Fly.io Site Hosting Review (2025)
Edge VMs & Global Postgres for Developers on Demand
By Luis-santiago Saldivar -
Last Updated: May 8, 2025
Price
Usage-based: from ~$2/month for a tiny VM (shared-256MB), plus storage and bandwidth. Reserved plans offer ~40% savings.
Types of Hosting Plans
Global micro-VMs (shared/performance), persistent volumes, managed Postgres clusters, object storage, and GPU options.
Storage
Root filesystem is ephemeral; volumes available up to 500 GB ($0.15/GB-month); free-tier includes 3 GB persistent storage.
Is Fly.io Worth Signing Up For?
Fly.io lets you package apps as Docker images and spin them up as lightweight Firecracker-based VMs (“Fly Machines”) across dozens of global regions in minutes. Deployment is handled with a single fly launch / flyctl deploy, and you pay strictly by the CPU, RAM, storage and bandwidth you consume. The platform even bundles a two-command Postgres cluster for multi-region data. For developers who need a low-latency, full-stack runtime without managing traditional servers, Fly.io is compelling.
8.0
Editorial Score
Simple Setup
Deploy with flyctl launch, configure via CLI; no GUI—great for devs, not drag-and-drop users
7.5
Technical Features
Runs Firecracker micro-VMs across 30+ regions, auto-scaling to zero, and Docker-level control
9.0
Security Features
Provides DDoS resistance via anycast, encrypted load balancing, volumes with snapshots—but no built-in WAF or managed backups beyond snapshots
7.5
Customer Service
Email support available; paid support (Standard $29/mo) adds SLAs, refunds for misbilling, and better response
7.5
Servers
Deploy machines in 30+ global regions, with persistent volumes (up to 500 GB) in each. Anycast IPs route users to nearby edge nodes
8.1
Fly.io Pros & Cons
Pros
Global edge deployment—run containers in 30 + regions for ultra-low latency
Two-command Postgres & volumes—spin up replicated DB clusters with snapshots
Auto-scaling micro-VMs—scale to zero and back in seconds with Fly Machines
Cons
CLI/Git required—no visual dashboard for builds; steeper learning curve for casual users.
Usage-based costs—unexpected traffic or idle VMs can incur surprise charges
Limited “batteries-included” tooling—no built-in forms, analytics, or drag-and-drop editor like some PaaS rivals.
Overview
What is Fly.io?
Fly.io is a platform-as-a-service that converts your Docker images into fast-booting VMs distributed worldwide. Developers deploy with the Fly CLI, pick regions on demand, attach Postgres clusters and volumes, and let Fly’s anycast network route users to the nearest instance.
Why Fly.io Stands Out
Deploy Globally in Minutes – fly launch builds and ships your app to the closest regions automatically
True Edge Compute – Fly Machines boot in milliseconds on bare-metal Firecracker VMs, giving you near-Lambda cold-start times with full Linux freedom
One-Command Postgres – Create multi-region, automatically-backed-up Postgres clusters with fly postgres create
Usage-Based Billing – Pay only for the CPU, RAM, storage and bandwidth you actually use—no tier jumps
Features
1. Effortless Deployment & Auto-Scaling
Deploy with flyctl, scale to zero during idle, and spin up extra instances on traffic spikes.
2. Multi-Region Networking & WireGuard
Anycast IPs, private service discovery and encrypted WireGuard tunnels keep intra-app traffic fast and secure across the globe
3. Managed Databases & Persistent Storage
Launch Postgres clusters, attach volumes for stateful apps, and get daily snapshots out of the box.
4. Observability & Health Checks
Real-time logs, metrics and probes surface app health; CLI and dashboard show deploy history and instance status
Perfect Use Cases
Latency-sensitive SaaS wanting workloads close to users.
Realtime APIs & websockets (chat, gaming, live dashboards).
Micro-services & side-car jobs that benefit from scale-to-zero economics.
Developers migrating from Heroku for more regional control.
Bottom Line:
Fly.io is powerful for engineers seeking edge-first infrastructure, supporting Docker VMs, multi-region deployment, and low-latency Postgres at scale. But for users who just need to host static sites, share PDFs, or prototype quickly without command-line setups, Tiiny Host still has the upper hand—offering instant, drag‑and‑drop simplicity, fixed pricing, and built-in privacy controls.
Our Most Popular
Ease of Use: 10/10
Offers Free Trial: YES
Cheapest monthly plan: $5.00
Scalability: Very High
Best for: Quick static sites, personal projects
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