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Fly.io vs Railway
Comparing two hosting & deployment platforms on pricing, features, free tier, and trade-offs.
Quick summary
Fly.io — Run user code close to users. Fly.io runs full-stack apps as micro-VMs in 30+ regions with a focus on running code close to users.
Railway — Infrastructure, instantly. Railway is a platform for deploying apps, databases, and services with usage-based pricing and great developer experience.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Fly.io | Railway |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | Pay as you go | $5/mo + usage |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Open source | No | No |
| Regions | 30+ | — |
| Edge Network | Yes | No |
| Custom Domains | Yes | Yes |
| Edge Functions | No | No |
| Bandwidth (free) | N/A | N/A |
| Preview Deployments | No | Yes |
| Serverless Functions | No | No |
| Databases Included | — | Yes |
Fly.io
Run user code close to users
Pros
- True multi-region app deployment
- Runs Docker containers
- Great for stateful apps
Cons
- Steeper learning curve
- No true free tier
- CLI-heavy workflow
Railway
Infrastructure, instantly
Pros
- Runs real servers, not just serverless
- Easy Postgres/Redis/Mongo provisioning
- Pay for what you use
Cons
- No free tier anymore
- Fewer global regions
- Cold starts if idling
Which should you choose?
Choose Fly.io if you need production-grade features and are ready to pay. Choose Railway if you need production-grade features and are ready to pay.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Fly.io or Railway?
There is no universal “better.” For most teams, Railway is the safer default because Railway has a larger community and more third-party integrations, which often translates to better long-term support. For edge cases, the comparison table above highlights where each tool wins.
Is Fly.io cheaper than Railway?
Fly.io starts at Pay as you go, while Railway starts at $5/mo + usage. Exact costs depend on usage — check both vendors' calculators before committing.
Can I migrate from Fly.io to Railway?
Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Fly.io-specific features (APIs, SDK conventions, data schemas) are baked into your app. Most hosting & deployment migrations take days to weeks. Both vendors typically publish migration guides — check their docs.
Is Fly.io or Railway open source?
No — both Fly.io and Railway are proprietary managed services. If open source is a requirement, see our alternatives pages.
Does Fly.io or Railway have a free tier?
Neither Fly.io nor Railway currently offers a free tier.
Which is best for startups and indie hackers?
Startups usually optimize for the lowest friction to ship and the cheapest possible free tier. Neither has a long-term free tier, so compare the lowest paid plans side by side. For production workloads, revisit the trade-offs in the feature table above.