DigitalOcean vs Fly.io
type: Article
description: DigitalOcean offers managed databases, app platform, and simplicity with predictable pricing starting at $6/month, while Fly.io specializes in globally distributed container deployment with pay-as-you-go pricing and edge computing capabilities. DigitalOcean is better for beginners, while Fly.io excels at latency-sensitive applications requiring global distribution.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-06-23T12:35:28.960Z
date created: 2026-06-23T12:35:28.960Z
date modified: 2026-06-23T12:35:29.497Z
content reference time: 2026-06-23T12:35:29.497Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: DigitalOcean
about: Fly.io
abstract: DigitalOcean offers managed databases, app platform, and simplicity with predictable pricing starting at $6/month, while Fly.io specializes in globally distributed container deployment with pay-as-you-go pricing and edge computing capabilities. DigitalOcean is better for beginners, while Fly.io excels at latency-sensitive applications requiring global distribution.
text: Pricing Model. Global Edge Deployment. Database Management. Minimum Billable Cost. Container Orchestration. API Rate Limits. Platform Learning Curve
conclusion text: Choose DigitalOcean if you want an all-in-one platform with managed databases, simplicity for beginners, and predictable budgeting. Choose Fly.io if you need globally distributed edge computing, consume resources unpredictably, or want extreme cost optimization with a free tier for small projects.
additional property: Base Plan Price (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4.00 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Data Centers
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 8 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 99.99% | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Kubernetes Service
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: DOKS (DigitalOcean Kubernetes Service) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Startup Bias
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Highly favored by startups | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: CPU Architecture
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Intel Xeon | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Dashboard Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Beginner-friendly, modern | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Managed Database Offerings
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 5 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Core Services
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 50+ | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Global Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 8 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Database Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $15 (1vCPU, 1GB RAM) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Pricing Transparency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Flat-rate, predictable; per-second billing (min $0.01) as of Jan 2026 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: AI/ML Maturity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Basic ML tools, no proprietary AI platform | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Support Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Community forums, standard support, documentation-heavy | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Beginner-friendly with intuitive dashboard | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4.00 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Entry-Level vCPU (Basic Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 2 vCPU | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Entry-Level RAM
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 4 GB | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Storage (Basic Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 80 GB SSD | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Monthly Bandwidth (Basic Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 4 TB | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Documentation Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Comprehensive with extensive tutorials | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Data Center Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 12 regions | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Managed Database Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Kafka | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Entry-Level VPS Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $6.00/month | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Bare Metal Server (Entry-Level)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $140/month | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Global Data Center Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 12 regions | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: SSD Storage (1GB Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 25GB SSD | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: RAM (Entry-Level VPS)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 1GB | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Documentation Pages/Guides
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 2000+ tutorials | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Kubernetes Service Included
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Yes (DOKS) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Basic Plan Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4/month | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Basic Plan RAM
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 1GB | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Basic Plan vCPU
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 1 dedicated | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Compute Hours
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $0 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Built-in CI/CD Pipelines
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Manual setup required | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 99.99% (Droplets) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Managed Database Types
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 5 types | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: API Rate Limits
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 5,000 req/hr | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 45 minutes | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Requires Kubernetes ($12+/month) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 20 minutes (manual install) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $15 | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Yes (full SSH access) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: Instant (no sleep) | Fly.io: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: $4.00 | Fly.io: $0.00 (pay-as-you-go)
  value reference: Fly.io
additional property: Global Data Center Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: DigitalOcean: 12 regions | Fly.io: 34 regions
  value reference: Fly.io
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/digitalocean
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/digitalocean
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/fly-io
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/fly-io
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/digitalocean-vs-fly-io
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/digitalocean-vs-fly-io
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aws-vs-digitalocean
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-vultr
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-google-cloud
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-fly-io
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-hetzner
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-render
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-digitalocean
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gcp-vs-digitalocean
teaches: How to choose between DigitalOcean and Fly.io
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

DigitalOcean
type: Thing
alternate name: Digitalocean
language: en-US
description: Cloud infrastructure provider offering VPS, managed databases, and app platform services.
image: ImageObject
  caption: DigitalOcean
subject of: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io
image: ImageObject
  caption: DigitalOcean

