ArduMaker vs Fly.io
Micro-VMs spread worldwide or one server with a panel?
Verdict
11–9 
ArduMaker wins
Criteria won: ArduMaker 5, Fly.io 3. Tied on 6.
Only criteria that resolve to yes, partial or no are counted. Price has no single winner: it depends on each case.
Comparison table
| Criterion | ArduMaker | Fly.io | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of service | VPS with panel and MCP | Pay-as-you-go Firecracker micro-VMs | Depends |
| Starting price | From €5.00/month, flat | Usage-based, from ~$2/month | Depends |
| Root and SSH | Yes | Partial · SSH into an ephemeral micro-VM | ArduMaker |
| 24/7 processes (agents, bots, workers) | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Deploy from Git | Yes | Manual · Via GitHub Actions | ArduMaker |
| Pull request previews | No | Manual · Review apps via GitHub Actions | Fly.io |
| Docker and one-click apps (n8n) | Yes | Partial · Docker yes, no catalog | ArduMaker |
| Databases | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Custom domains and DNS | Yes | Partial · Custom domains, no DNS zone | ArduMaker |
| Global CDN | Partial · Cloudflare proxy | Partial · Anycast network, no CDN cache | Tie |
| Backups | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Autoscaling | No | Yes | Fly.io |
| Teams and permissions | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| MCP and AI management | Yes | Partial · Experimental local MCP | ArduMaker |
| Locations | Partial · Few locations | Yes | Fly.io |
| Start for free | Partial · Free tools, paid VPS | Partial · 2-hour trial | Tie |
Fly.io turns your Docker image into micro-VMs spread across 18 regions, run with flyctl and billed per second. ArduMaker is a root VPS with a panel at a flat price.
Quick summary
ArduMaker
- Who it is for: Anyone who wants a complete server managed from a panel or by an AI agent, without writing infrastructure configuration.
- Biggest strength: Databases, n8n, domains and email on the same VPS, with persistent root and a price that does not move with usage.
Fly.io
- Who it is for: Developers comfortable with Docker and the terminal who want to bring their app close to users on several continents.
- Biggest strength: Real multi-region deploys: the same app runs close to each user and Machines stop and start on their own with traffic.
The main difference: Fly.io is programmable infrastructure for spreading containers around the world, billed per second; ArduMaker is a server with a panel and tools included, designed to keep everything in one place.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-17
Key differences
Many regions vs one server
Fly.io's strength is running the same app in several of its 18 regions and routing each user to the nearest one. On ArduMaker each VPS lives in the location you pick when creating it: simpler, but there is no automatic multi-region deploy.
Infrastructure in a file vs a panel
On Fly.io you describe the app in fly.toml, build it as a Docker image and operate it with flyctl: powerful and reproducible, and it requires knowing those tools. On ArduMaker you link a repo from the panel, ArduMaker detects the project type (Docker, Node, Python, Django and more) and proposes how to build and publish it.
Ephemeral root vs persistent root
With fly ssh console you enter a real micro-VM, but its file system is rebuilt from the image on every deploy and only volumes persist. On the ArduMaker VPS, an Ubuntu in a system container with root, whatever you install and configure stays.
Managed databases with their own price
Fly.io Managed Postgres comes with high availability, backups and pooling, starting at $38 a month plus $0.28 per GB of disk. On ArduMaker PostgreSQL, MySQL and Redis run on the same VPS at no extra charge, with the server's weekly backup and without cross-zone high availability.
Pricing and costs
Fly.io has no subscription: it bills each running Machine per second based on CPU and memory, plus volumes, snapshots (first 10 GB free, then $0.08 per GB per month), a dedicated IPv4 if you request one ($2 a month), outbound traffic by region (from $0.02 per GB) and Managed Postgres (from $38 a month). A small Machine that stops when nobody uses it can cost very little; an app with a managed database, a volume and an IPv4 running all month adds several lines. On ArduMaker the VPS plan covers the app, database, Redis and n8n; what you do not get is distribution across regions.
| Item | ArduMaker | Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Entry compute | VPS from €5.00/month, flat price | shared-cpu-1x 256 MB ≈ $2.19/month running all month |
| PostgreSQL | On the same VPS at no extra charge | Managed Postgres Basic $38/month + $0.28/GB of disk |
| Your own IPv4 address | You publish your domains with SSL from the panel, with no charge per address | Shared IPv4 free; dedicated $2/month |
| Outbound traffic | No charge for traffic | $0.02/GB in North America and Europe; more in other regions |
| Backups | Weekly VPS backup included, last 4 kept | Daily volume snapshots; $0.08/GB-month beyond 10 GB |
Assumptions: Fly.io prices checked on 2026-10-17 on fly.io/pricing and its docs, in US dollars, excluding taxes and for the Ashburn (Virginia) region where prices vary. Compared with ArduMaker's entry plan at list price.
Real-world scenarios
App with users on several continents
On ArduMaker: It runs on a VPS in one location; distant users notice the latency of that distance.
