Is Fly.io's shared-cpu-8x - 2GB (derived) the best deal?

Machines (Shared CPU) · $23.66/mo (2 GB RAM, 8 vCPU)

Better deals exist

Fly.io's $23.66/mo shared-CPU plan is moderately priced but carries significant hidden costs (region premiums, extra RAM billing, egress charges, storage on stopped machines). IONOS VPS M+ at $11/mo offers substantially better value for comparable specs with unlimited traffic, though renewal pricing is a major trap. Kamatera and Liquid Web are also worth evaluating if you need guaranteed resources and predictable billing.

VPS M+

$11/mosave 53%

Half the price of Fly.io with 4GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 120GB NVMe, and unlimited outbound traffic (no per-GB egress charges like Fly.io's cross-region networking).

Caveat: Advertised $11/mo is intro pricing on a 1-year contract; renewal jumps 2-6x higher, so lock in a multi-year term or budget for $22-66/mo after year one.

Cloud VMs 4vCPU/4GB/50GB

$28/mo

Slightly higher sticker price but includes 5TB monthly transfer (vs Fly.io's metered egress) and 50GB SSD; transparent per-GB overage pricing ($0.01/GB) if you exceed allowance.

Caveat: Windows/SQL licensing adds undisclosed surcharges at checkout; burstable CPU type incurs $0.041/hour/CPU overage if average usage exceeds 10%.

VPS CPU 2

$34/mo

Premium option with 4GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 120GB SSD, 2TB transfer, and 100% uptime SLA; includes managed support and predictable billing.

Caveat: $34/mo is likely a promotional rate (50% off or 1-2 year prepay discount); renewal pricing will be significantly higher; verify actual renewal cost before committing.

Before you switch

Fly.io's $23.66/mo is base rate for Amsterdam region only; other regions carry premiums that could push cost 10-30% higher.
Fly.io charges ~$5/GB/month for RAM beyond the 2GB base, plus $0.15/GB/month for stopped-machine storage and per-GB cross-region egress (up to $0.12/GB in some regions); budget for these if your workload requires them.
IONOS renewal pricing after year one is the biggest gotcha; confirm the renewal rate in writing and consider multi-year lock-in to amortize the jump.
Kamatera and Liquid Web both have promotional pricing traps; verify renewal rates and whether any OS licensing (Windows, SQL Server) applies to your workload.
If you need guaranteed dedicated CPU (not shared), Fly.io's shared-CPU tier is not equivalent to the VPS options; compare Fly.io Machines (Dedicated CPU) pricing instead.

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
IONOS	VPS Hosting (VPS+) · VPS M+	$11/mo	4 GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 120 GB NVMe	Visit
Kamatera	Cloud VMs · Sample: 4 vCPU / 4GB / 50GB	$28/mo	4 GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 50 GB NVMe SSD	Visit
Liquid Web	VPS Hosting · CPU 2	$34/mo	4 GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 120 GB SSD	Visit
Google Cloud	Compute Engine · e2-highcpu-4	$72.23/mo	4 GB RAM, 4 vCPU	Visit
GoDaddy	Dedicated Servers · Entry (2 GB)	$79.99/mo	2 GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 512 GB HDD/SSD (unspecified)	Visit

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Comparing prices across every provider we track...