The Fly.io Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Fly.io in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Fly.io
The Insider’s Guide
Virtual machines and databases in 18 regions, billed per second
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among web hosts, read from Fly.io’s own pages.
Made by Fly.io · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Fly.io’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Fly.io’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 74 of the 122 other web hosts we grade
Fly.io runs apps on fast-booting virtual machines it calls Fly Machines, placed in 18 regions close to users, and sells Managed Postgres, volumes and sandboxes alongside. New organizations pay as they go with no monthly platform fee, and the smallest always-on Machine costs $2.19 per 30 days.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Fly.io, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The flow is built around its command line and a Dockerfile.
- 1
Best for small servers in many regions, billed by the second
Fly.io runs virtual machines in 18 regions, billed by the second, from $2.19 a month.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.19 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $2.19 per month for the smallest Machine, pay as you go.
- 3
You can try it first
New accounts get $1 of credit for 7 days, no card required.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Fly Machines
Fast-booting VMs for production apps, run in 18 regions, billed by the second while running and at a lower rate when stopped.
- 6
Launch from GitHub or the CLI
fly launch deploys an app from a repo or folder and generates a Dockerfile for many popular frameworks when none exists.
- 7
Managed Postgres
A managed database service, or you can run your own datastore on Machines with attached volumes.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 74 of 122
That is against the other web hosts we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Fly.io you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Fly.io at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $2.19 per month for the smallest Machine, pay as you go
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- New accounts get $1 of credit for 7 days, no card required.
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Fly.io
- Category
- Web Hosting
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for small servers in many regions, billed by the second
Fly.io runs virtual machines in 18 regions, billed by the second, from $2.19 a month. There's no free plan, the trial is $1 for 7 days, and the vendor's own example of a small web app with Postgres comes to about $44 a month.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $2.19 a month buys a 256MB machine, but the vendor's own example of a small app with Managed Postgres is about $44 a month, and Postgres starts at $38. |
| Free plan and trial | C | New accounts get $1 of credit for 7 days with no card. That's a taste, not a plan. |
| Features | B | Machines in 18 regions, launch from a repo, Managed Postgres, volumes, snapshots and free shared IPv4. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | D | No store rating on record. The flow is built around its command line and a Dockerfile. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with GitHub, Slack, Tigris and Upstash and a CLI. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Fly.io is for
- Fits if you want machines near users in several regions and are fine on the command line
- Works for apps that stop when idle and pay by the second
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as the trial is $1 for 7 days
- Not for you if you don't like a command line
- Pricey if you add a database: Managed Postgres starts at $38 a month
- Watch out: the prices quoted are for Ashburn and Secaucus, the cheapest regions, and a dedicated IPv4 is $2 a month
- Watch out: data out costs $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe and $0.12 in Africa and India
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want VMs placed in several regions
- Apps that stop when idle and want to pay only while running
- Teams that prefer a command-line deploy flow
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan; the trial is a $1 credit that lasts 7 days or until it is used up.
- Machine prices quoted are for Ashburn and Secaucus, the lowest-priced regions, and vary by region.
- Outbound data costs $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe and $0.12 per GB in Africa and India.
- A dedicated IPv4 address is $2 a month, and a small web app with Managed Postgres is about $44 a month by the vendor's own example.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.19
A month to start
Fly.io is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $2.19 per month for the smallest Machine, pay as you go.
Pay As You Go
$2.19
per month for a 256MB Machine, billed by the second
No platform fee. 512MB is $3.69, 1GB is $6.70 and 2GB is $13.39 a month in Ashburn and Secaucus; other regions cost more.
Managed Postgres
$38
per month for the Basic cluster, plus $0.28/GB storage
Managed database clusters run from $38 a month (Basic) to $1,922 a month (Performance).
Standard support
$29
per month
Optional paid support. Premium is $199 a month and Enterprise starts at $2,500 a month; community support is free.
Trying it first
New accounts get $1 of credit for 7 days, no card required.
Read from fly.io on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Virtual machines and databases in 18 regions, billed per second. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, databases, AI agents.
The listing names no gap in the core job.
- Fly Machines
- Fast-booting VMs for production apps, run in 18 regions, billed by the second while running and at a lower rate when stopped.
