# Fly.io Pricing in 2026: Plans, Real Costs and Alternatives

> See how Fly.io pricing works in 2026, including Machine costs, Postgres pricing, bandwidth, storage, stopped Machines, and hidden real application costs.
- **Author**: manav-dobariya
- **Published**: 2026-04-28
- **Modified**: 2026-08-24
- **Category**: Alternatives
- **URL**: https://kuberns.com/blogs/flyio-pricing/

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Fly.io pricing is usage-based. Instead of buying a fixed plan, you pay for the Machines, RAM, volumes, snapshots, bandwidth, IP addresses, certificates, support, and database infrastructure your application uses.

That model can be efficient for small container workloads, but it also makes real production cost harder to predict. A single always-on Machine may look cheap. A realistic app often adds multiple Machines, persistent storage, database replicas, bandwidth, private networking, and support. This guide breaks down how Fly.io pricing works in 2026, where costs increase, and when [Kuberns](https://kuberns.com/) becomes the simpler choice for teams that want deployment without manual infrastructure work.

## TL;DR: How Fly.io Pricing Works in 2026

- **Fly.io charges by resource usage:** Machines, RAM, volumes, snapshots, bandwidth, IPs, certificates, support, and add-on infrastructure are billed separately.
- **Shared CPU Machines start low:** Fly.io lists a shared-cpu-1x Machine with 256 MB RAM at about $2.02 per month when running continuously.
- **Stopped Machines are not always free:** CPU and RAM billing stops, but root filesystem and persistent volumes can continue to accrue charges.
- **Storage and bandwidth matter:** Volumes cost $0.15 per GB per month, and public egress pricing changes by region.
- **Postgres pricing depends on architecture:** Fly.io offers managed Postgres and unmanaged Fly Postgres, but production database setups need careful cost planning.
- **Kuberns is better when deployment simplicity matters:** Kuberns is an Agentic AI platform for deployment that helps developers avoid Dockerfile, `fly.toml`, scaling rule, and infrastructure configuration work.

## Fly.io Pricing at a Glance

![Fly.io homepage](https://kuberns-blogs-media.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/flyio-deployment.png)

Fly.io does not work like a simple fixed hosting plan. According to the [official Fly.io pricing page](https://fly.io/pricing/), billing is usage-based and tied to provisioned infrastructure. The [Fly.io resource pricing documentation](https://fly.io/docs/about/pricing/) explains that Machines, storage, networking, support, and other resources are priced separately and prorated.

| Resource | Pricing |
|---|---|
| Shared CPU Machine, 256 MB | About $2.02/month always-on |
| Shared CPU Machine, 512 MB | About $3.32/month always-on |
| Shared CPU Machine, 1 GB | About $5.92/month always-on |
| Performance Machine, 2 GB | About $32.19/month always-on |
| Volume storage | $0.15/GB/month |
| Volume snapshots | $0.08/GB/month, first 10 GB free each month |
| Dedicated IPv4 | $2/month |
| Static egress IP | About $3.60/month |
| Standard support | $29/month |

The key point: Fly.io can start inexpensive, but your bill grows as soon as you add storage, additional regions, database replicas, support, or higher traffic.

> If you are comparing Fly.io against other deployment platforms, our [Fly.io alternatives guide](https://kuberns.com/blogs/fly-io-alternatives/) explains where Render, Railway, Kuberns, and other platforms fit for different teams.

## Fly.io Machine Pricing

Fly Machines are the core unit behind Fly.io app hosting. They run your containerized application as lightweight virtual machines. Fly.io charges differently depending on whether a Machine is running or stopped.

### Shared CPU Machines

Shared CPU Machines are the entry-level compute option. They are useful for small APIs, web apps, background workers, and test environments where dedicated CPU is not required.

| Machine Size | vCPU | RAM | Monthly (always-on) |
|---|---|---|---|
| shared-cpu-1x | 1 shared | 256 MB | About $2.02 |
| shared-cpu-1x | 1 shared | 512 MB | About $3.32 |
| shared-cpu-1x | 1 shared | 1 GB | About $5.92 |
| shared-cpu-1x | 1 shared | 2 GB | About $11.11 |
| shared-cpu-2x | 2 shared | 1 GB | About $6.64 |
| shared-cpu-2x | 2 shared | 4 GB | About $22.22 |
| shared-cpu-4x | 4 shared | 8 GB | About $44.44 |
| shared-cpu-8x | 8 shared | 16 GB | About $88.88 |

### Performance Machines

Performance Machines are designed for workloads that need more predictable compute performance.

| Machine Size | vCPU | RAM | Monthly (always-on) |
|---|---|---|---|
| performance-1x | 1 dedicated | 2 GB | About $32.19 |
| performance-1x | 1 dedicated | 4 GB | About $42.58 |
| performance-1x | 1 dedicated | 8 GB | About $63.36 |
| performance-2x | 2 dedicated | 4 GB | About $64.39 |

### Stopped Machines and Rootfs Charges

Fly.io does not charge normal running CPU and RAM rates for stopped Machines. However, stopped Machines are still billed for their root filesystem. Fly.io's pricing docs give an example of a stopped Machine with a 1 GB rootfs costing about $0.15 for 30 days.

