Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Fly.io vs kind

Fly.io logo

Fly.io

Cloud

Deploy web applications globally

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
kind logo

kind

Cloud

Run Kubernetes clusters inside Docker containers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only kind 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; kind requires Docker or Podman, so it inherits whatever container runtime limitations exist on the host
  • They diverge on capability: Fly.io covers Global deployment, kind covers Nodes as containers.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fly.io and kind differ
AttributeFly.iokind
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, DockerLinux, macOS, Windows
Founded2020Unknown

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

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 kind

  • Nodes as containers
  • Multi-node topologies
  • CI-friendly
  • Local image loading

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 kind
  • Running full stack apps and databases on managed machinesnot kind

kind

  • Spinning up and destroying a Kubernetes cluster inside a CI jobnot Fly.io
  • Testing controllers and operators against several Kubernetes versionsnot Fly.io
  • Local multi-node clusters without the memory cost of virtual machinesnot 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

kind

  • Requires Docker or Podman, so it inherits whatever container runtime limitations exist on the host
  • Fewer conveniences than minikube: no addon system, so ingress and metrics need manual installation
  • Because nodes are containers sharing the host kernel, it is a weaker simulation of real node behaviour and storage

Pricing, plan by plan

Fly.io

$29/month
  • Pay-as-You-Go$null/mo
    • Micro VMs and persistent storage charged by usage
    • FlyCTL CLI
    • Unlimited users and organizations
  • Serious Support$29/month
    • Access to dedicated engineering team
    • All Pay-as-You-Go features
  • Machine Reservation Blocks$null/mo
    • 40% discount on machine usage
    • Requires upfront payment for savings
  • Compliance Package$99/month
    • HIPAA compliance
    • BAAs
    • SOC2 documentation

kind

Free
  • kindFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose Fly.io if

  • You need global deployment.
  • You work on Web, Api, Docker.
  • You also want docker support.
Fly.io review

Choose kind if

  • You need nodes as containers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want multi-node topologies.
kind review

Questions people ask

Is Fly.io or kind better?
Neither clearly leads. Fly.io starts at $29/month and kind at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fly.io or kind?
kind has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Fly.io and Free for kind.
Does Fly.io or kind run on more platforms?
Fly.io runs on Web, Api, Docker. kind runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use kind for free?
Yes. kind has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fly.io starts at $29/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 kind is typically brought in for.
What can Fly.io do that kind cannot?
Fly.io covers Global deployment, Docker support, Postgres databases, Redis support. kind covers Nodes as containers, Multi-node topologies, CI-friendly, Local image loading.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fly.io: Is there a free tier for Fly.io?

Fly.io does not advertise a free tier. The base plan is pay-as-you-go with usage-based pricing for Micro VMs and persistent storage. All users get FlyCTL CLI, unlimited organizations, private networking, SSO, ACLs, and scoped tokens.

Source
kind: Is kind free?

Yes, open source and maintained under Kubernetes SIGs.

Fly.io: How much does Fly.io Serious Support cost?

Serious Support costs 29 USD per month and provides access to a dedicated engineering team while maintaining all pay-as-you-go features for Micro VMs and storage.

Source
kind: Why run Kubernetes nodes as containers?

Speed and cost. A container node starts in seconds and uses far less memory than a virtual machine, which is what makes per-CI-run clusters realistic.

Fly.io: What does Fly.io Compliance Package include?

The Compliance Package is 99 USD per month and includes HIPAA compliance, BAAs, and SOC2 documentation for organizations requiring compliance certifications.

Source
kind: Is kind suitable for production?

No. It is a development and testing tool, and node isolation is weaker than real nodes because containers share the host kernel.

Fly.io: Does Fly.io offer discounts for upfront commitment?

Yes, Fly.io offers Machine Reservation Blocks with 40% discount on machine usage. This requires upfront payment but applies savings on infrastructure costs.

Source
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