Heroku vs Fly.io 2026: Cost & Performance
Heroku is a mature, user-friendly PaaS with higher pricing ($7-50+/month per dyno) but simpler deployment, while Fly.io offers 3x lower costs ($0.0000228/CPU-hour) and better performance for globally distributed apps with more technical overhead.
Heroku
PaaS platform owned by Salesforce for deploying web apps with minimal DevOps knowledge.
Early-stage startups, individual developers, teams prioritizing speed-to-market over cost, non-technical founders
Fly.io
Modern PaaS using edge computing with automatic global deployment across 28+ regions.
Cost-conscious teams, globally distributed applications, Docker-savvy developers, companies with latency-sensitive workloads, scaling startups
Quick Answer
AI SummaryHeroku is a mature, user-friendly PaaS with higher pricing ($7-50+/month per dyno) but simpler deployment, while Fly.io offers 3x lower costs ($0.0000228/CPU-hour) and better performance for globally distributed apps with more technical overhead.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose Heroku if you're a solo developer or startup prioritizing simplicity, rapid prototyping, and are willing to pay premium pricing for convenience without DevOps complexity. Choose Fly.io if you need cost efficiency, global distribution, Docker container flexibility, or run latency-sensitive applications—it's better for scaling and international users but requires more technical knowledge.
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Choose Heroku if
Early-stage startups, individual developers, teams prioritizing speed-to-market over cost, non-technical founders
Choose Fly.io if
Best pickCost-conscious teams, globally distributed applications, Docker-savvy developers, companies with latency-sensitive workloads, scaling startups
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Starting Monthly Cost:✓ Fly.io wins($0 (free tier with 3 shared-cpu VMs) vs $7 (basic dyno))
- Pricing Model:✓ Fly.io wins(Per-minute usage (~$0.0000228/CPU-hour) vs Per-dyno + add-ons (~$50-500/month typical))
- Global Edge Network:✓ Fly.io wins(28+ regions worldwide with automatic deployment vs 4 primary regions (US, EU, Asia))
Key Facts & Figures
72 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 | — | — |
| Cold Start Latency(milliseconds) | 30-60 seconds | — | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — | — |
| Supported Languages/Runtimes(count) | 12+ | — | — |
| Add-on Marketplace Integrations(count) | 200+ | — | — |
| Platform Operational History(years) | 22 years | — | — |
| Free Tier or Trial(USD credit) | None (discontinued) | — | — |
| Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)(USD/month) | $9/month | — | — |
| Minimum Monthly Cost(USD) | $12/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 | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)(USD) | $50-150 | $10-30 | |
| Global Deployment Regions(regions) | 4 | 28 | |
| CPU Cost Per Hour(USD per CPU-hour) | $0.05 (shared dyno equivalent) | $0.0000228 | |
| Deployment Time(minutes) | 5-10 | 15-30 | |
| Included PostgreSQL Database(starting price USD/month) | $9 | $0 (dev tier) | |
| Community Size & Age(years active) | 15+ years (established 2011) | 4 years (launched 2021) | |
| Free Tier Monthly Credit(USD) | $0 (discontinued, $7 minimum now) | $3 | |
| Typical App Latency (US-EU)(milliseconds) | 150-200 | 50-100 | |
| Global Data Center Regions(count) | 35+ regions | 35+ regions | |
| Free Monthly Credits(USD) | $15 | $15 | |
| Maximum Concurrent Instances(instances) | 100+ | 100+ | |
| 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)(score) | 7 (CLI-first, config files) | 7 (CLI-first, config files) |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
- $7 (basic dyno)Starting Monthly Cost$0 (free tier with 3 shared-cpu VMs)(winner)
- Per-dyno + add-ons (~$50-500/month typical)Pricing ModelPer-minute usage (~$0.0000228/CPU-hour)(winner)
- 4 primary regions (US, EU, Asia)Global Edge Network28+ regions worldwide with automatic deployment(winner)
- CLI-based, beginner-friendly (5-10 min deploy)(winner)Setup ComplexityCLI-based with Docker, requires more config (15-30 min)
- $50/month (discontinued Nov 2022, then $7 minimum)Free Tier Credits$3/month always available, no credit card required(winner)
- PostgreSQL add-on starts at $9/monthDatabase IncludedManaged PostgreSQL from $0 (dev tier)(winner)
- Procfile-based buildpack systemContainer SupportNative Docker containers, full control(winner)
- Starting Monthly Cost
Heroku
$7 (basic dyno)
Fly.io
$0 (free tier with 3 shared-cpu VMs)(winner)
- Pricing Model
Heroku
Per-dyno + add-ons (~$50-500/month typical)
Fly.io
Per-minute usage (~$0.0000228/CPU-hour)(winner)
- Global Edge Network
Heroku
4 primary regions (US, EU, Asia)
Fly.io
28+ regions worldwide with automatic deployment(winner)
- Setup Complexity
Heroku
CLI-based, beginner-friendly (5-10 min deploy)(winner)
Fly.io
CLI-based with Docker, requires more config (15-30 min)
- Free Tier Credits
Heroku
$50/month (discontinued Nov 2022, then $7 minimum)
Fly.io
$3/month always available, no credit card required(winner)