On Fly.io: Its ideal case: you deploy Machines in several regions and Fly Proxy sends each user to the closest one.
AI agent running 24/7 with its database
On ArduMaker: The agent runs as a systemd service with PostgreSQL and Redis on the same VPS, and another agent can operate it over MCP.
On Fly.io: The agent is an always-on Machine; the database is Managed Postgres or a Postgres you run yourself on another Machine with a volume.
n8n for automations
On ArduMaker: One-click install with queue-mode workers, PostgreSQL and Redis, and the editor published with HTTPS.
On Fly.io: You deploy the official n8n image with your fly.toml, a volume or a database, and configure variables and queue mode yourself.
Test environment used for a few hours
On ArduMaker: The VPS is paid in full even if the environment sits idle most of the time.
On Fly.io: With autostop, the Machine stops without traffic and only bills compute while it runs.
Agency with several sites and client email
On ArduMaker: Sites, WordPress, DNS zones and mailboxes on each client's domain are managed from the same panel.
On Fly.io: It hosts the apps; DNS, email and managed WordPress stay with other providers.
When Fly.io is the better fit
- Deploying the same app in several regions and serving each user from the closest one.
- Paying only for the seconds Machines run, with automatic stop and start.
- Micro-VMs with virtual machine isolation built from any Docker image.
- Reproducible infrastructure in fly.toml and a Machines API for automation.
- Managed Postgres with high availability for anyone who needs a replicated database.
When ArduMaker is the better fit
- A web panel and an agent over MCP instead of a CLI and configuration files.
- Root on a persistent system, not on an image rebuilt on every deploy.
- PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis and n8n on the same server at no extra charge.
- Deploys from GitHub with project detection, without building a CI workflow.
- Domains, DNS, email and WordPress on the same platform.
How to migrate from Fly.io to ArduMaker
A Fly.io app is already packaged as a Docker image, so it can be deployed almost the same way on an ArduMaker VPS. The parts that take the most work are secrets and volume data.
- Read fly.toml: Note the processes, internal ports, mounted volumes, release commands and the variables in the [env] block.
- Gather the secrets: fly secrets list shows only names, not values: recover them from your password manager or local environment and load them into ArduMaker's deploy configuration.
- Choose how to build: Link the GitHub repo to the VPS. You can deploy with the same Dockerfile or let ArduMaker detect Node, Python or Django and propose build and start.
- Move Postgres: Connect to the Fly.io database with fly proxy, run pg_dump and restore it into a PostgreSQL installed on the VPS.
- Copy volumes: Files on a volume can be downloaded with fly ssh sftp or packed with tar from fly ssh console, then uploaded to the VPS.
- Processes and jobs: Each group in [processes] becomes a deploy process; scheduled jobs become a systemd timer.
- Domain and certificates: Publish the domain on the VPS and change the A and AAAA records that pointed to Fly.io. The certificate is issued when the domain is activated.
- Verify and scale down: Test on a subdomain and, once everything works, scale Machines down with fly scale count 0 instead of deleting the app: that way you can go back if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Does Fly.io have a free plan?
New accounts have no free plan or monthly allowance: there is a trial of 2 hours of Machine runtime or 7 days, whichever comes first. Organizations that were on the plans retired in October 2024 keep their free allowances.
How much does a small app cost on Fly.io?
A 256 MB shared-cpu-1x Machine running all month costs about $2.19 in Ashburn. Add a volume if you store data, a dedicated IPv4 if you request one ($2 a month), outbound traffic and the database if you use Managed Postgres.
Is Fly.io a VPS?
Not exactly. Each Machine is a micro-VM booted from your Docker image: you can SSH in, but the root disk goes back to the image state on every deploy and persistent data lives on volumes. A VPS like ArduMaker's keeps the system between deploys.
How much does PostgreSQL cost on Fly.io?
Managed Postgres starts at $38 a month on the Basic plan (1 GB of RAM) and $72 on Starter (2 GB), plus $0.28 per GB of storage; it includes high availability and backups. On ArduMaker you install PostgreSQL on the VPS at no extra charge.
Can ArduMaker deploy my Fly.io Dockerfile?
Yes. Deploys from GitHub accept repos with a Dockerfile or Docker Compose, as well as Node, Python, Django and static site projects. Variables and processes are configured in the panel or over MCP.
Sources
Fly.io data checked on 2026-10-17 on its official pages. Prices change: confirm them before deciding. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to identify each service.
- Fly.io: precios
- Fly.io Docs: precios de recursos y prueba gratis
- Fly.io Docs: regiones
- Fly.io Docs: snapshots de volúmenes
- Fly.io Docs: autostop y autostart de Machines
- Fly.io Docs: deploy continuo con GitHub Actions
- Fly.io Docs: roles y permisos de organización
- Fly.io Docs: servidor MCP de flyctl
- Fly.io Docs: review apps con GitHub Actions