Heroku vs Fly.io 2026: Cost, Performance, and Pricing
Heroku charges $7-50/month per dyno with a simpler deployment model, while Fly.io uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model starting at $0.0000011/CPU-hour with more granular control. Fly.io offers better value for scaling applications, while Heroku prioritizes ease of use for beginners.
Heroku
Fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for rapid application deployment with built-in CI/CD and automatic scaling.
Startups, indie hackers, and teams prioritizing simplicity over cost; prototyping and MVPs
Fly.io
Global edge deployment platform with distributed compute across 34 regions
Teams with Docker experience, global applications needing edge deployment, cost-conscious scaling
Quick Answer
AI SummaryHeroku charges $7-50/month per dyno with a simpler deployment model, while Fly.io uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model starting at $0.0000011/CPU-hour with more granular control. Fly.io offers better value for scaling applications, while Heroku prioritizes ease of use for beginners.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Heroku if you're a beginner, prefer simplicity over cost, or need to deploy without Docker knowledge—the $7/month minimum is worth the convenience. Choose Fly.io if you need global edge deployment, cost-efficient scaling, or Docker experience; it offers superior performance and value for production applications.
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Choose Heroku if
Startups, indie hackers, and teams prioritizing simplicity over cost; prototyping and MVPs
Choose Fly.io if
Best pickTeams with Docker experience, global applications needing edge deployment, cost-conscious scaling
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Pricing Model:✓ Fly.io wins(Pay-as-you-go ($0.0000011/CPU-hour, ~$5-15/month typical) vs Fixed dyno pricing ($7-50/month minimum))
- Free Tier:✓ Fly.io wins($5/month credit for all users, always available vs Removed as of November 2022)
- Deployment Simplicity:✓ Heroku wins(Git push to deploy, auto-scaling built-in vs Docker-based, requires flyctl CLI tool)
Key Facts & Figures
59 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Heroku | Fly.io | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Price(USD) | $50 | Pay-as-you-go from $0 | |
| Cold Start Latency(seconds) | 10-30 | <50ms | |
| Maximum Uptime SLA(%) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Available Add-ons(count) | 60+ marketplace add-ons | — | — |
| Build Duration(seconds (average)) | 60-120 | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost(USD) | $5 | — | — |
| Pro Plan Base Cost(USD/month) | $7 | — | — |
| Managed Postgres Starting Price(USD/month) | $38 | — | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 15+ | — | — |
| Cold Start Time(milliseconds) | 3-5 seconds | <500ms | |
| Supported Backend Languages(count) | 15+ languages | — | — |
| Native Database Support | PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types) | 1 (PostgreSQL via Supabase) | |
| Global Edge Locations(number of PoPs) | ~6 regions | — | — |
| Add-on Marketplace Size(count) | 150+ add-ons | — | — |
| Production Dyno Cost(USD/month) | $50 | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)(USD) | $50 | — | — |
| Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)(USD) | $50 | — | — |
| Database Setup Time(minutes) | 1 minute (add-on) | — | — |
| PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost(USD/month) | $9 | — | — |
| Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)(seconds) | 30+ seconds | — | — |
| Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 0.25-0.5 hours | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Baseline App)(USD) | $500-2,000 | — | — |
| Maximum Deployable Scale(concurrent users) | 100,000 | — | — |
| Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)(months to competency) | 0.5-1 week | — | — |
| Available Add-ons/Integrations(services) | 180+ (official marketplace) | — | — |
| Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users(USD) | $2,000-5,000 | — | — |
| Required DevOps Team Size(engineers) | 0 | — | — |
| Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)(USD/month) | $200-250 | — | — |
| Time to First Deployment(minutes) | 2-5 | — | — |
| Number of Available Services/Products(count) | 50+ | — | — |
| Maximum RAM per Instance(GB) | 512 | — | — |
| Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency(milliseconds) | Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) | — | — |
| Global Regions Available(count) | 4 | 35+ regions | |
| Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)(USD) | $50/month | — | — |
| Database Cost (Pro Tier)(USD/month) | $50 (minimum) | — | — |
| Cold Start Performance(milliseconds) | 1,500-3,000ms | — | — |
| Global Server Regions(count) | 6 regions | — | — |
| Marketplace Add-ons Available(count) | 180+ add-ons | — | — |