That distinction matters for teams using scale-to-zero. A stopped app may reduce compute cost, but it is not always a zero-cost app.

## Fly.io Free Tier and Credit Card Requirements

Many GSC queries for this page ask about Fly.io free tier, free allowance, and credit card requirements. This is one of the most important areas to keep accurate because free tier rules change over time.

Fly.io's resource pricing documentation says that all organizations except Linked Organizations require a credit card. Free trial or allowance details should be checked on Fly.io's current official pages before deploying, especially if you are planning a production app rather than a temporary test project.

For practical budgeting, assume that production resources are paid. That includes Machines, volumes, bandwidth, IPs, certificates, support, and database infrastructure.

> If your bigger question is whether Fly.io is suitable for a live application, read our production-focused guide: [Is Fly.io good for production?](https://kuberns.com/blogs/is-fly-io-good-for-production/)

## Fly.io Postgres Pricing

Fly.io has two Postgres paths: managed Postgres and unmanaged Fly Postgres. The pricing and operational responsibility are different, so developers should not treat every Fly.io Postgres setup as the same thing.

### Managed Postgres

Fly.io's [Managed Postgres page](https://fly.io/mpg/) is the best source for current managed database details. It is designed to reduce database operations compared with running your own Postgres app, but the final cost depends on the selected database resources and architecture.

### Unmanaged Fly Postgres

Unmanaged Fly Postgres runs as a standard Fly app. Fly.io's docs describe it as an unsupported product, which means your database cost comes from the Machines and volumes you run, and your team is responsible for operational decisions.

| Component | Price |
|---|---|
| Machine | Based on selected CPU and RAM |
| Volume (1 GB) | $0.15/month |
| Volume (10 GB) | $1.50/month |
| Volume (50 GB) | $7.50/month |
| Snapshot backups | $0.08/GB/month, first 10 GB free each month |

Fly.io's docs estimate that unmanaged Postgres can be around $2/month for a single-node development preset and about $82 to $164/month for three-node production clusters, assuming Machines run continuously. That is why database architecture matters more than the headline Machine price.

## Fly.io Storage, Snapshots and Bandwidth Pricing

Persistent storage is one of the common reasons Fly.io costs become harder to estimate. Volumes are billed whether they are attached or unattached, and they continue to be billed even when the attached Machine is stopped.

| Storage | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| 1 GB | $0.15 |
| 10 GB | $1.50 |
| 50 GB | $7.50 |
| 100 GB | $15.00 |
| 500 GB | $75.00 |

Snapshot storage is priced separately. Fly.io lists volume snapshots at $0.08 per GB per month, with the first 10 GB free each month.

Bandwidth depends on traffic direction and region.

| Data Transfer | Public Egress |
|---|---|
| North America and Europe | $0.02/GB |
| Asia Pacific, Oceania and South America | $0.04/GB |
| Africa and India | $0.12/GB |

Private cross-region transfer also has separate pricing. This is important for apps that run in multiple regions or replicate data across regions.

> If you are comparing Fly.io pricing against AWS-level infrastructure control, see [Fly.io vs AWS](https://kuberns.com/blogs/flyio-vs-aws-vs-kuberns/) for a practical breakdown of regions, networking, scaling, and operational complexity.

## What a Real App Costs on Fly.io in 2026

Here is a simple example for a small production-style backend with two API Machines and a lightweight database. This is only an estimate, because the real bill depends on RAM, uptime, regions, storage, bandwidth, support, and database architecture.

| Resource | Spec | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| API Machine x2 | shared-cpu-1x, 512 MB each | About $6.64 |
| Database Machine | shared-cpu-1x, 1 GB RAM | About $5.92 |
| Postgres Volume | 10 GB | $1.50 |
| Snapshot storage | First 10 GB | $0 |
| Public egress | Varies by region | Usage-based |
| **Estimated baseline** | Before traffic and support | **About $14.06/month** |

This baseline does not include a staging environment, replicas, Redis, support, static egress IPs, higher traffic, or managed database upgrades. That is where the difference between "cheap starting price" and "real production cost" becomes visible.

## Why Fly.io Pricing Becomes Hard to Predict

Fly.io gives developers useful low-level control, but that control also means more decisions affect cost.

- **Machine sizing:** Choosing too little RAM creates reliability issues, while oversizing Machines increases monthly cost.
- **Always-on versus scale-to-zero:** Stopping Machines saves compute, but can add cold starts and does not eliminate storage charges.
- **Database architecture:** A single-node database can be inexpensive, but production clusters with replicas cost significantly more.
- **Regional deployment:** Multi-region apps can improve latency, but they add Machines, private traffic, networking decisions, and data placement complexity.
- **Storage retention:** Volumes and snapshots keep billing even when compute is not active.
- **Support and compliance:** Standard support, premium support, enterprise support, and compliance packs are separate cost items.
- **Configuration work:** Dockerfiles, `fly.toml`, regions, volumes, autoscaling rules, secrets, and database operations all require engineering time.

