Is Fly.io's shared-cpu-4x - 1GB the best deal?

Machines (Shared CPU) · $8.08/mo (1 GB RAM, 4 vCPU)

Better deals exist

Fly.io Machines is a solid container/app-focused platform, but it's significantly more expensive than traditional VPS alternatives with comparable specs and hidden costs that can add up quickly. Several providers offer 2GB RAM / 2 vCPU instances for $3.50-$6.88/mo with no per-second billing surprises or region-based premiums.

GP 0.5GB (Linux, IPv6)

$3.5/mosave 57%

Half the price of Fly.io with predictable flat-rate billing, 1000GB monthly transfer included, and no per-second metering or region surcharges.

Caveat: 512MB RAM vs Fly.io's 1GB; data transfer overage rates vary by AWS region ($0.09-$0.132/GB) if you exceed the 1TB allowance.

Cloud VPS S

$4.33/mosave 46%

2GB RAM and 2 vCPU for $4.33/mo with unlimited traffic up to 1 Gbit/s and 99.99% SLA, no per-second billing.

Caveat: Intro pricing; renewal after contract is 2-6x higher; additional static IPs cost $6/mo each; outbound transfer beyond 2TB free pooled allowance is tiered at $0.036/GB.

Simple Application Server economy-e-2c-0.5g

$4.55/mosave 44%

2 vCPU and 512MB RAM for $4.55/mo with 40GB SSD and 200Mbps bandwidth; entry-level tier with transparent pricing.

Caveat: 512MB RAM is half Fly.io's allocation; full ECS pricing requires console login, so scaling costs are opaque.

VPS Pulsar

$6.88/mosave 15%

2GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40GB SSD, and 1TB transfer for $6.88/mo; unmanaged by default but includes full root access and no per-second billing.

Caveat: Renewal pricing is substantially higher (renewal ~$6.88/mo but first-term promo); unmanaged means no support unless you add Basic ($10/mo) or Complete ($25/mo) management.

DEV1-S

$6.55/mosave 19%

2GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 200 Mbps public bandwidth for $6.55/mo with 99.9-99.99% SLA and no per-second metering.

Caveat: Object Storage egress beyond 75GB/mo costs EUR 0.01/GB; Windows Server licensing adds 2.5x premium; Kubernetes control plane is a paid add-on.

Before you switch

Fly.io's per-second billing ($0.00000312/s) means you pay for every second a machine runs; traditional VPS monthly billing is simpler if you run 24/7.
Fly.io's region-based pricing premiums and cross-region private networking charges ($0.12/GB in some regions) can quickly exceed the base $8.08/mo if you use multiple regions or egress traffic.
Extra RAM beyond 1GB on Fly.io costs ~$5/30 days per GB; stopped machines still incur $0.15/GB/mo rootfs storage charges.
Most VPS alternatives listed have renewal-price traps (2-6x higher after intro term); verify renewal rates before committing to a long-term contract.
If you need container orchestration, Kubernetes, or auto-scaling, Fly.io's platform advantages may justify the premium; traditional VPS is cheaper but requires more manual DevOps.

This comparison is generated from publicly listed pricing and may contain errors or omissions. It is not financial or professional advice, and CloudHosting.io is not responsible for decisions made based on it. Pricing, promotions, and specs change frequently and may not reflect current terms, regional availability, taxes, or contract length. Always verify current pricing and terms directly on the provider's site before purchasing or switching.

Comparable plans across providers

Provider	Plan	Price	Specs
InMotion Hosting	Shared Hosting · Core	$2.99/mo	512 MB RAM, 100 GB SSD	Visit
AWS Lightsail	Virtual Servers · GP 0.5GB (Linux, IPv6)	$3.5/mo	512 MB RAM, 2 vCPU, 20 GB SSD	Visit
IONOS	Cloud VPS (Linux) · Cloud VPS S	$4.33/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 80 GB NVMe	Visit
Alibaba Cloud	Simple Application Server · economy-e-2c-0.5g	$4.55/mo	512 MB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB SSD	Visit
IONOS	VPS Hosting (VPS+) · VPS S+	$5/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 90 GB NVMe	Visit
Google Cloud	Compute Engine · e2-micro	$6.11/mo	1 GB RAM, 2 vCPU	Visit
Scaleway	Virtual Instances · DEV1-S	$6.55/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU	Visit
Namecheap	VPS Hosting · Pulsar	$6.88/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB SSD	Visit
Kamatera	Cloud VMs · Sample: 2 vCPU / 2GB / 30GB	$12/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 30 GB NVMe SSD	Visit
IONOS	Cloud VPS (Windows) · Windows VPS S	$13.67/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 80 GB NVMe	Visit
Vultr	Cloud Compute · Regular 2vCPU/2GB	$15/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 65 GB NVMe SSD	Visit
DigitalOcean	Droplets · Basic 2GB/2vCPU	$18/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 60 GB SSD	Visit
Exoscale	Standard Instances · Small	$18.39/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 400 GB SSD	Visit
Liquid Web	VPS Hosting · CPU 1	$22/mo	2 GB RAM, 3 vCPU, 60 GB SSD	Visit
DreamHost	Self-Managed VPS · VPS Business (legacy bundle SKU)	$31.99/mo	2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 60 GB NVMe SSD	Visit

Visit Fly.io

Comparing prices across every provider we track...