Fly
Give your agent a real computer with hardware isolation, persistent disk, automatic checkpointing, and pay-as-you-go pricing. Zero cost when idle.
Editor's Verdict
Key Takeaways
- Hardware-Isolated VMs
- Sprite Block Device
- Automatic Checkpointing
- Sprites Connectors
In-Depth Review: What is Fly?
Fly.io offers Sprites, real hardware-isolated Linux VMs for agents, coding tools, and deployments. Features include object-storage-backed filesystems, auto-scaling, zero-downtime deploys, global regions (18+), <1s boot times, and connectors for services like GitHub or Slack. Ideal for building and running AI agents, MCP servers, or agent-built apps with minimal management.
Core Features
Hardware-Isolated VMs
Real hardware-isolated Linux computers for agents, evals, and tools, ensuring strong security and isolation.
Sprite Block Device
Object-storage-backed persistent filesystem that is infinitely scalable, allows checkpoint rollback in seconds, and eliminates SDK or object-store gymnastics.
Automatic Checkpointing
The Sprite automatically checkpoints itself, ensuring a recent snapshot is always available for recovery or rollback.
Sprites Connectors
Securely connect services (e.g., OpenRouter, GitHub, Slack) without exposing credentials on the Sprite, with granular permissions and auto key rotation.
No Disk Sizing
Disk grows up to 100 GB as you write, and you are billed only for the bytes used, with no pre-provisioning required.
Zero Idle Cost
The bill goes to zero when no one is using the Sprite, making it cost-effective for intermittent workloads.
Global Regions & Fast Boot
18+ regions worldwide, machine boot time under 1 second, deploy time typically 500ms, and 99.9% uptime SLA.
Pricing
Pay-as-You-Go Infrastructure
- Micro VMs and persistent storage
- Private networking
- Unlimited users per organization
- Unlimited organizations
- Aggregated billing across organizations
- SSO authentication
- ACLs and narrowly scoped tokens
- FlyCTL CLI
Serious Support
- Access to dedicated support engineers
Compliance Made Easy
- HIPAA compliance
- SOC2 reports
- BAA signing
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Hardware-Level IsolationEach Sprite runs on dedicated hardware, providing strong security and isolation for sensitive workloads like AI agents and untrusted code.
- Persistent & Scalable StorageThe Sprite Block Device is object-storage-backed, infinitely scalable, and allows fast checkpoint rollback without manual management.
- Cost-Effective for Intermittent UseCharges drop to zero when the Sprite is idle, making it ideal for agents and tools that run occasionally.
- Secure Credential ManagementSprites Connectors keep tokens off the machine, with granular permissions and automatic key rotation, reducing security risks.
- Global Infrastructure with High Availability18+ regions, sub-second boot times, and 99.9% uptime SLA ensure reliable performance worldwide.
Cons
- Limited to Linux EnvironmentsSprites are Linux-based, which may not suit all workflows or require additional configuration for non-Linux tools.
- Learning Curve for Non-DevelopersThe platform is designed for developers and may be complex for non-technical users to set up and manage.
- No Free Tier for SupportDedicated support costs $29/month; free users rely on community support and documentation.
- Compliance Features at Extra CostHIPAA and SOC2 compliance require an additional $99/month plan, which may be a barrier for smaller teams.
- Dependency on Platform EcosystemSprites are tightly integrated with Fly.io; migrating to another provider could require significant rework.
Use Cases & Recommended Professions
AI Agent Developer→ View Toolkit
Builds autonomous coding agents or personal assistants that need isolated, durable environments with checkpointing and secure credential storage.
Software Engineer (DevOps/Backend)→ View Toolkit
Requires scalable, hardware-isolated VMs for microservices, CI/CD pipelines, and zero-downtime deployments without managing infrastructure.
Security Engineer→ View Toolkit
Runs untrusted code or third-party integrations in hardware-isolated VMs with egress locking and clean per-request baselines to prevent data leaks.
AI/ML Researcher→ View Toolkit
Needs persistent, scalable environments for training evals, running experiments, and storing large datasets without manual disk management.
MCP Server Administrator→ View Toolkit
Deploys and manages multiple MCP servers in isolated VMs with persistent disk and granular egress policies, paying only for tool calls used.
Founder/Startup CTO→ View Toolkit
Seeks a platform that scales from side project to production without rewriting infrastructure, with predictable usage-based billing and global reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
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ℹ️ Curation Disclosure: The overview and features of Fly were synthesized using AI and fact-checked by our curation team to ensure accuracy.