Cloudflare Workers vs Fly.io
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Cloudflare Workers and Fly.io.
Quick Verdict
4.3/5
Cloudflare Workers
0 reviews
4.0/5
Fly.io
0 reviews
Cloudflare Workers is rated higher (4.3 vs 4.0). Run JavaScript, Python, and Rust functions at the edge with sub-millisecond latency. Ideal for APIs, middleware, and full-stack applications needing global distribution. Fly.io runs Docker containers on bare metal in 35+ cities globally. Machines run close to users — sub-50ms latency from most locations. Supports any language and framework.
Cloudflare Workers Deploy serverless code globally on Cloudflare's edge network | Fly.io Deploy apps globally with sub-50ms latency | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.3 (0 reviews)✓ | 4.0 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | usage-based |
| Starting price | Free tier available✓ | From $2.19/mo |
| Best for | Latency-sensitive APIs, middleware, edge rendering and full-stack applications that want global deployment with no infrastructure to run — especially teams already using Cloudflare's storage and CDN products. | Latency-sensitive applications — APIs, real-time apps and globally distributed backends — run by teams comfortable with a CLI-first platform and pay-as-you-go pricing |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | 10 vCPU✓ | 1 vCPU |
| RAM | — | 0 GB |
| Storage | 1 GB✓ | 0 GB |
| Bandwidth | — | 0 TB/mo |
| SLA uptime | 100%✓ | 99.9% |
| Data-center count | 330✓ | 17 |
| €/vCPU/mo | €0.00✓ | €2.19 |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ✓ | |
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | Global — 300+ cities | Netherlands, Sweden, France, Germany, UK, US, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Australia |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tierddos protectionipv6eu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi accessopen source | free tiermanaged optionipv6eu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi accessprivate networking |
| Visit Cloudflare Workers → | Visit Fly.io → | |
Cloudflare Workers
Pros
- + No cold starts: V8 isolates start in microseconds at 330+ locations
- + CPU-time billing with a genuinely usable free tier (100k requests/day)
- + No egress or bandwidth charges on any plan
- + Storage stack (KV, D1, Durable Objects, R2) binds declaratively and stays in-network
- + Strong docs: pricing and limits pages are explicit and example-driven
Cons
- - CPU time caps exclude compute-heavy and long-running workloads
- - Real vendor lock-in through Durable Objects, bindings and deployment model
- - KV writes ($5.00/M) and Durable Objects duration billing surprise stateful designs
- - Conceptual shift for teams used to container-based serverless
- - No uptime SLA below the Business plan
Fly.io
Pros
- + Fully published pricing for every billed resource, with worked example bills
- + Cheap always-on compute — $2.19/30 days for the smallest Machine in the cheapest regions
- + 17 regions on Fly's own hardware with Anycast routing and per-second billing
- + Strong ecosystem: Managed Postgres, Fly Kubernetes, Tigris S3-compatible object storage, Upstash extensions on one invoice
- + Concrete Enterprise SLA terms (99.9%, 15-minute urgent response) published openly
Cons
- - Free tier replaced by a tight trial (2 VM hours or 7 days)
- - Managed Postgres starts at $38/month — services are priced like a managed PaaS, not like the VMs
- - CLI-first workflow with real conceptual overhead (Machines, Apps, fly-replay, 6PN networking)
- - Uptime SLA only covers Enterprise plans; SLA downtime definition excludes hacking and virus attacks
- - Region count has shrunk from the widely quoted 35+ to 17, and prices vary by region
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