Fly.io
type: Thing
alternate name: Fly Io
language: en-US
description: Edge computing platform enabling containerized app deployment with automatic global distribution.
subject of: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io

DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for DigitalOcean vs Fly.io. Contains 143 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Base Plan Price (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Data Centers
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Uptime SLA
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variable measured: Kubernetes Service
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  value reference: Services
variable measured: Startup Bias
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: CPU Architecture
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Dashboard Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Managed Database Offerings
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variable measured: Core Services
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variable measured: Global Regions
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Database Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Pricing Transparency
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variable measured: AI/ML Maturity
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variable measured: Support Quality
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Price
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variable measured: Entry-Level vCPU (Basic Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Entry-Level RAM
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Storage (Basic Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Monthly Bandwidth (Basic Tier)
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variable measured: Documentation Quality
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Data Center Locations
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variable measured: Managed Database Support
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variable measured: Entry-Level VPS Monthly Price
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variable measured: Bare Metal Server (Entry-Level)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Global Data Center Locations
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variable measured: SSD Storage (1GB Plan)
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variable measured: Documentation Pages/Guides
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variable measured: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Managed Database Types
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: API Rate Limits
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Global Data Center Regions
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variable measured: Average Global Latency
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Managed Database Options
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Compute Cost Per Hour
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variable measured: Free Tier Included
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variable measured: Container Native Support
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Entry-Level Compute Cost (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: AI/ML Service Count
  type: PropertyValue
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variable measured: Kubernetes (Managed)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Time to Deploy Hello World
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Database Options
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Enterprise Support Starting Price
variable measured: Entry-Level VM/Droplet Cost
variable measured: Standard 2GB RAM VM Cost
variable measured: Available Services/Products
variable measured: Time to Deploy First VM
variable measured: AI/ML Services
variable measured: Free Tier Credit
variable measured: Basic Compute Instance Hourly Cost
variable measured: Monthly Compute Instance Cost
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-fly-io

DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for DigitalOcean vs Fly.io.
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Services
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Hardware
has defined term: UX
has defined term: Service Ecosystem
has defined term: Service
has defined term: Advanced Features
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Support & Community
has defined term: Global Reach
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Specs
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Speed
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Control
has defined term: Technical
has defined term: Onboarding
has defined term: Compute
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Capabilities
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Security & Compliance
has defined term: Pricing Clarity
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Support & Learning
has defined term: Storage
has defined term: Resources
has defined term: API
has defined term: Scaling
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Global Presence
has defined term: Database
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Maturity

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reliability
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Services
type: DefinedTerm
term code: services
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Hardware
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

UX
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ux
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Service Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: service-ecosystem
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Service
type: DefinedTerm
term code: service
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Advanced Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: advanced-features
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support & Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support-&-community
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Global Reach
type: DefinedTerm
term code: global-reach
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Specs
type: DefinedTerm
term code: specs
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Speed
type: DefinedTerm
term code: speed
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-experience
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: control
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Technical
type: DefinedTerm
term code: technical
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Onboarding
type: DefinedTerm
term code: onboarding
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compute
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compute
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capabilities
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security & Compliance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security-&-compliance
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing Clarity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-clarity
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support & Learning
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support-&-learning
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Storage
type: DefinedTerm
term code: storage
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resources
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resources
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

