Best hosting platform - Fly.io vs Render.com vs Railway.app

Summary

In this video, the speaker evaluates different app hosting platforms, expressing frustration with pricing models that charge based on team members rather than usage. They compare Vercel, Railway, Render, and Fly.io, praising Fly.io for its user-friendly interface, fast scaling, and robust features like Redis and object storage. Fly.io’s pay-as-you-go model and reliability make it the speaker’s preferred choice for app deployment, especially for users who don’t need global distribution. The video emphasizes the importance of flexible pricing, scalability, and a seamless user experience in selecting the best platform for hosting apps.

Takeaways

• 😀 Vercel's pricing model of charging per team member is not ideal, especially when deploying apps that serve users, not team members.
• 😀 Superbase and Trigger offer usage-based pricing and support unlimited users, which is more favorable for developers working with clients.
• 😀 Hosting platforms like Railway and Render lack essential features like native S3 storage and can be more complex to set up.
• 😀 Railway, despite being an all-in-one solution, lacks a native S3 solution, which can be a major inconvenience for developers who need it.
• 😀 Render's pricing can become quite expensive quickly (around $30/month for basic services), which is not ideal when cheaper or free alternatives exist.
• 😀 Render's cold start performance is poor, with slow spin-ups and 500 errors, making it an unattractive option for free app hosting.
• 😀 Fly.io is praised for its efficient cold start times (as fast as a quarter of a second), making it a great option for developers needing quick deployment.
• 😀 Fly.io has a user-friendly and visually appealing dashboard, making it easier for developers to manage their deployments.
• 😀 Fly.io offers essential tools like Redis, object storage (similar to S3), and PostgreSQL, making it a comprehensive hosting solution.
• 😀 Fly.io's globally distributed network is beneficial for low-latency deployments, although the speaker doesn't prioritize global reach for their specific needs.
• 😀 Despite being slightly more complex, Fly.io's pay-as-you-go model provides great flexibility and is ideal for reliable long-term infrastructure.

Q & A

Why is the speaker frustrated with Ver's platform?

The speaker is frustrated with Ver because their landing page redirects users to the dashboard, making it hard to find pricing details. Additionally, the platform uses a team-member-based billing model, which the speaker finds unfair for developers who are working with clients and need to manage their apps efficiently without incurring extra charges for every team member.

What is the key advantage of Superbase and Trigger over Ver?

Superbase and Trigger offer usage-based pricing, meaning the cost depends on the app's usage rather than the number of team members. This makes them more affordable and flexible compared to Ver, especially when working with clients or small teams.

What is the problem with hosting a front-end app on Superbase or Trigger?

While Superbase and Trigger are excellent for managing back-end services like databases and edge functions, they do not offer a direct solution for hosting front-end applications. Developers would need to set up a separate platform for front-end hosting.

What are the drawbacks of using Railway as a deployment platform?

Railway lacks a native S3 storage solution, which could require developers to set up Amazon S3 or another third-party service. Additionally, Railway does not offer a free plan, only a free trial, which means users will face charges after the trial period ends.

How does Render compare to Railway in terms of features?

Render offers more options for scaling services, but it suffers from poor cold-start performance, especially on its free tier. The lack of a seamless user experience, combined with the high starting costs for services, makes Render less ideal for smaller or experimental projects.

What is a major issue with Render's free tier?

Render's free tier experiences long cold-start times, which means that apps hosted on this tier take longer to initialize. This can lead to frustrating delays, especially for users who rely on quick startup times for testing or small-scale applications.

Why is Fly.io considered the best option for the speaker?

Fly.io is praised for its excellent UX, fast cold-start times (using Firecracker technology), and robust features such as object storage, Redis, and PostgreSQL. It offers a pay-as-you-go model that allows users to scale efficiently without worrying about limitations, making it the best option for developers looking for reliability and flexibility.

What is the significance of Fly.io's globally distributed network?

Fly.io’s globally distributed network helps reduce latency by hosting apps closer to users, regardless of their location. Although the speaker doesn’t need to focus on global distribution, Fly.io’s network ensures fast and reliable performance for users around the world.

How does Fly.io handle scaling and cold starts?

Fly.io uses Firecracker to handle scaling and cold starts. This technology allows for cold starts in less than a quarter of a second, ensuring extremely fast initialization of services. The platform also scales automatically based on traffic, providing flexibility without manual intervention.

What makes Fly.io different from other platforms like Ver, Superbase, or Railway?

Fly.io stands out because it combines a powerful globally distributed network with a seamless user experience, ultra-fast cold starts, and comprehensive service offerings like object storage, Redis, and PostgreSQL. Unlike other platforms that may struggle with scaling or lack essential features, Fly.io provides a robust and well-rounded solution for both front-end and back-end hosting.