Fly.io vs Hetzner
- ✦ Edge Deployment
- ✦ Docker Containers
- ✦ Fly Machines
- ✦ Cloud Servers
- ✦ Dedicated Servers
- ✦ Block Storage
Fly.io and Hetzner are both Cloud Hosting tools. Fly.io starts at $5/mo, Hetzner at $0.0143/mo. Compare features, pricing, and ratings below to find the best fit for your team.
When to Choose Fly.io vs Hetzner
The question that matters: “In what situation will I regret choosing A over B after 3 months?”
Anycast Networking directs players to the nearest Global Region, cutting latency from 120ms to 30ms. Auto-scaling Fly Machines absorb sudden player count spikes seamlessly.
Edge Deployment runs identical app instances across 30+ regions from one Docker image. Private Networking isolates databases per region - no separate cloud accounts required.
Fly Machines start in under 3 seconds, enabling zero-downtime rolling deploys without load balancer warm-up delays or deployment scheduling windows.
Hetzner's Cloud Servers in Frankfurt keep customer data within EU borders, satisfying GDPR and MiFID II on Private Networks without cross-border audit overhead.
Assign a Floating IP to an upgraded database, flip traffic in seconds, and keep apps running with zero rewrites. The old instance stays live for rollback.
Product photos on Hetzner Object Storage, proxied through Floating IPs, hit 85% cache rates across EU traffic at a fraction of typical CDN costs.
Pricing Comparison & PlansHigh· Verified May 30, 2026
Fly.io Plans
Free tier available
Hobby
$5/moBest for: This plan is perfect for individuals or small projects needing basic cloud hosting resources
- ✓Up to 3 shared-cpu-1 x 256 MB VMs
- ✓3 GB persistent volume storage
- ✓160 GB outbound data transfer
- ✓Full access to Fly Machines, regions, and CLI
- ✓Unlimited apps, orgs, and team members
Standard Support
$29/moBest for: Choose this plan for enhanced support beyond the free tier, suitable for growing applications
- ✓Email support with 36-hour response SLA
- ✓Technical guidance on architecture
- ✓Full access to Fly.io infrastructure and features
- ✓Access to our dedicated team of engineers
HIPAA Compliance
$99/moBest for: Essential for businesses handling protected health information, ensuring your applications meet strict regulatory requirements
- ✓Everything needed for HIPAA-compliant workloads
- ✓Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
- ✓SOC2s
Premium Support
$199/moBest for: This plan is designed for businesses requiring high-priority support and faster resolution for complex deployments
- ✓Access to our dedicated team of engineers
- ✓Enhanced support compared to Standard
Enterprise Support
Contact SalesBest for: Contact sales for custom pricing tailored to large organizations with specific infrastructure and support needs
- ✓Dedicated contact
- ✓Real-time support
- ✓Access to our dedicated team of engineers
- ✓Customizable support options
Hetzner Plans
Paid plans only
Snapshots
$0.01/GB/moBest for: Snapshots offer point-in-time backups for cloud servers, crucial for data recovery and testing
- ✓On-demand full disk images
- ✓Backups
Block Storage
$0.06/GB/moBest for: This service provides scalable, persistent storage that can be attached to cloud servers, ideal for databases or applications needing flexible storage
- ✓Additional storage
Traffic Overage
$1/TBBest for: This charge applies if your server exceeds its included traffic quota, providing flexibility for unexpected spikes in usage
- ✓Additional data transfer
CX23
$4.49/moBest for: This entry-level cloud server is ideal for small projects, testing environments, or low-traffic websites
- ✓4 GB RAM
- ✓40 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Intel®/AMD CPU
CAX11
$4.99/moBest for: This ARM-based cloud server is a cost-effective option for specific workloads optimized for ARM architecture
- ✓4 GB RAM
- ✓40 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Ampere® Altra® ARM64 CPU
CX33
$6.99/moBest for: A step up from CX23, this plan provides more resources suitable for growing applications or medium-sized websites
- ✓8 GB RAM
- ✓80 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Intel®/AMD CPU
CPX22
$7.99/moBest for: Part of the premium CPU line, CPX22 offers better single-core performance for applications that benefit from faster processing
- ✓2 vCPU
- ✓4 GB RAM
