multicornLesson 1 of 6
Choosing a hosting platform
Compare Vercel, Netlify, and Fly.io and pick a path that matches what you built in Course 2.
By the end: You know which platform to use first, with Vercel as the default for a frontend app you built in Course 2.
You finished Course 2 with an app that runs on your computer. When you close the browser, it stops. When you close your laptop, it stops. Other people cannot see it.
A hosting platform is a company that runs your app on their computers so it is always on and anyone with the link can use it. They charge you (sometimes nothing, sometimes a little) and in return they handle the hard parts: keeping your app online, giving it a URL, and making sure the connection is secure.
Three platforms cover almost every app a person might build in Course 2. You do not need to compare every feature. You need to pick one and start.
Netlify is your platform
You are on the Netlify path. It is a close cousin of Vercel with a slightly more generous free tier and a dashboard that some people find easier to navigate.
Netlify is built for frontend web apps. If you built something with Next.js, React, Vite, or plain HTML in Course 2, Netlify will deploy it with almost no configuration. You connect your GitHub account, pick your project, and Netlify figures out the rest.
Why Netlify for you:
- It is free for personal projects and small apps. The free tier includes more bandwidth than most alternatives.
- Every time you push code to GitHub, Netlify rebuilds and redeploys automatically. You do not run any commands.
- HTTPS is on by default. You do not configure it.
- The dashboard groups deploy logs, environment variables, and domains in a way that is easy to find your way around.
What you get:
A public URL like your-app.netlify.app that works from any browser in the world. You can share it with anyone. You will connect a custom domain in Lesson 4.
What to expect in the next lessons:
Lesson 2 walks through the exact steps to deploy. Lesson 3 shows you where to put secrets (like API keys) so they do not end up in your code. Lesson 4 connects a domain you own. Lesson 5 is what to do when something breaks.
Curious about other platforms?
Curious about Netlify or Fly.io?
Netlify is the closest alternative to Vercel. Same general model (connect GitHub, auto-deploy, HTTPS included), slightly more free bandwidth, a dashboard some people prefer. If you ever outgrow Vercel or want to try something different, you can redeploy the same project on Netlify in under an hour.
Fly.io is a different kind of platform. It runs backend services that need to stay awake. If your next project is an API, a bot, or something that needs a database, Fly.io is the tool for that job. It is not a replacement for Vercel for frontend apps.
Curious about Vercel or Netlify?
Vercel and Netlify are both built for frontend web apps (Next.js, React, static sites). They deploy through a connected GitHub account and give you a URL without any server setup. If your next project is a frontend site rather than a running service, one of these is the right fit. Vercel is what Multicorn itself runs on.
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