Fly.io shared-cpu-1x vs Render Free web service

Prices checked

The same 512 MB of memory at two platforms, so the size is identical and everything around it is not. Render Free web service takes 2 of 4 rounds against Fly.io shared-cpu-1x. It is also the cheaper of the two, at free against $3.69/mo.

Fly.io

shared-cpu-1x · 512 MB

512 MB RAM · always on

$3.69/mo

$44.28 a year · $7.38/GB RAM

RenderWins 2 rounds

Free web service

512 MB RAM · sleeps when idle

free

$0 a year

Monthly price (lower wins)

$3.69/mo

free

Price per GB of RAM (lower wins)

$7.38/GB RAM

no size to divide by

Memory

512 MB

512 MB

vCPU

1 shared

not published

Transfer included (more included is better)

none · metered per GB

5 GB

Build minutes included (more included is better)

not published

500 min

Stops when idle (staying on wins)

always on

sleeps when idle

Members covered (more members covered is better)

members not charged

members not charged

What the invoice adds

  • A gigabyte of transfer$0.02 per GB vs $0.15 per GB
  • Transfer includednone vs 5 GB
  • Build minutes includednot published vs 500 min
  • A year at this price$44.28 vs $0

Fly.io, then Render, at the published rates; a rate nobody publishes is not a rate of zero.

Go further

Add a third or fourth plan, or change the weighting, in the tool.

What moved this week

  1. performance-2x · 4 GB

    Fly.io · 6% dearer ·

    Fly.io · the provider's own monthly price

    $66/mo $62/mo
  2. shared-cpu-1x · 1 GB

    Fly.io · 18% dearer ·

    Fly.io · the provider's own monthly price

    $6.70/mo $5.70/mo
  3. shared-cpu-1x · 256 MB

    Fly.io · 13% dearer ·

    Fly.io · the provider's own monthly price

    $2.19/mo $1.94/mo
  4. performance-1x · 2 GB

    Fly.io · 6% dearer ·

    Fly.io · the provider's own monthly price

    $33/mo $31/mo
  5. shared-cpu-1x · 512 MB

    Fly.io · 16% dearer ·

    Fly.io · the provider's own monthly price

    $3.69/mo $3.19/mo
  6. shared-cpu-2x · 2 GB

    Fly.io · 18% dearer ·

    Fly.io · the provider's own monthly price

    $13.39/mo $11.39/mo

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Fly.io shared-cpu-1x or Render Free web service?
Render Free web service, at free against $3.69/mo, both excluding tax and read on 1 Nov 2026. Over a year that is $0 against $44.28, before anything either platform meters on top.
Which gives you more memory?
Both state 512 MB, so the question is what a gigabyte costs: $7.38/GB RAM at Fly.io and no size to divide by at Render.
Does either one stop when the app is idle?
Fly.io shared-cpu-1x: always on. Render Free web service: sleeps when idle.
What does the monthly price leave out?
Fly.io shared-cpu-1x: transfer none included and $0.02 per GB beyond it, builds not published, disk none, volumes extra, members not charged. Render Free web service: transfer 5 GB included and $0.15 per GB beyond it, builds 500 min, disk none, volumes extra, members not charged.

Every price is one month in the provider's own currency converted to dollars, read 1 Nov 2026 from each provider's own page, excluding tax. Transfer, build minutes, disks and members are metered on top wherever a platform says so, and none of those rates is folded into the figures above. Bars are scaled to the larger value in each row.

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