API
type: DefinedTerm
term code: api
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scaling
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scaling
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Global Presence
type: DefinedTerm
term code: global-presence
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Database
type: DefinedTerm
term code: database
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maturity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maturity
in defined term set: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-23T12:35:29.497Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: digitalocean-vs-fly-io
main entity: Which is better for a startup with a tight budget?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Fly.io wins for budget-conscious startups. It offers a free tier with 3x 256MB VMs at $0/month, allowing you to launch and test applications completely free. DigitalOcean's minimum is $6/month. However, if your startup needs managed databases immediately, DigitalOcean's all-in-one approach saves integration complexity.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform has better performance for global users?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Fly.io delivers superior global performance with 35+ edge regions achieving <30ms latency worldwide. DigitalOcean's 8 regions result in 150-300ms latency depending on user location. For latency-sensitive applications (gaming, real-time collaboration, video), Fly.io is significantly faster.
    language: en-US
main entity: Do I need Docker/container knowledge for each platform?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: DigitalOcean allows you to start without containers—you can use droplets (traditional VMs) with pre-built images. Fly.io requires Docker containerization; it's container-first. If you're unfamiliar with Docker, DigitalOcean is more accessible; if you're already using containers, Fly.io feels natural.
    language: en-US
main entity: What about databases and data storage?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: DigitalOcean includes managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis databases as integrated services. Fly.io doesn't offer managed databases; you must use external services like Neon (PostgreSQL), PlanetScale (MySQL), or Upstash (Redis). DigitalOcean simplifies database setup, while Fly.io offers flexibility to choose best-in-class providers.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform scales better with traffic spikes?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Fly.io scales more efficiently. It charges $0.003/hour for compute and auto-scales based on actual usage, perfect for unpredictable traffic. DigitalOcean charges fixed monthly droplet fees ($6-48+), so you either overpay for unused capacity or manually resize droplets when traffic increases. For bursty workloads, Fly.io's consumption model wins.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between DigitalOcean and Fly.io
type: HowTo
description: DigitalOcean offers managed databases, app platform, and simplicity with predictable pricing starting at $6/month, while Fly.io specializes in globally distributed container deployment with pay-as-you-go pricing and edge computing capabilities. DigitalOcean is better for beginners, while Fly.io excels at latency-sensitive applications requiring global distribution.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Pricing Model
step: Consider: Global Edge Deployment
step: Consider: Database Management
step: Consider: Minimum Billable Cost
step: Consider: Container Orchestration
step: Consider: API Rate Limits
step: Consider: Platform Learning Curve
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose DigitalOcean if you want an all-in-one platform with managed databases, simplicity for beginners, and predictable budgeting. Choose Fly.io if you need globally distributed edge computing, consume resources unpredictably, or want extreme cost optimization with a free tier for small projects.

Consider: Pricing Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Pricing Model: DigitalOcean has Fixed monthly plans ($6-$48/month for droplets) with predictable costs, while Fly.io has Pay-as-you-go consumption-based ($0.003-$0.04/hour for compute) with free tier.

Consider: Global Edge Deployment
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Global Edge Deployment: DigitalOcean has Available in 8 data center regions, while Fly.io has Available in 35+ edge regions across 6 continents with automatic edge deployment.

Consider: Database Management
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Database Management: DigitalOcean has Managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis databases included in platform, while Fly.io has No managed databases; requires external services (e.g., PlanetScale, Neon).

Consider: Minimum Billable Cost
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Minimum Billable Cost: DigitalOcean has $6/month for basic droplet, while Fly.io has $0/month (free tier with 3 shared-cpu-1x 256MB VMs).

Consider: Container Orchestration
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Container Orchestration: DigitalOcean has Kubernetes (DOKS) available as separate managed service ($10-20/month cluster fee), while Fly.io has Native containerized deployment with automatic multi-region failover built-in.

Consider: API Rate Limits
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: API Rate Limits: DigitalOcean has 5,000 requests/hour for API calls, while Fly.io has Generous rate limits with no published per-hour restrictions.

Consider: Platform Learning Curve
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Platform Learning Curve: DigitalOcean has Beginner-friendly dashboard with detailed documentation and community tutorials, while Fly.io has Steeper learning curve; requires understanding of containerization and Fly CLI.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io
review body: DigitalOcean offers managed databases, app platform, and simplicity with predictable pricing starting at $6/month, while Fly.io specializes in globally distributed container deployment with pay-as-you-go pricing and edge computing capabilities. DigitalOcean is better for beginners, while Fly.io excels at latency-sensitive applications requiring global distribution.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: DigitalOcean vs Fly.io

Average Global Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 150-300ms (8 region average) | Fly.io: 45ms (with edge)
value reference: Fly.io

