Render vs Fly.io in 2026
Render vs Fly.io compares a platform with fixed monthly prices per service against one that bills virtual machines by the second. Render's Hobby workspace is $0 plus compute, with a free web service and paid ones from $7 a month. Fly.io gives $1 free to start with no credit card, and its smallest Machine, shared-cpu-1x with 256 MB, is $2.19 a month.
Facts and prices checked on against the sources listed below.
Quick verdict
Render
Pick Render if you want a fixed, predictable price per service, a free web service for demos, and team features like full-stack previews on Pro.
Pick Fly.io if you want small, cheap VMs billed by the second, control over regions, and you are happy to manage Machines and volumes yourself.
Render vs Fly.io at a glance
| Feature | Render |  Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Billing model | Workspace plan plus a fixed monthly price per instance | Per second while a Machine runs; storage on what you provision |
| Free option | Free web service, 512 MB RAM; 750 free instance hours a month | $1 free to start, no credit card needed |
| Plans | Hobby $0, Pro $25, Scale $499 a month, plus compute | No plans for Machines; pay for what runs |
| Smallest paid instance | $7 a month, 512 MB RAM | shared-cpu-1x, 256 MB: $2.19 a month |
| 1 to 2 GB of RAM | 1 CPU, 2 GB: $25 a month | shared-cpu-4x, 1 GB: $8.78; shared-cpu-8x, 2 GB: $17.55 |
| Postgres | Managed Postgres, storage $0.30 per GB | Managed Postgres from $38 a month (Basic, 1 GB) |
| Disks | SSDs $0.25 per GB a month | Volumes $0.15 per GB a month |
| Bandwidth | 5 GB on Hobby, 25 GB on Pro, 1 TB on Scale | $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe |
Pricing and free tier (checked Nov 2026)
Render charges a workspace plan plus a fixed monthly price for each instance. Hobby is $0 plus compute, with up to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth. Pro is $25 a month plus compute, with unlimited seats and services, 25 GB of bandwidth, full-stack previews and horizontal autoscaling. Scale is $499 a month plus compute, with 1 TB of bandwidth, HIPAA workspaces and SAML SSO. A free web service has 512 MB of RAM. Paid services start at $7 a month for 512 MB, $25 for 1 CPU and 2 GB, and $85 for 2 CPU and 4 GB. SSD disks cost $0.25 per GB a month and Postgres storage $0.30 per GB.
Fly.io bills Machines by the second while they run, with no plans for Machines. It gives $1 free to start, with no credit card needed. Listed monthly prices start at $2.19 for shared-cpu-1x with 256 MB, $4.39 for shared-cpu-2x with 512 MB, $8.78 for shared-cpu-4x with 1 GB and $33.00 for performance-1x with 2 GB. Volumes cost $0.15 per GB a month, snapshots $0.08 per GB past the first 10 GB, and egress $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe. Managed Postgres starts at $38 a month for Basic with 1 GB, and every plan includes high availability and automated backups.
Free tiers compared
Render's free web service suits demos. Each workspace gets 750 free instance hours a month, but a free service spins down after 15 minutes without traffic, takes about one minute to wake, loses local file changes when it spins down, and free Postgres databases expire after 30 days.
Fly.io's free start is a $1 credit. It covers a short trial, not a free app that runs all month.
Fixed prices or per second billing
Render is easy to budget: you know each service's price before you deploy. Fly.io costs less on list price for small VMs and for Machines that stop when idle, since a stopped Machine pays $0.15 per GB of root filesystem a month. Fly.io's prices vary by region, so check the region you plan to use.
When to pick Render
- You want a fixed price per service.
- You want a free tier for demos.
- You need team features such as previews and audit logs, or HIPAA on Scale.
When to pick Fly.io
- You want the smallest VM for the lowest list price.
- Your app can stop when idle.
- You want to choose the region your app runs in.
For a third option, see Railway vs Render.
FAQ
Is Render free?
Render's Hobby workspace costs $0 plus compute and includes a free web service with 512 MB of RAM. Each workspace gets 750 free instance hours a month. Free web services spin down after 15 minutes without traffic and take about one minute to wake, and free Postgres databases expire 30 days after creation.
Is Fly.io free?
Fly.io's pricing page offers $1 free to start with no credit card needed. After that you pay per second for running Machines, plus volumes, snapshots past the first 10 GB and egress.
Which is cheaper for a small app?
On list prices, Fly.io's smallest Machine is $2.19 a month for 256 MB, and 512 MB is $4.39. Render's smallest paid instance is $7 a month for 512 MB. Render's free web service costs nothing if you accept the spin down after 15 idle minutes.
Do both run Docker?
Render lists custom Docker containers next to Node, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby and Elixir. Fly.io runs apps on Fly Machines, which it describes as fast-booting VMs; see its docs for how it builds your app.
Sources, checked November 8, 2026
Prices and plans change often. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page.