| Company Age & Maturity(years) | Founded 2007 | — | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(%) | 99.95% (Enterprise) | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost(USD) | $50/month | $0.00 (free tier available) | |
| Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)(USD/month) | $250-350/month | — | — |
| Time from Code Commit to Production(minutes) | <2 minutes | — | — |
| Cold Start Response Time(seconds) | 3-5 seconds (free dyno) | — | — |
| Maximum Uptime SLA(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Integrated Services & Add-ons Available(count) | 150+ integrated add-ons | — | — |
| Global Data Center Regions(count) | 35+ regions | 35+ regions | |
| Free Monthly Credits(USD) | $15 | $15 | |
| Maximum Concurrent Instances(instances) | 100+ | 100+ | |
| CPU Cost per Hour(USD) | $0.0000011 per vCPU | $0.0000011 per vCPU | |
| Free Database Storage(GB) | 1 GB included free | 1 GB included free | |
| Year Established(year) | 2020 | 2020 | |
| Average Global Latency(milliseconds) | 45ms (with edge) | 45ms (with edge) | |
| Managed Database Options(count) | 0 (external integration required) | 0 (external integration required) | |
| Compute Cost Per Hour(USD) | $0.0030 (shared-cpu-1x) | $0.0030 (shared-cpu-1x) | |
| vCPU Monthly Cost(USD) | $8.00 | $8.00 | |
| Global Data Center Regions(regions) | 34 regions | 34 regions | |
| Minimum RAM per Instance(MB) | 256MB (shared) | 256MB (shared) | |
| Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)(complexity score) | 7 (CLI-first, config files) | 7 (CLI-first, config files) |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
- Fixed dyno pricing ($7-50/month minimum)Pricing ModelPay-as-you-go ($0.0000011/CPU-hour, ~$5-15/month typical)(winner)
- Removed as of November 2022Free Tier$5/month credit for all users, always available(winner)
- Git push to deploy, auto-scaling built-in(winner)Deployment SimplicityDocker-based, requires flyctl CLI tool
- 5-15 seconds after idle periodCold Start Time<100ms with modern infrastructure(winner)
- 12 US regions onlyGlobal Edge Network35+ global regions with automatic edge deployment(winner)
- Heroku Postgres ($15-400/month extra)Database IncludedPostgreSQL with free tier ($0-50/month)(winner)
- Minimal, platform abstracts infrastructure(winner)Learning CurveModerate, requires Docker/container knowledge
- Pricing Model
Heroku
Fixed dyno pricing ($7-50/month minimum)
Fly.io
Pay-as-you-go ($0.0000011/CPU-hour, ~$5-15/month typical)(winner)
- Free Tier
Heroku
Removed as of November 2022
Fly.io
$5/month credit for all users, always available(winner)
- Deployment Simplicity
Heroku
Git push to deploy, auto-scaling built-in(winner)
Fly.io
Docker-based, requires flyctl CLI tool
- Cold Start Time
Heroku
5-15 seconds after idle period
Fly.io
<100ms with modern infrastructure(winner)
- Global Edge Network
Heroku
12 US regions only
Fly.io
35+ global regions with automatic edge deployment(winner)
- Database Included
Heroku
Heroku Postgres ($15-400/month extra)
Fly.io
PostgreSQL with free tier ($0-50/month)(winner)
- Learning Curve
Heroku
Minimal, platform abstracts infrastructure(winner)
Fly.io
Moderate, requires Docker/container knowledge
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Heroku | Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Price(USD) | $50 | Pay-as-you-go from $0(winner) |
| Free Trial Period(days) | No free trial (paid only) | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost(USD) | $5 | — |
| Pro Plan Base Cost(USD/month) | $7 | — |
| Free Tier Status | Discontinued (2022) | — |
Show 20 more attributesFree Tier Bandwidth(GB/month) $0 (discontinued) — Production Dyno Cost(USD/month) $50 — Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)(USD) $50 — Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)(USD) $50 — PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost(USD/month) $9 — Monthly Cost (Baseline App)(USD) $500-2,000 — Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users(USD) $2,000-5,000 — Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)(USD/month) $200-250 — Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)(USD) $50/month — Database Cost (Pro Tier)(USD/month) $50 (minimum) — Free Tier Available No (discontinued 2022) — Minimum Monthly Cost(USD) $50/month $0.00 (free tier available) Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)(USD/month) $250-350/month — Free Tier Availability Discontinued (was free, now hobby tier $50/month) — Free Monthly Credits(USD) $15 — CPU Cost per Hour(USD) $0.0000011 per vCPU — Compute Cost Per Hour(USD) $0.0030 (shared-cpu-1x) — Free Tier Included(boolean) Yes; 3x 256MB shared VMs monthly — vCPU Monthly Cost(USD) $8.00 — Free Tier Monthly Value(hours/month or USD credit) $3 credit/month — | ||
| Cold Start Latency(seconds) | 10-30(winner) | <50ms |
| Build Duration(seconds (average)) | 60-120 | — |
| Cold Start Time(milliseconds) | 3-5 seconds(winner) | <500ms |
| Automatic Scaling(availability) | Built-in at all tiers | — |
| Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)(seconds) | 30+ seconds | — |
Show 4 more attributesLambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency(milliseconds) Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) — Cold Start Performance(milliseconds) 1,500-3,000ms — Cold Start Response Time(seconds) 3-5 seconds (free dyno) — Average Global Latency(milliseconds) 45ms (with edge) — | ||
| Maximum Uptime SLA(%) | 99.99% | — |
| Company Age & Maturity(years) | Founded 2007 | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(%) | 99.95% (Enterprise) | — |
| Maximum Uptime SLA(percent) | 99.99% | — |
| Supported Runtimes | Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure | Any Docker container |
| Available Add-ons(count) | 60+ marketplace add-ons | — |
| Add-on Marketplace Size(count) | 150+ add-ons | — |
| Available Add-ons/Integrations(services) | 180+ (official marketplace) | — |
| Deployment Methods | Git push, GitHub, Dropbox, API | — |
| Built-in CI/CD Pipeline(included) | Yes, automatic on git push | — |
| Managed Postgres Starting Price(USD/month) | $38 | — |
| Free Database Storage(GB) | 1 GB included free | — |
| Active Development Status | Maintenance mode | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 15+ | — |
| Git-Push Deployment | Yes (original) | — |
| Native Database Support | PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types) | 1 (PostgreSQL via Supabase) |
| Integrated Services & Add-ons Available(count) | 150+ integrated add-ons | — |
| Included Database | PostgreSQL (paid add-on) | — |
| Managed Database Options(count) | 0 (external integration required) | — |
Show 1 more attributeContainer Native Support(boolean) Primary deployment method with auto-scaling — | ||
| Credit Card Required for Trial | Yes | — |
| Supported Backend Languages(count) | 15+ languages | — |
| Global Edge Locations(number of PoPs) | ~6 regions | — |
| Global Regions Available(count) | 4 | 35+ regions(winner) |
| Global Server Regions(count) | 6 regions | — |
| Global Data Center Regions(count) | 35+ regions | — |
| Minimum RAM per Instance(MB) | 256MB (shared) | — |
| Database Setup Time(minutes) | 1 minute (add-on) | — |
| Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)(months to competency) | 0.5-1 week | — |
| Time from Code Commit to Production(minutes) | <2 minutes | — |
| Server Root Access(availability) | No (limited to buildpacks) | — |
| Infrastructure Customization Level(text) | Limited (configuration over customization) | — |
| Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 0.25-0.5 hours | — |
| Maximum Deployable Scale(concurrent users) | 100,000 | — |
| Maximum RAM per Instance(GB) | 512 | — |
| Required DevOps Team Size(engineers) | 0 | — |
| Time to First Deployment(minutes) | 2-5 | — |
| Number of Available Services/Products(count) | 50+ | — |
| Marketplace Add-ons Available(count) | 180+ add-ons | — |
| Maximum Concurrent Instances(instances) | 100+ | — |
| Setup Complexity | Moderate (CLI-heavy) | — |
| Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)(complexity score) | 7 (CLI-first, config files) | — |
| Docker Support | Native Docker requirement | — |
| Year Established(year) | 2020 | — |
| Estimated Community Size(relative) | Growing (4 years, ~50K-100K developers) | — |
| API Rate Limit(requests/second) | Unlimited (no published per-hour cap) | — |
| Global Data Center Regions(regions) | 34 regions | — |
Show 20 more attributes
Show 4 more attributes
Show 1 more attribute
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
Heroku
Pros
- Git push deployment—no Docker or CLI expertise needed
- Automatic scaling and load balancing included
- Extensive add-on marketplace (35,000+ integrations)
- Strong documentation and large community (14+ years established)
- Built-in staging environments and review apps
Cons
- Expensive at scale—minimum $7/month per dyno with no free tier
- Cold starts after 30-minute inactivity period (5-15 seconds)
- Limited to 12 US regions, poor global coverage
Fly.io
Pros
- Pay-as-you-go pricing—typically $5-15/month, no fixed minimum
- 35+ global regions with automatic edge deployment for low latency
- Sub-100ms cold starts with modern infrastructure
- Persistent volumes and managed PostgreSQL included
- $5/month credit for all users—accessible for free experiments
Cons
- Requires Docker containerization and flyctl CLI knowledge
- Smaller community compared to Heroku (founded 2020)
- Less mature add-on ecosystem; fewer third-party integrations
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Heroku removed its free tier in November 2022—all apps now require a paid dyno ($7/month minimum). Fly.io provides a $5/month credit for all users indefinitely, covering light workloads completely free, making it the only major PaaS with a sustainable free option.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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