Managed Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 4 databases | Fly.io: 1 database
value reference: DigitalOcean

Compute Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $0.00595 (6GB RAM droplet / 730 hours) | Fly.io: $0.0030 (shared-cpu-1x)
value reference: Fly.io

API Rate Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 3,600 requests/hour | Fly.io: Unlimited (no published per-hour cap)

Free Tier Included
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: No free tier; $6/month minimum | Fly.io: Yes; 3x 256MB shared VMs monthly

Container Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: Via App Platform (secondary to droplets) | Fly.io: Primary deployment method with auto-scaling

Entry-Level Compute Cost (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $4/month (Basic Droplet) | Fly.io: N/A

AI/ML Service Count
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 3 (basic APIs) | Fly.io: N/A

Kubernetes (Managed)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: DOKS (Simplified, limited customization) | Fly.io: N/A

Time to Deploy Hello World
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 3-5 minutes | Fly.io: N/A

Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis) | Fly.io: N/A

Enterprise Support Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $100/month | Fly.io: N/A

Entry-Level VM/Droplet Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $4-6 | Fly.io: N/A

Standard 2GB RAM VM Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $12 | Fly.io: N/A

Available Services/Products
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 45 | Fly.io: N/A

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 99.99% | Fly.io: N/A

Time to Deploy First VM
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 5-10 | Fly.io: N/A

AI/ML Services
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 3 | Fly.io: N/A

Free Tier Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $200 (60 days) | Fly.io: N/A

Basic Compute Instance Hourly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $0.0066/hour | Fly.io: N/A

Monthly Compute Instance Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $4/month | Fly.io: N/A

Free Trial Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $200 | Fly.io: N/A

Available Cloud Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 12 regions | Fly.io: N/A

Platform Services Offered
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 14 core services | Fly.io: N/A

Maximum Virtual Machine RAM
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 512 GB | Fly.io: N/A

Premium Support Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 30 minutes | Fly.io: N/A

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 2/10 (simple) | Fly.io: 7 - Requires CLI and Docker knowledge
value reference: DigitalOcean

Available Services
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 15-20 services | Fly.io: N/A

Entry-Level Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $5/month (Droplet) | Fly.io: N/A

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 60 days ($200 credit) | Fly.io: N/A

Setup Time to First Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 2-5 minutes (average) | Fly.io: N/A

AI/ML Service Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: Limited API integrations, no native ML | Fly.io: N/A

Enterprise Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: SOC2, ISO 27001 | Fly.io: N/A

Monthly Billing Transparency
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: Simple: Fixed pricing per resource, no hidden fees | Fly.io: N/A

Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $30-50/month | Fly.io: N/A

Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 10-30 minutes | Fly.io: N/A

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: <1 second | Fly.io: N/A

Maximum Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 99.99% | Fly.io: N/A

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: Managed services via Marketplace | Fly.io: N/A

Infrastructure Customization Level
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: Full control (root SSH, custom runtime) | Fly.io: N/A

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: Free tier with $200/month credits | Fly.io: N/A

Entry-Level Compute Instance Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $4 | Fly.io: N/A

Managed Kubernetes Cluster Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $12 | Fly.io: N/A

Dashboard Setup Time (Learning Curve)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 3 | Fly.io: N/A

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 99.99% | Fly.io: N/A

BigQuery Analytics Capability
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: None | Fly.io: N/A

Total Service Offerings
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 40+ | Fly.io: N/A

Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 8 (SOC 2, ISO 27001) | Fly.io: N/A

Managed Kubernetes Pricing (Per Cluster)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $12 (DOKS) | Fly.io: N/A

Community Q&A Presence (Stack Overflow)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 70,000+ questions | Fly.io: N/A

Starting Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $5.99 (Droplet) | Fly.io: N/A

Starting Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $4.00 | Fly.io: N/A

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 6 regions | Fly.io: N/A

CPU Clock Speed
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 2.0 GHz | Fly.io: N/A

Dashboard User Rating
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 4.6/5 | Fly.io: N/A

Official Documentation Pages
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 8,500+ tutorials | Fly.io: N/A