- Database Included
Heroku
PostgreSQL add-on starts at $9/month
Fly.io
Managed PostgreSQL from $0 (dev tier)(winner)
- Container Support
Heroku
Procfile-based buildpack system
Fly.io
Native Docker containers, full control(winner)
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 22 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(null) No (discontinued 2022) — Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)(USD/month) $9/month — Minimum Monthly Cost(USD) $12/month $0.00 (free tier available) Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)(USD/month) $250-350/month — Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)(USD) $50-150 $10-30 CPU Cost Per Hour(USD per CPU-hour) $0.05 (shared dyno equivalent) $0.0000228 Free Tier Monthly Credit(USD) $0 (discontinued, $7 minimum now) $3 Free Monthly Credits(USD) $15 — 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 6 more attributesLambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency(milliseconds) Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) — Cold Start Performance(milliseconds) 1,500-3,000ms — Cold Start Latency(milliseconds) 30-60 seconds — Cold Start Response Time(seconds) 3-5 seconds (free dyno) — Typical App Latency (US-EU)(milliseconds) 150-200 50-100 Average Global Latency(milliseconds) 45ms (with edge) — | ||
| Maximum Uptime SLA(%) | 99.99% | — |
| Company Age & Maturity(years) | Founded 2007 | — |
| Uptime SLA Guarantee(percent) | 99.99% | — |
| 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) | — |
| Add-on Marketplace Integrations(count) | 200+ | — |
| 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 PostgreSQL Database(starting price USD/month) | $9 | $0 (dev tier)(winner) |
| Included Database | PostgreSQL (paid add-on) | — |
Show 2 more attributesManaged Database Options(count) 0 (external integration required) — Container Native Support(boolean) Primary deployment method with auto-scaling — | ||
| Credit Card Required for Trial | Yes | — |
| Free Tier or Trial(USD credit) | None (discontinued) | — |
| 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 Deployment Regions(regions) | 4 | 28(winner) |
| Global Data Center Regions(count) | 35+ regions | — |
Show 1 more attributeMinimum 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 | — |
| Deployment Time(minutes) | 5-10(winner) | 15-30 |
| 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 | — |
| Supported Languages/Runtimes(count) | 12+ | — |
| Platform Operational History(years) | 22 years | — |
| Year Established(year) | 2020 | — |
| Free Tier Availability(boolean) | Discontinued (was free, now hobby tier $50/month) | — |
| Community Size & Age(years active) | 15+ years (established 2011)(winner) | 4 years (launched 2021) |
| Maximum Concurrent Instances(instances) | 100+ | — |
| Setup Complexity | Moderate (CLI-heavy) | — |
| Docker Support | Native Docker requirement | — |
| Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)(score) | 7 (CLI-first, config files) | — |
| Estimated Community Size(relative) | Growing (4 years, ~50K-100K developers) | — |
| API Rate Limit(calls/minute) | Unlimited (no published per-hour cap) | — |
| Global Data Center Regions(regions) | 34 regions | — |
Show 22 more attributes
Show 6 more attributes
Show 2 more attributes
Show 1 more attribute
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
Heroku
Pros
- Simplest one-command deployment via git push
- Extensive marketplace of 150+ pre-built add-ons (databases, logging, monitoring)
- Automatic SSL/HTTPS certificates included
- Strong documentation and massive community (15+ years established)
- Excellent for rapid prototyping and MVPs
Cons
- High pricing: $7/month minimum per dyno, scales to $250+/month for production apps
- Limited to 4 primary deployment regions with higher latency
- No native container support—locked into Procfile/buildpack model
Fly.io
Pros
- Pay-per-minute pricing ($0.0000228/CPU-hour) = 80-95% cheaper than Heroku at scale
- 28+ worldwide data centers for true edge computing and sub-100ms latency globally
- Native Docker container support with full environment control
- Free tier includes $3/month credit, no credit card required to start
- Managed PostgreSQL databases included free at dev tier
Cons
- Steeper learning curve—requires Docker, Dockerfile, and more DevOps knowledge
- Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Heroku (4 years old vs 15 years)
- Fewer pre-built integrations and managed add-ons (requires manual setup)
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Fly.io uses a utility-based pricing model (pay-per-minute) and self-serve infrastructure without managed add-ons, while Heroku's dyno-based model includes managed services, support, and overhead. For a typical app, Heroku's $7 minimum + database ($9) + logging ($50) easily reaches $100+/month, whereas Fly.io's similar setup costs $15-25/month.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
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Wikipedia
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