Cloud · head to head
Fly.io vs Palo Alto Networks
The short version
- 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; Palo Alto Networks enterprise-focused pricing model
- They diverge on capability: Fly.io covers Global deployment, Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fly.io and Palo Alto Networks actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fly.io | Palo Alto Networks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | On request |
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Docker | Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid |
| Category | Cloud | Networking |
| Founded | 2020 | 2005 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Palo Alto Networks
- Advanced threat prevention
- Threat detection and response
- Cloud security
- Endpoint protection
- Network security
- API protection
- Incident response
- Threat intelligence
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Web 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 Palo Alto Networks
- Running full stack apps and databases on managed machinesnot Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise network security and threat protectionnot Fly.io
- Cloud-native application protectionnot Fly.io
- Identity and access securitynot Fly.io
- Security operations and incident responsenot 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
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise-focused pricing model
- Complex implementation required
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$99/month
- HIPAA compliance
- BAAs
- SOC2 documentation
Palo Alto Networks
On request- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Threat prevention
- Detection and response
- Cloud security
Which should you pick?
Choose Fly.io if
- You need global deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Docker.
- You also want docker support.
Choose Palo Alto Networks if
- You need advanced threat prevention.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want threat detection and response.
Questions people ask
- Is Fly.io or Palo Alto Networks better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fly.io starts at $29/month and Palo Alto Networks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fly.io or Palo Alto Networks?
- Fly.io starts at $29/month and Palo Alto Networks at On request.
- Does Fly.io or Palo Alto Networks run on more platforms?
- Fly.io runs on Web, Api, Docker. Palo Alto Networks runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- 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 Palo Alto Networks is typically brought in for.
- What can Fly.io do that Palo Alto Networks cannot?
- Fly.io covers Global deployment, Docker support, Postgres databases, Redis support. Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Threat detection and response, Cloud security, Endpoint protection. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.
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.
SourcePalo Alto Networks: How much do Palo Alto Networks products cost?
Palo Alto Networks does not publish pricing on their main website. Customers must request a demo, trial, or contact their sales team directly to receive custom pricing based on specific security needs and deployment scale.
SourceFly.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.
SourceFly.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.
SourceFly.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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Palo Alto Networks
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