application has serious database requirements, Nodion provides production-grade infrastructure out of the box.
When Netlify Might Be the Better Choice
Netlify is excellent for static sites, marketing pages and Jamstack applications with simple backend needs. Its deploy previews, branch-based deployments, form handling and built-in CDN make it a polished experience for frontend teams. If your project is a static site or SPA that only needs a few serverless functions, Netlify's workflow is streamlined and well-integrated. For full-stack applications that need Docker, managed databases, EU hosting and services like email and DNS, Nodion provides the complete platform.
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