---
title: "Ample vs Fly.io: which microVM platform is better for agent-built apps?"
description: "Ample and Fly.io compared: both run each app in a microVM. Pricing, spending limits, databases, setup and agent access, with sourced limits and migration steps."
canonical_url: "https://ample.computer/compare/fly-io"
last_updated: "2026-10-14"
author: "Ample Computer"
---

# Ample vs Fly.io: which microVM platform is better for agent-built apps?

Ample and Fly.io compared: both run each app in a microVM. Pricing, spending limits, databases, setup and agent access, with sourced limits and migration steps.

## The short version

Fly.io is the better choice when you want Docker images, 17 regions and fine-grained machine control. Ample is the better choice when a coding agent should deploy from source with no Dockerfile, no card and a hard spending cap, with managed databases created automatically. Both run each app in its own microVM.

## Who this is for

Ample and Fly.io share an architecture: each app in a microVM. They differ in who they are built for: Fly.io exposes machines, regions and Dockerfiles to developers; Ample hides them so an agent can go from a repository to a live URL.

## Ample and Fly.io side by side

|  | Ample | Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0 with no card. 2 apps running at once, 2 vCPU, 2 GB memory, 3 GB volumes, 1 GB bucket storage, 2 buckets. | No free tier for new organizations. The trial is 2 hours of machine time or 7 days, then a card is required. |
| Paid plans | Custom plans priced on volume (number of apps, limits, spending caps). No public list price; see [pricing](https://ample.computer/pricing). | Pay as you go, per second: a shared-CPU machine with 256 MB is about $2.19 a month and with 1 GB about $6.70, varying by region. |
| Spending limit | Free has a hard budget ($5 a month, $2 a day). At the cap, apps stop serving until the account is back under budget; nothing is deleted and nothing is billed. | None. Fly.io says it has no spending ceiling and no billing alerts yet. |
| How apps run | Each app runs as a normal long-running process in its own microVM with its own kernel. | Firecracker microVMs (Fly Machines) built from a container image. |
| Long-running servers and workers | Yes. Web services and background workers (`--kind worker`) run as ordinary processes. | Yes. Process groups in `fly.toml` run web and worker processes on separate machines. |
| Languages | Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Elixir, Rust and static sites, detected from the repository. | Anything with a Dockerfile; `fly launch` generates one for common frameworks. |
| Docker images | No. Ample builds from source; Dockerfile build steps are not run. | Yes; images are the deploy unit. |
| Databases | Managed Postgres, MySQL, Redis and MongoDB, each in its own microVM, created automatically when the code needs one. | Managed Postgres from $38 a month with high availability; Redis through Upstash. |
| Object storage | S3-compatible buckets, optionally published through Ample's CDN. | S3-compatible object storage provisioned through `fly storage create` and billed on the Fly bill. |
| Persistent disk | Persistent volumes attached to the app. | Volumes on the host's local NVMe, one per machine, without replication. |
| Custom domains and TLS | Custom domains with automatic TLS. | Custom domains with Let's Encrypt certificates; first 10 free. |
| Regions | No region choice. | 17 regions. |
| Scheduled jobs | Scheduled jobs: a command or HTTP request on a cron schedule (any time zone) or interval, with retries and run history (`ample job create`). | No built-in cron; scheduled machines or a cron process inside the app. |
| Agent access | CLI, remote MCP server (OAuth), A2A endpoint and agent skills. Deploys are synchronous and return JSON with an exit code: 0 live, 1 failed, 2 needs input. | An experimental local MCP server (`fly mcp server`); separate Sprites product of persistent sandboxes for agents. |
| Agent signup without a person | Yes. `ample auth signup` creates an account with no browser, card or CAPTCHA; a person claims it by email within 48 hours. | No. The trial and Sprites both start with account signup. |

Competitor facts come from that company's own pricing pages and documentation, checked on the date shown in the sources. Plans change; follow the source links for current numbers.

## Choose Ample when

- You want to deploy from source with no Dockerfile or machine configuration.
- You need a free plan and a hard spending cap rather than open-ended pay-as-you-go.
- The app needs MySQL or MongoDB, or a small Postgres without a $38 minimum.
- An agent should sign up and deploy on its own and read failures as JSON.

## Choose Fly.io when

- You want to place machines in specific regions near your users.
- You ship Docker images or need low-level control of machine size, process groups and networking.
- You need UDP, raw TCP services or a private WireGuard network between apps.

## Move a Fly.io app to Ample

1. **Read fly.toml and the Dockerfile.** The start command is in the Dockerfile `CMD` or in `[processes]`; the release step is `[deploy] release_command`. Ample builds from source, so note any system packages the Dockerfile installs.

2. **Collect secrets.** Gather secret values from where you keep them; put them in a local env file outside git.

3. **Plan and deploy.** Pass the release command so migrations run before the new release goes live.

   ```sh
   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --env-file .env.production --release-command "<release command>"
   ```

4. **Move data.** Dump Fly Managed Postgres through `fly mpg proxy` and `pg_dump --no-owner --no-acl`, restore into Ample, and copy objects with any S3 tool.

5. **Point your domain.** Add the domain to the app, update DNS to the target Ample prints, and keep the old app running until the new one answers on the domain.

   ```sh
   ample domain add <app-name> www.example.com
   ```

## Frequently asked questions

### Are Ample and Fly.io built the same way?

Both run each app in its own microVM. Ample adds source builds with no Dockerfile, automatic database provisioning, a free plan with a hard cap, and agent signup on top.

### Can I choose a region on Ample?

No. If region placement matters, Fly.io is the better fit today.

### Does Ample need a Dockerfile?

No. Ample detects Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Elixir, Rust and static sites from the repository and builds them. It does not run Dockerfile instructions.

## Sources

- [Ample pricing and plan limits](https://ample.computer/pricing) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Ample agent instructions (AGENTS.md)](https://ample.computer/AGENTS.md) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io pricing](https://docs.fly.io/about/pricing) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io free trial](https://docs.fly.io/about/free-trial) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io cost management](https://docs.fly.io/about/cost-management) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly Machines](https://fly.io/machines/) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io app configuration](https://docs.fly.io/reference/configuration) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io autostop and autostart](https://docs.fly.io/launch/autostop-autostart) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io suspend and resume](https://docs.fly.io/reference/suspend-resume) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io languages and frameworks](https://docs.fly.io/languages-and-frameworks/) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly Managed Postgres](https://docs.fly.io/mpg/) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io Upstash Redis](https://docs.fly.io/upstash/redis) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io volumes](https://docs.fly.io/volumes/overview) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io custom domains](https://docs.fly.io/networking/custom-domain) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io regions](https://docs.fly.io/reference/regions) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io task scheduling](https://docs.fly.io/blueprints/task-scheduling) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io MCP server](https://docs.fly.io/flyctl/mcp-server) (checked 2026-10-14)
- [Fly.io Sprites](https://fly.io/sprites) (checked 2026-10-14)

## Other comparisons

- [Ample vs Railway: which is better for deploying apps from coding agents?](https://ample.computer/compare/railway)
- [Ample vs Render: which is better for apps deployed by coding agents?](https://ample.computer/compare/render)
- [Ample vs Heroku: where should a Heroku app move in 2026?](https://ample.computer/compare/heroku)