> If you are also evaluating simpler managed platforms, our [Fly.io vs Render comparison](https://kuberns.com/blogs/flyio-vs-render-vs-kuberns-ai/) explains when Render feels easier and when Fly.io offers more infrastructure control.

## Kuberns: A Simpler Alternative to Fly.io Pricing Complexity

![Kuberns pricing dashboard](https://kuberns-blogs-media.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/kuberns-paas-pricing.png)

[Kuberns](https://kuberns.com/) is an Agentic AI platform for deployment. It is built for developers who want to connect a GitHub repository and ship full-stack applications without manually managing Dockerfiles, infrastructure configuration, scaling rules, or deployment pipelines.

The cost difference is not only the monthly platform number. It is also the engineering time required to configure, debug, monitor, scale, and maintain production infrastructure.

| Cost and workflow factor | Fly.io | Kuberns |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment setup | Dockerfile and `fly.toml` | GitHub repo connection with agentic AI for deployment |
| Manual configuration | Required for app, region, volume and scaling setup | Reduced by automated deployment configuration |
| Starting price | Depends on provisioned resources | Plans start at $7 |
| Savings model | Resource tuning and reservations | Bundle packs offer additional savings |
| Trial | Based on current Fly.io trial rules | Trial Option available |
| Scaling workflow | Developer-managed rules and infrastructure choices | Automated deployment and scaling workflow |
| Best fit | Teams comfortable with containers and infrastructure control | Full-stack and complex backend projects that need simpler deployment |

Kuberns is especially useful when the real problem is not Fly.io's Machine price, but the manual work around the application: Docker setup, environment variables, deployment routing, scaling decisions, monitoring, and infrastructure maintenance.

## Conclusion: Fly.io Pricing or Kuberns?

Fly.io pricing is flexible, but it is not always simple. The entry-level Machine cost is low, but production pricing depends on compute size, uptime, regions, storage, snapshots, bandwidth, database architecture, support, and the time your team spends managing deployment configuration.

If your team wants container-level control, global Machines, and infrastructure flexibility, Fly.io can be a strong platform. If your team wants to deploy faster without handling Dockerfiles, `fly.toml`, scaling rules, and cloud complexity, Kuberns is the better path.

**Deploy with Kuberns and let agentic AI handle the deployment work from your GitHub repository.**

<a href="https://dashboard.kuberns.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
  <img src="https://kuberns-blogs-media.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/CTA_banner.png" alt="Deploy on Kuberns" style={{ width: "100%", height: "auto" }} />
</a>

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Fly.io free in 2026?

Fly.io pricing is usage-based in 2026, and Fly.io states that most organizations require a credit card. Trial or free allowance rules can change, so developers should check Fly.io's official free trial and pricing pages before assuming a project will remain free.

### How much does Fly.io cost per month?

Fly.io cost depends on the Machines, RAM, volumes, bandwidth, IPs, certificates, support, and database setup you provision. A shared-cpu-1x Machine with 256 MB RAM is listed at about $2.02 per month when running continuously, while larger production setups increase with storage, replicas, and traffic.

### Does Fly.io require a credit card?

Fly.io documentation states that all organizations except Linked Organizations require a credit card. That means teams evaluating Fly.io pricing should confirm billing requirements before deploying production resources.

### What is Fly.io free allowance?

Fly.io free allowance and trial details are separate from its resource pricing tables. Because these allowances change over time, the safest approach is to verify the current free trial page and then estimate actual Machines, storage, bandwidth, and database costs.

### How much does a Fly.io Machine cost?

Fly.io Machine pricing depends on CPU type and RAM. Fly.io lists shared-cpu-1x Machines from about $2.02 per month for 256 MB RAM, $3.32 for 512 MB RAM, and $5.92 for 1 GB RAM when running continuously.

### Does Fly.io charge for stopped Machines?

Fly.io does not charge running CPU and RAM rates for stopped Machines, but it still charges for the root filesystem and persistent volumes. Fly.io documentation gives an example of a stopped Machine with 1 GB rootfs costing about $0.15 for 30 days.

### How does Fly.io Postgres pricing work?

Fly.io has managed Postgres and unmanaged Fly Postgres options. Unmanaged Fly Postgres is priced from the Machines and volumes you run, while production clusters can become much more expensive because they need multiple Machines and storage volumes.

### How much does Fly.io bandwidth cost?

Fly.io data transfer pricing varies by region. Public egress is listed at $0.02 per GB in North America and Europe, $0.04 per GB in Asia Pacific, Oceania, and South America, and $0.12 per GB in Africa and India.

### Is Fly.io cheaper than Render or Railway?

Fly.io can be cheaper for small container workloads if you manage Machines, regions, storage, and scaling carefully. Render and Railway can feel simpler for teams that prefer managed dashboards. For developers who want less manual deployment work, Kuberns is often the cleaner alternative.

### What is the best Fly.io alternative for predictable deployment costs?

Kuberns is a strong Fly.io alternative when developers want deployment without Dockerfile, `fly.toml`, manual scaling rules, or self-managed infrastructure work. Kuberns is an Agentic AI platform for deployment, with plans starting at $7 and bundle packs for additional savings.

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