- Launch from GitHub or the CLI
- fly launch deploys an app from a repo or folder and generates a Dockerfile for many popular frameworks when none exists.
- Managed Postgres
- A managed database service, or you can run your own datastore on Machines with attached volumes.
- Sprites
- Hardware-isolated sandboxes that start quickly, stay on and scale to zero when idle, aimed at agents and untrusted code.
- Volumes and snapshots
- Persistent volumes cost $0.15 per GB a month and snapshots $0.08 per GB, with the first 10GB of snapshots free.
- Free shared IPv4 and certificates
- Apps get a shared IPv4 address and IPv6 addresses free, and the first 10 single-hostname SSL certificates are free.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- GitHub
- Slack
- Tigris
- Upstash
Fly.io is made by Fly.io.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
74/122
Other web hosts it is graded above
Fly.io's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 74 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on features (B, above 86 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $2.19 a month, against a middle price of $9.69 for the category: 8 of the 107 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. Fly.io’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122
- CFree plan and trialAbove 74 of 122
- BFeaturesAbove 86 of 122
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 111 web hosts. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Fly.io is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Fly.io you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $26.28 a year.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Databases with views, filters and links between them.
- It plugs into other products, GitHub, Slack and Tigris among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Fly.io’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Render, Railway, Koyeb, DigitalOcean and Northflank
The 5 tools Fly.io is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Render
Free plan · from $25/mo
Cloud hosting for web services, databases and workers.
- Render has a free plan. Fly.io does not, though it has a free trial.
- Fly.io also covers AI agents.
- Render also covers workflow automation.
- 2.6GPA
Railway
Free trial · from $5/mo
App and database hosting billed by the second for usage.
- Only Railway lists iOS and Android apps.
- 1.8GPA
Koyeb
From $29/mo
Serverless platform for apps, APIs and GPU workloads.
- Fly.io also covers databases and AI agents.
- 2.2GPA
DigitalOcean
Free plan · from $4/mo
Cloud servers, app hosting and managed databases for developers.
- DigitalOcean has a free plan. Fly.io does not, though it has a free trial.
- Fly.io also covers AI agents.
- 2.6GPA
Northflank
Free plan · from $12/mo
Container platform for services, jobs, databases and GPUs.
- Northflank has a free plan. Fly.io does not, though it has a free trial.
- Fly.io also covers databases and AI agents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Fly.io free?
No, Fly.io is a paid product, but you can try it first. New accounts get $1 of credit for 7 days, no card required.
How much does Fly.io cost?
Fly.io lists 3 plans. Pay As You Go: $2.19 per month for a 256MB Machine, billed by the second.
What platforms does Fly.io work on?
Fly.io is available on Web.
Does Fly.io have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Fly.io is listed for Web.
Does Fly.io have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Fly.io is listed for Web.
Is Fly.io open source?
Fly.io is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Fly.io have an API?
Yes. Fly.io offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Fly.io integrate with?
Fly.io's listing names GitHub, Slack, Tigris and Upstash. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Fly.io?
Fly.io is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Fly.io?
The closest alternatives to Fly.io in our directory are Render, Railway, Koyeb, DigitalOcean and Northflank.
How does Fly.io compare with other web hosts?
Fly.io's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 74 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 24.
Is Fly.io good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Fly.io C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.19 a month, against a middle price of $9.69 for the category: 8 of the 107 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Fly.io?
To replace Fly.io you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Fly.io’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Fly.io's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Fly.io. Prices change, so check fly.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Fly.io, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/fly-io
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Fly.io: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/fly-io
Know someone choosing between web hosts?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/fly-io/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded web hosts after Fly.io, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Web Hosting Insider's GuideEvery one of the 123 web hosts we grade, compared
- Cloudflare Pages Insider's GuideGit-based hosting for static sites and full-stack apps2.8 GPA
- GitHub Pages Insider's GuideStatic site hosting built into GitHub repositories2.8 GPA
- Netlify Insider's GuideGit-based hosting for sites and web apps, priced by monthly credits2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Fly.io’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Fly.io is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Fly.io. Prices and plans change: check fly.io before you buy.