Storage Options
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: SSD, Block Storage, Spaces (object storage) | Fly.io: N/A

Global Server Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 8 regions | Fly.io: 35+ regions
value reference: Fly.io

Average Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 750ms (typical) | Fly.io: 125ms (edge optimized)
value reference: Fly.io

Smallest Droplet/App CPU Cores
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 0.5 vCPU | Fly.io: 0.25 vCPU
value reference: DigitalOcean

Free Tier Credits Available
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: $200 | Fly.io: $15 total (Postgres + compute)
value reference: DigitalOcean

API Rate Limit (per hour)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 5000 requests/hour | Fly.io: No public limit (generous)

Developer Community Size
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: 500000+ posts | Fly.io: 45000+ posts
value reference: DigitalOcean

Global Data Center Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 35+ regions

Starting Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Pay-as-you-go from $0

Free Monthly Credits
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $15

Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: <50ms

Maximum Concurrent Instances
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 100+

Included Database
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: PostgreSQL (paid add-on)

Supported Runtimes
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Any Docker container

Setup Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Moderate (CLI-heavy)

CPU Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $0.0000228

Global Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 35+ regions

Free Database Storage
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 1 GB included free

Docker Support
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Native Docker requirement

Year Established
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 2020

Estimated Community Size
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Growing (4 years, ~50K-100K developers)

vCPU Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $8.00

Free Tier Monthly Value
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $3 credit/month

Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: <500ms

Minimum RAM per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 256MB (shared)

Native Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 1 (PostgreSQL via Supabase)

Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $10-30

Global Deployment Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 28

Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 15-30

Included PostgreSQL Database
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $0 (dev tier)

Community Size & Age
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 4 years (launched 2021)

Free Tier Monthly Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $3

Typical App Latency (US-EU)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 50-100

Startup Database Cost (1GB PostgreSQL)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $15/month

Free Tier Compute Hours/Month
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Unlimited (pay-as-you-go from $0.15/GB)

Average Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: 45 seconds

Docker Support Level
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: Native - Any Dockerfile

Bandwidth Cost (Overage)
type: PropertyValue
value: DigitalOcean: N/A | Fly.io: $0.02/GB

SpeakableSpecification
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DigitalOcean — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Fly.io — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare DigitalOcean vs Fly.io
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-fly-io
object: DigitalOcean
object: Fly.io

Enterprise Support Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Entry-Level VM/Droplet Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Standard 2GB RAM VM Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Available Services/Products
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Time to Deploy First VM
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

AI/ML Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Free Tier Credit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Basic Compute Instance Hourly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Monthly Compute Instance Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Trial Credit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Available Cloud Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Platform Services Offered
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Maximum Virtual Machine RAM
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compute

Premium Support Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Available Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capabilities

Entry-Level Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Setup Time to First Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Experience

AI/ML Service Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Advanced Features

Enterprise Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security & Compliance

Monthly Billing Transparency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing Clarity

Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Infrastructure Customization Level
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Entry-Level Compute Instance Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Managed Kubernetes Cluster Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Dashboard Setup Time (Learning Curve)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

BigQuery Analytics Capability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Total Service Offerings
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Managed Kubernetes Pricing (Per Cluster)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Community Q&A Presence (Stack Overflow)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Starting Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Starting Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

CPU Clock Speed
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Dashboard User Rating
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Official Documentation Pages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support & Learning

Storage Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Storage

Global Server Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Average Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Smallest Droplet/App CPU Cores
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resources

Free Tier Credits Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

API Rate Limit (per hour)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: API

Developer Community Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Global Data Center Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Starting Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Monthly Credits
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Concurrent Instances
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scaling

Included Database
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Supported Runtimes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Setup Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

CPU Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Global Presence

Free Database Storage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Database

Docker Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Year Established
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maturity

Estimated Community Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

vCPU Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier Monthly Value
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Minimum RAM per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Native Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Deployment Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Included PostgreSQL Database
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Community Size & Age
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Free Tier Monthly Credit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Typical App Latency (US-EU)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Startup Database Cost (1GB PostgreSQL)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier Compute Hours/Month
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Average Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Docker Support Level
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Bandwidth Cost (Overage)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing