Netlify Drop links expire. SiteViewer previews stay put.
Netlify Drop is a fast way to throw up a quick dev demo, but its free, claim-it-later deploys are temporary and have no built-in password or branding. Wrong for a client who opens the link next week. SiteViewer keeps the link permanent and stable, password-protects it in one toggle, and puts it on your own domain. No Git, no build, no expiry anxiety.
No credit card · 5 free previews · 14-day Studio trial on every signup
A link your client can still open next week.
Permanent, not temporary
Your preview link stays live for as long as you keep it. No unclaimed deploy quietly disappearing, no awkward “sorry, can you re-send that?” email three days after you sent your client the link.
Password & branding built in
Flip on a password in one toggle, then on Pro host it at preview.yourstudio.com with a white-label gate. Netlify Drop hands you a random public URL with neither.
No Git, no build, no pipeline
Drag in one HTML file or a zip and it’s live. SiteViewer is for showing a client work for approval, not running a deploy pipeline, so there’s nothing to configure and nothing to wait on.
SiteViewer vs Netlify Drop.
Drop is brilliant for a throwaway dev demo. Here’s how the two compare when the link is going to a client for review.
| For client review | SiteViewer | Netlify Drop |
|---|---|---|
| Link stays live long-term | Permanent & stable | Free drops are temporary unless claimed to an account |
| Password protection | One toggle, free | Not on Drop; gated on higher Netlify plans |
| Custom domain + white-label gate | Pro, your logo on the password page | Random netlify.app subdomain |
| Versioning behind one link | Same link, full history, roll back | Each drop is a new URL |
| No Git or build step required | Just drag the file in | Drag-and-drop too |
| Open analytics on views | See when a client opens it | Not part of Drop |
| Built around | Client previews & sign-off | Instant throwaway dev demos |
Plan limits and features change. Always check each provider’s current pricing page before you decide.
Where Netlify Drop is the better pick
Netlify Drop is fantastic for exactly what it’s for: instantly previewing a build, sharing a quick demo with a teammate, or kicking the tyres on a static site before you wire up a real Netlify project with Git, CI, and deploy previews. If you live in that pipeline, stay there. SiteViewer is the better fit when the link leaves your team and lands in front of a client, where it needs to stay live, stay private, and look like your studio rather than a random deploy URL.
Give your client a link that lasts.
Start free with 5 previews and a 14-day Studio trial. Permanent links, password protection, custom domains, and a white-label password page included.
No credit card required