Global edge application platform that runs containerized apps in over 40 regions worldwide. Free tier gives $5/month credit, enough for 3 shared‑CPU instances (256MB RAM each) and supports databases like PostgreSQL and Redis.
Fly.io runs your app on nodes closest to users, using Anycast to route traffic to the nearest region. It uses lightweight Firecracker microVMs for fast startup and strong isolation. Deploy Dockerized apps to 40+ cities with a simple CLI.
I deployed a simple Node.js app to five Fly.io regions (North America, Europe, Asia). Using fly.toml for internal load balancing, average response times dropped from 200ms (single region) to around 40ms globally. The free credit covered all three instances.
Fly.io’s Firecracker microVMs boot in under 200ms, making scaling and rolling updates seamless. Compared to FaaS, you get more flexible compute and persistent storage.
Pro tip: Fly.io can run any Docker image—databases, caches, custom runtimes. Use the free credit to set up a globally distributed Redis cluster or a private Git service with persistent volumes.