Vercel vs Fly.io for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Vercel Overview

Vercel is where frontend deployment is effortless. Connect your GitHub repo, push code, and get a live URL with SSL, CDN, and preview deployments. For Next.js projects, Vercel's integration is unmatched: server components, edge functions, image optimization, and incremental static regeneration all work without configuration.

The free tier is generous for solo developers. You get 100GB bandwidth, serverless function execution, and unlimited preview deployments. The Pro plan at $20/month increases limits and adds analytics, speed insights, and team features.

I've used Vercel for multiple frontend projects and the deployment experience is consistently excellent. Git push, wait 30 seconds, done. Preview URLs on every pull request mean you can test changes before merging. The dashboard shows deployment history, function logs, and performance metrics clearly.

Fly.io Overview

Fly.io runs your application in lightweight VMs (Firecracker) close to your users worldwide. Instead of serverless functions that spin up and down, Fly.io runs actual containers on actual hardware in data centers across the globe. You can deploy Docker containers, run databases, and keep persistent processes running.

The platform uses a CLI tool called flyctl for deployment and management. You define your app in a fly.toml file, run fly deploy, and your container launches in whichever regions you choose. Need a Postgres database? fly postgres create. Need Redis? Same pattern. Fly.io handles the networking, load balancing, and TLS automatically.

What drew me to Fly.io was the ability to run anything. Django apps, Go binaries, WebSocket servers, background workers. If it runs in a Docker container, Fly.io can deploy it globally. The latency improvements from running close to users are noticeable for API-heavy applications.

Key Differences

Deployment model. Vercel uses serverless functions and edge functions. Your code runs on demand without a persistent server. Fly.io runs persistent VMs that stay alive. For stateless frontends, Vercel's model is simpler. For backends that need WebSockets, background jobs, or persistent connections, Fly.io's VM model is necessary.

Global distribution. Both deploy globally, but differently. Vercel's CDN caches static assets worldwide, and edge functions run at the network edge. Fly.io deploys your actual application to specific regions. Vercel's approach works better for static content. Fly.io's approach works better for dynamic applications that need low-latency database access.

Backend capabilities. Vercel handles frontend and serverless API routes. Fly.io handles anything containerized. If you need a Django server, a PostgreSQL database, a Redis instance, and a Celery worker, Fly.io runs all of them. Vercel would require external services for databases and background processing.

Pricing model. Vercel's pricing is straightforward: free tier, $20/month Pro. Fly.io charges based on VM resources (CPU, memory, bandwidth) with a small free allowance. Fly.io's pricing is cheaper for persistent backend workloads. Vercel's is cheaper for frontend-only projects. A typical Fly.io app costs $3-15/month depending on resources.

Developer experience. Vercel's DX is hard to beat: connect repo, push code, done. Fly.io requires Docker knowledge, CLI familiarity, and understanding of VM configuration. The tradeoff is more flexibility at the cost of more setup. Fly.io's fly.toml gives you control over regions, scaling, health checks, and resource allocation.

Database hosting. Fly.io runs Postgres natively with fly postgres create. You get a real database running in the same network as your application. Vercel offers Vercel Postgres (powered by Neon) which works well for small projects but has usage limits. For database-heavy applications, Fly.io's approach is more cost-effective and performant.

When to Choose Vercel

• You're deploying frontend or Next.js applications
• Zero-config deployment is a priority
• Preview deployments on every PR are important to your workflow
• Your backend is serverless or hosted elsewhere
• You want the simplest possible hosting experience

When to Choose Fly.io

• You need persistent backend servers, not serverless functions
• Your app requires WebSockets, background workers, or long-running processes
• Global low-latency matters for your API responses
• You want databases deployed alongside your app in the same network
• You're comfortable with Docker and CLI-based deployment

The Verdict

Vercel and Fly.io complement each other more than they compete. Vercel is the best frontend hosting platform with an unmatched developer experience for static sites, SPAs, and Next.js apps. Fly.io is one of the best options for deploying backends globally with real VMs, databases, and persistent processes.

Vercel gets 9/10 because its core use case (frontend deployment) is near-perfect for solo developers. Push and forget. Fly.io gets 8/10 because it handles backend complexity well, but requires more knowledge to configure and maintain.

For many solo developers, the best setup is both: Vercel for the frontend, Fly.io for the backend and database. The combined cost stays reasonable (often under $25/month), and each platform handles what it does best. If you must pick one, choose based on what you're deploying. Frontend-first means Vercel. Backend-first means Fly.io.