Compare / Fly.io Machines vs Linode Shared CPU
Fly.io Machines vs Linode Shared CPU
Pre-calculated from hand-checked data — Fly.io checked 2026-08-01, Akamai Linode checked 2026-08-01.
The short version
Fly.io Machines wins more of our comparison points, but Linode Shared CPU still fits if developers who want a proven, boring VPS with cheap bandwidth describes you.
Price Fly.io Machines
Fly.io Machines is cheaper at every stage we model — about $12/mo even for a growing project.
Ease Fly.io Machines
Fly.io Machines is easier to get running: fly launch builds the image and deploys it; configuration lives in fly.toml and the flyctl CLI.
Control Linode Shared CPU
Linode Shared CPU gives you more control over the stack — the flip side of the convenience trade.
Features Fly.io Machines
Fly.io Machines comes out ahead on 6 of the 15 features we track, versus 2.
What developers say about this matchup
We couldn't find a substantive first-person discussion comparing this exact pair. We leave the section empty instead of filling it with vendor marketing or generic SEO comparisons.
At a glance
| Fly.io Machines | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Dockerized apps that want low cost, fine control, or multi-region placement. | Developers who want a proven, boring VPS with cheap bandwidth. |
| How deploys work | fly launch builds the image and deploys it; configuration lives in fly.toml and the flyctl CLI. | You get root on a Linux server; the Marketplace offers one-click apps for common stacks. |
| The tradeoff | You operate more of the stack yourself — especially the database. | Fully self-managed, with a smaller ecosystem than DigitalOcean's tutorials and tooling. |
| Free tier | None | None |
What you'd realistically pay
| Project stage | Fly.io Machines | Linode Shared CPU | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just starting | ≈$3/mo shared-cpu-1x, 256 MB | ≈$5/mo Nanode 1GB | Fly.io Machines |
| Steady traffic | ≈$6/mo shared-cpu-1x, 1 GB | ≈$12/mo Linode 2GB | Fly.io Machines |
| Growing | ≈$12/mo Two 1 GB Machines | ≈$24/mo Two Linode 2GB | Fly.io Machines |
Our ratings
Ease of use Fly.io Machines
Pricing clarity Linode Shared CPU
Free tier
Scaling Fly.io Machines
Control Linode Shared CPU
Feature by feature
Fly.io Machines wins 6, Linode Shared CPU wins 2, with 7 even.
Deploy workflow
| Fly.io Machines | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy from Git push | Partial No native git integration; the documented path is flyctl in GitHub Actions. | No No deploy pipeline — bring your own CI or scripts. |
| Preview deploys | Partial PR apps work via the official GitHub Action, not out of the box. | No Nothing built in. |
| Official CLI | Yes flyctl does everything: launch, deploy, scale, ssh, logs. | Yes linode-cli covers instances, volumes, and DNS. |
| Instant rollbacks | Partial Redeploy any previous image; no one-click dashboard rollback. | Partial Backups and images restore machines; no deploy-level rollback. |
Platform
| Fly.io Machines | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom domains + HTTPS | Yes Custom domains with free managed certificates. | Yes Free DNS manager; TLS on the box is yours via certbot. |
| Built-in CDN / edge network | Partial Anycast routing sends users to the nearest region, but there is no static-asset CDN. | No Akamai CDN exists as a separate enterprise product; nothing bundled. |
| Serverless functions | No Machines are micro-VMs, not functions. | No Not a VPS feature. |
| Docker containers | Yes A Docker image is the deployment unit. | Yes Docker Marketplace app or install it yourself. |
| SSH / shell access | Yes fly ssh console opens a shell in any running Machine. | Yes Full root SSH, plus a web-based LISH console. |
| EU hosting region | Yes Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, London, and more. | Yes Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and more at US prices. |
Runtime & operations
| Fly.io Machines | Linode Shared CPU | |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic scaling | Yes Machines autostart and autostop with traffic; scale counts per region. | No Manual resizing only. |
| Scale to zero | Yes Stopped Machines cost only their storage. | No Servers bill while they exist on the account. |
| Scheduled jobs | Partial Scheduled Machines run on fixed intervals; full cron needs a workaround. | Yes Classic cron on the box. |
| Managed database | Partial Fly Postgres is automated-but-unmanaged; managed options come from partners like Supabase and Upstash. | Yes Akamai Managed Databases (Postgres, MySQL) sold separately. |
| Logs & metrics built in | Yes Built-in metrics (Grafana), live logs, and log shipping. | Partial Longview basic metrics free for a few servers; app logs are yours. |
Watch out for
Fly.io
- New pay-as-you-go organizations get no free allowance.
- Fly Postgres is explicitly unmanaged: automated but not a managed database service — backups and failover are your responsibility.
- Per-second compute plus $0.02/GB egress makes bills variable; prices differ by region.
Akamai Linode
- Charges accrue while a server exists on the account, powered on or off.
- Transfer allowances are prorated for partial months.
- Some regions (Jakarta, São Paulo) carry documented higher prices.
Read the full reviews: Fly.io and Akamai Linode. Or answer four questions to see what fits your project.