LaunchPad vs Fly.io
Fly.io runs your app on a global fleet it meters by the second. LaunchPad runs it on a single Hetzner server you own, deployed with Kamal — a simpler, flat-priced model with self-hosted PostgreSQL and off-site backups, in Rand.
Side by side
| Capability | Fly.io | LaunchPad |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Global Fly Machines (Firecracker VMs) Fly operates | One Hetzner server you own; LaunchPad runs the deploy tooling |
| Pricing | Metered compute, volumes, and bandwidth — usage-based | Flat Hetzner server (from ~€4/mo) + LaunchPad Solo R149/mo ex VAT (early access, not yet billed) |
| Regions | Many regions, global anycast routing | Single region — the Hetzner location you choose |
| Deploys | flyctl deploy, Dockerfile or buildpacks | Kamal zero-downtime deploys from GitHub, live log streaming, health-check-gated cutover with automatic rollback |
| PostgreSQL | Managed Postgres or a self-run Postgres app you operate | Self-hosted on your server, provisioned and managed for you — no separate bill |
| Backups | Snapshot/volume-based, plan-dependent | Scheduled pg_dump to Backblaze B2, encrypted client-side, drill-verified restores, and WAL-based point-in-time recovery (Beta; validate with a drill) |
| Autoscaling | Yes — Machines scale to zero and back | No — you resize or add Hetzner servers |
| Server ownership | Abstracted away | Your Hetzner account — provisioned and hardened (Docker, UFW, fail2ban) |
| Maturity | Established platform with a global footprint | Early access — free while paid billing is switched off |
Fly.io capabilities described from its public documentation and pricing, checked June 2026 — check fly.io for the current picture. LaunchPad prices exclude 15% South African VAT; Hetzner and Backblaze bill you directly with no markup.
When to pick which
Pick Fly.io if…
- You need low latency for users in many regions.
- Your traffic is spiky and you want scale-to-zero compute.
- You're comfortable with usage-based billing.
Pick LaunchPad if…
- You want a flat, predictable bill for a steady single-region app.
- Database safety matters: encrypted off-site backups and restore drills are first-class, with WAL-based point-in-time recovery in Beta (validate with a drill before relying on it — it shows as "Verified" in-product once a drill passes for that database; it drops back to unverified if a later drill fails, and is flagged stale for a re-run once the proof ages).
- You want to own the servers and bill in South African Rand.
Try LaunchPad free
Connect a Hetzner account, ship with Kamal, and let LaunchPad look after your database. See the deploy guide for the full walkthrough, or compare LaunchPad vs Render.
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