Softwr

Software · head to head

Fly.io vs Heroku

Fly.io logo

Fly.io

Software

Deploy web applications globally

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Heroku logo

Heroku

Software

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fly.io has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fly.io egress is priced by destination region, from $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe to $0.12 per GB for Africa and India, so the same traffic costs six times more depending on where users are; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
  • They diverge on capability: Fly.io covers Global deployment, Heroku covers Git-based deployment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fly.io and Heroku actually diverge.

Attributes where Fly.io and Heroku differ
AttributeFly.ioHeroku
Starting priceFree$7/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, DockerWeb, Api, Workers
Founded20202007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Fly.io

  • Global deployment
  • Docker support
  • Postgres databases
  • Redis support
  • Auto-scaling
  • Health checks
  • Backups
  • Monitoring

Only in Heroku

  • Git-based deployment
  • Buildpacks
  • Dynos (containers)
  • Add-ons marketplace
  • Postgres database
  • Environment variables
  • Logging
  • API

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • HTTPS
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fly.io

  • Deploying containerised applications close to users across regionsnot Heroku
  • Running full stack apps and databases on managed machinesnot Heroku

Heroku

  • Deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administrationnot Fly.io
  • Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Fly.io
  • Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Fly.io

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fly.io

  • Egress is priced by destination region, from $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe to $0.12 per GB for Africa and India, so the same traffic costs six times more depending on where users are
  • Stopped machines still bill at $0.15 per GB of root filesystem a month, so a paused service is not a free one
  • Volumes are billed on provisioned capacity rather than usage, at $0.15 per GB a month
  • Reservation discounts of 40% require paying a year up front, from $36 to $1,440
  • Fly Kubernetes is a separate $75 a month per cluster
  • Dedicated IPv4 addresses are $2 a month each

Heroku

  • There is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
  • Eco dynos sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity, are restricted to personal accounts and allow only 2 process types
  • Free SSL and 10 process types start at the Basic dyno at $7 per month
  • Private and Shield dyno types require a Private Space, which is billed on top of the dynos
  • Private Space dynos start at $250 per month for Private-M and $500 per month for Private-L
  • Dyno prices are per dyno per month, so an app with several process types multiplies the bill

Pricing, plan by plan

Fly.io

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 shared-cpu-1x VMs
    • 3GB persistence storage
    • 160GB outbound data/month
  • Pay-as-you-goFree
    • Unlimited applications
    • Dedicated machines
    • Global deployment

Heroku

$7/month
  • Hobby$7/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • Shared CPU
    • 1 web dyno
  • Standard$50/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • Dedicated CPU
    • Automatic scaling

Which should you pick?

Choose Fly.io if

  • You need global deployment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Docker.
  • You also want docker support.
Fly.io review

Choose Heroku if

  • You need git-based deployment.
  • You work on Web, Api, Workers.
  • You also want buildpacks.
Heroku review

Questions people ask

Is Fly.io or Heroku better?
Neither clearly leads. Fly.io starts at Free and Heroku at $7/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fly.io or Heroku?
Fly.io has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fly.io and $7/month for Heroku.
Does Fly.io or Heroku run on more platforms?
Fly.io runs on Web, Api, Docker. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
Can I use Fly.io for free?
Yes. Fly.io has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
What is Fly.io best used for?
Fly.io is most often used for deploying containerised applications close to users across regions, running full stack apps and databases on managed machines. Of those, deploying containerised applications close to users across regions and running full stack apps and databases on managed machines are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
What can Fly.io do that Heroku cannot?
Fly.io covers Global deployment, Docker support, Postgres databases, Redis support. Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Both handle GitHub, HTTPS, Cloud deployment, Web support.
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