Softwr

Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Linode vs Railway

Linode logo

Linode

Cloud & Infrastructure

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Railway logo

Railway

Cloud & Infrastructure

Ship software instantly

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud; Railway plan fees are usage credits rather than allowances, so the $5 Hobby and $20 Pro fees are spent on compute and anything beyond is billed on top
  • They diverge on capability: Linode covers Compute instances, Railway covers Git integration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Linode and Railway actually diverge.

Attributes where Linode and Railway differ
AttributeLinodeRailway
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliWeb, Api, Docker
Founded20032021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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 Linode

  • Compute instances
  • Object storage
  • Block storage
  • Kubernetes
  • Managed database
  • Load balancers
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

Only in Railway

  • Git integration
  • Zero-config deployment
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Redis
  • Environment variables
  • Custom domains
  • Monitoring

Both cover

  • Docker
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Linode

  • Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot Railway
  • Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Railway
  • Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot Railway

Railway

  • Deploying applications and databases without managing serversnot Linode
  • Running preview environments and services straight from a repositorynot Linode

Where each one falls short

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

Linode

  • linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
  • Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
  • The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales

Railway

  • Plan fees are usage credits rather than allowances, so the $5 Hobby and $20 Pro fees are spent on compute and anything beyond is billed on top
  • The free plan carries $1 of monthly credit and caps a service at 1 vCPU and 0.5 GB
  • Compute is metered per second for both memory and CPU, so cost tracks uptime rather than traffic and an idle service still bills
  • Egress is $0.05 per GB on top of compute
  • The Pro fee is per workspace rather than per user or per project

Pricing, plan by plan

Linode

Free
  • Nanode 1GB$5/month
    • 1GB RAM
    • 1 vCPU
    • 25GB SSD
  • Linode 4GB$20/month
    • 4GB RAM
    • 2 vCPU
    • 80GB SSD

Railway

Free
  • FreeFree
    • $5 credit/month
    • Community support
    • Unlimited projects
  • Pro$20/month
    • Private repos
    • Priority support
    • Advanced monitoring

Which should you pick?

Choose Linode if

  • You need compute instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage.
Linode review

Choose Railway if

  • You need git integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Docker.
  • You also want zero-config deployment.
Railway review

Questions people ask

Is Linode or Railway better?
Neither clearly leads. Linode starts at Free and Railway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Linode or Railway?
Linode starts at Free and Railway at Free.
Does Linode or Railway run on more platforms?
Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli. Railway runs on Web, Api, Docker.
Can I use Linode for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Linode best used for?
Linode is most often used for running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans, managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account, hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regions. Of those, running linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated cpu plans and managed kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud account are not what Railway is typically brought in for.
What can Linode do that Railway cannot?
Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Kubernetes. Railway covers Git integration, Zero-config deployment, PostgreSQL, MySQL. Both handle Docker, Cloud deployment, Web support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Linode

More on Railway

Keep looking

Other head to heads