Fly.io vs Heroku: The Definitive Comparison for 2026
Fly.io or Heroku in 2026? We compare deployment, pricing, performance, and what happens when Heroku's free tier is gone.
Heroku's free tier death created a migration wave. Fly.io positioned itself as the successor. But is it actually better?
The Short Answer
Fly.io is faster, cheaper at scale, and more modern. But Heroku is still easier for beginners. Here's the full picture.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | Fly.io | Heroku | |--------|--------|--------| | Free tier | Very limited | Gone | | Starting price | ~$2/mo | $5/mo | | Cold start | 5-10s | 15-30s | | Global edge | Yes | No | | Git deploy | Yes | Yes | | Database addon | Yes | Yes | | Vendor lock-in | Lower | Higher |
Deployment
Both offer frictionless git-push deploy. Fly.io's flyctl is more powerful; Heroku's CLI is simpler.
Pricing Reality
For a small production app:
- Fly.io: ~$5-10/mo
- Heroku: ~$7-25/mo (more predictable)
For a scaling startup:
- Fly.io: More cost-effective, egress can spike
- Heroku: Predictable but expensive
The Migration Question
Migrating from Heroku to Fly.io is worth it if:
- You're on a paid Heroku plan
- You need global low-latency
- You want to avoid vendor lock-in
- You're comfortable with
flyctl
Not worth it if:
- You just want simple hosting
- Your app is US-only
- You have complex Heroku add-ons
Our Take
Fly.io wins on value and performance. The learning curve is real but worth it. Heroku is now a premium option with less to show for it.