Vercel vs Fly.io (2026)
Serverless or containers at the edge? Chrome-verified pricing for Vercel vs Fly.io, scaling gotchas, and which deployment platform to pick in 2026.
| Criteria | Vercel | Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Trust Score | N/A/10 | N/A/10 |
| Free Tier | 100 GB bandwidth, serverless functions | 3 shared VMs, 160 GB bandwidth |
| Paid Starts At | $20/month | $0 (pay for resources used) |
| Best For | Next.js serverless deployments | Global containers close to users |
| Biggest Gotcha | Vendor lock-in with Next.js optimizations | Steeper learning curve than PaaS |
| DX Rating | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Pick if | You're building with Next.js and want first-party framework support with edge functions and preview deployments. | You need to deploy containers globally across 35+ regions with low latency and full infrastructure control, and you're comfortable with a CLI-first workflow. |
⚠ Active security advisory (2026-04-19): Vercel disclosed a security incident involving a third-party AI tool (Context.ai) compromise that pivoted into their internal systems. A limited subset of customers had credentials affected; non-sensitive env vars on affected accounts may have been accessed. If you use Vercel: rotate non-sensitive env vars and Deployment Protection tokens, enable sensitive-env-var protection, review recent deployments. Full details → Vercel April 2026 security advisory. This doesn’t change our comparison below — Vercel’s response (Mandiant engaged, prompt disclosure) is appropriate — but it’s worth knowing before you choose.
TL;DR
Choose Vercel for Next.js serverless deployments with zero config. Choose Fly.io for running global containers — any language, any framework, any runtime.
Detailed comparison
| Factor | Vercel | Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per-seat + bandwidth overages | Pay per resource (CPU, RAM, bandwidth) |
| Free tier | 100 GB bandwidth, serverless functions | 3 shared VMs, 160 GB bandwidth |
| Edge functions | Yes — Vercel Edge Runtime | Yes — deploy to 30+ regions |
| Docker support | No — managed builds only | Yes — full Docker support |
| Database included | Vercel Postgres (Neon-backed), KV, Blob | Fly Postgres, LiteFS (SQLite) |
| Best for | Next.js, static sites, Jamstack | Containers, WebSocket apps, global APIs |
When to choose Vercel
- You’re building with Next.js and want optimized deploys out of the box
- You want git-push deploys with automatic preview environments
- You prefer serverless — no servers to manage, automatic scaling
- You’re building a frontend-heavy app (static, SSR, ISR, edge)
- You want the simplest possible deployment workflow for a web app
When to choose Fly.io
- You need Docker containers — custom runtimes, background workers, cron jobs
- You’re building real-time apps (WebSockets, game servers, chat)
- You want your app running in specific global regions close to users
- You’re running non-JavaScript backends (Go, Rust, Elixir, Python)
- You need persistent processes, not just request/response serverless functions
Get this comparison in your terminal: npx auxiliar · In Claude Code: claude mcp add auxiliar -- npx auxiliar-mcp