Fly.io vs Cloudways Pricing (2026)

Which one is cheaper?

One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.

Can I use either one for free?

Neither has a free plan. But Fly.io and Cloudways offer a free trial.

How do they charge?

Different approach here. Fly.io uses usage-based pricing, while Cloudways goes with hybrid. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.

Which one is a better deal?

Depends on what you need. Fly.io: Positioned as the developer-friendly alternative to AWS/GCP complexity with transparent, granular pricing. They're competing on simplicity and predictability rather than being the cheapest option. Cloudways: Cloudways sits in the middle of the managed hosting pack — cheaper than fully managed premium players like WP Engine or Kinsta, but pricier than raw cloud hosting since you're paying for the management layer on top of DigitalOcean/AWS/Vultr costs. They're clearly courting developers and agencies who want cloud flexibility without babysitting servers, not enterprises who'd go straight to AWS.

Still deciding? See the best Fly.io alternatives or the best Cloudways alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.