- ✓80 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓AMD EPYC CPU
CAX21
$8.49/moBest for: A mid-tier ARM server, CAX21 provides more resources for ARM-native applications or services
- ✓8 GB RAM
- ✓80 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Ampere® Altra® ARM64 CPU
CX43
$12/moBest for: Offering enhanced CPU and RAM, the CX43 is good for more demanding web applications, databases, or development servers
- ✓16 GB RAM
- ✓160 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Intel®/AMD CPU
CAX31
$16/moBest for: The CAX31 offers significant ARM processing power, suitable for larger ARM-optimized applications or microservices
- ✓16 GB RAM
- ✓160 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Ampere® Altra® ARM64 CPU
CCX13
$16/moBest for: A high-performance cloud server, CCX13 is suitable for applications requiring strong CPU and memory
- ✓Dedicated vCPUs
- ✓8 GB RAM
- ✓80 GB Storage
- ✓20 TB Traffic
CX53
$23/moBest for: This plan is designed for resource-intensive applications, larger databases, or high-traffic websites
- ✓32 GB RAM
- ✓320 GB SSD
- ✓20 TB Traffic
- ✓Intel®/AMD CPU
Capability Breakdown
10 differences found across 18 standardized features
- •Edge Deployment
- •Docker Containers
- •Fly Machines
- •Anycast Networking
- •Persistent Storage
- •Private Networking
- •Auto-scaling
- •Global Regions
- •PostgreSQL
- •Redis
- •CLI Tools
- •API
- •Custom Domains
- •SSL
- •Monitoring
- •Cloud Servers
- •Dedicated Servers
- •Block Storage
- •Object Storage
- •Load Balancers
- •Firewalls
- •Floating IPs
- •Private Networks
- •Snapshots
- •Backups
- •API
- •CLI
- •Terraform Provider
- •DNS Management
- •Data Centers in EU/US
Strengths & Limitations
Evaluative strengths and weaknesses: not feature lists
- +Runs full-stack apps, not just static sites, on the edge
- +Uses lightweight Firecracker MicroVMs for better isolation
- +Built-in global request routing and private networking
- +Postgres clusters deploy globally alongside your application
- +Generous free tier includes compute, storage, and databases
- −Steeper learning curve than PaaS like Heroku or Render
- −Limited region availability compared to major cloud providers
- −Documentation can be sparse for advanced or niche use cases
- −No built-in serverless functions; requires running a server
- −Monitoring and observability tools are less mature than AWS/GCP
- +Industry-leading price-to-performance ratio for compute
- +Generous free egress traffic (20TB/month included)
- +Affordable dedicated root servers with high-end CPUs
- +No-frills, developer-focused interface without vendor lock-in
- +Strong European data sovereignty with German/Finnish locations
- −Limited managed services (e.g., no managed databases or Kubernetes)
- −Support is ticket-based and can be slower than premium providers
- −Fewer global data center locations outside of Europe and the US
- −Strict account verification process can be slow for new users
- −Network performance can be less consistent than AWS/GCP
At a Glance
Recent Price History
Fly.io removed the "Enterprise" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Fly.io removed the "Scale" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Fly.io removed the "Launch" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Fly.io added a new "HIPAA Compliance" plan at $99/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Fly.io added a new "Enterprise Support" plan (Custom pricing)
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Hetzner removed the "Dedicated Server (AX42)" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Hetzner removed the "CX42" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Hetzner removed the "CX32" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Hetzner removed the "CX22" plan
Plan removed · May 30, 2026
Hetzner added a new "Load Balancer" plan at $39/mo
Plan added · May 30, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Comparisons
Sources & Data Trail · Fly.io
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
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Sources & Data Trail · Hetzner
- 1.Official Pricing Page·Source of verified tiers(Checked: 2026-05-30)
- 2.Official Website·Official vendor website
- 3.G2·G2 verified reviews · 4.6/5 · 13 reviews
- 4.TrustRadius·TrustRadius verified reviews