The deciding difference is operational: Docker Compose can run on infrastructure you control, Fly.io cannot. If that constraint is real for you, it settles the choice before anything else is considered.
One file, one box, everything local. The honest starting point.
The generated docker-compose.yml below is runnable as-is.
Long-running containers close to users, without owning a Kubernetes cluster.
| Docker Compose | Fly.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Open source | Proprietary |
| Pricing | open source | usage based |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Languages | Any language | Any language |
| Install | — | brew install flyctl |
| Keys required | None | None |
The deciding difference is operational: Docker Compose can run on infrastructure you control, Fly.io cannot. If that constraint is real for you, it settles the choice before anything else is considered. Docker Compose: One file, one box, everything local. The honest starting point. Fly.io: Long-running containers close to users, without owning a Kubernetes cluster.
Docker Compose can run on your own infrastructure. Fly.io is a hosted service only.
Docker Compose is open source (open source). Fly.io is proprietary (usage based).
Every page here answers to Accept: text/markdown and returns the same content at roughly a tenth the tokens. No separate site, no toggle — same URL.
curl -s -H "Accept: text/markdown" https://newagent.build/compare/docker-compose-vs-fly