Weighing a self-hosted Fly.io alternative? These two aren't really the same shape. Fly.io is a hosted platform that runs your app on a global edge — Fly Machines spin up close to your users and autoscale on demand, usage-priced, on Fly's infrastructure. AppCrane isn't chasing edge distribution: it's a single server you own, with flat, predictable cost, full data ownership, and an agent-first workflow where an AI agent drives deploys over MCP — plus enterprise SSO, RBAC, and audit. Here's the honest comparison.
| AppCrane | Fly.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Self-hosted, 1 box | Fly cloud / edge |
| Data ownership | ✓ yours | ✗ on Fly |
| Global edge distribution | ✗ single box | ✓ |
| Elastic autoscaling | ~ box capacity | ✓ |
| Agent / MCP-native control | ✓ | ✗ |
| Enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC/SCIM) | ✓ | ~ |
| RBAC + per-user audit | ✓ | ~ |
| Secret hard-wall (operator can't read) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Docker container isolation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Whole-system + scheduled S3 backup | ✓ | ~ |
| Open source / license | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Pricing model | Flat — your server | Usage-priced |
| No vendor lock-in | ✓ | ✗ |
Fly.io is excellent at what it does, and it genuinely wins where global reach matters. Choose it when the edge is the point.
AppCrane is the self-hosted Fly.io alternative for teams that want one box they own, a predictable bill, and an AI agent doing the driving — not global edge.
A single Ubuntu server you control with a flat, known monthly cost — no usage meter, no surprise bills. Your data and model API keys never leave your infrastructure.
An AI agent drives 35 appcrane_* MCP tools via npx appcrane-mcp — create apps, deploy sandbox to prod, read logs, manage secrets. Fly.io has no MCP-native control.
SAML/OIDC/SCIM SSO, four-role RBAC, per-user audit, and a secret hard-wall the operator can't bypass — on open-source (AGPL-3.0) software with no proprietary cloud to be trapped in.
Yes. Fly.io runs your apps on its global edge (Fly Machines) on Fly's infrastructure. AppCrane runs on a single Ubuntu server you own, with flat cost, data ownership, agent-first MCP control, and enterprise SSO, RBAC, per-user audit, and a secret hard-wall.
Global edge and autoscale. Fly runs your app close to users across many regions and scales Machines automatically. If low global latency and elastic autoscaling are the priority, Fly.io is the stronger pick — AppCrane is a single box and doesn't compete on edge.
Fly.io is usage-priced and scales with the machines and resources you run. AppCrane costs the flat, predictable price of the single server you already run — no usage meter.
Yes. AppCrane installs on a single Ubuntu server you own and control, so your data and model API keys never leave your infrastructure. Fly.io runs your apps on Fly's infrastructure.
One command on your own Ubuntu server. Your infra, your data, your keys.
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gitayg/appCrane/main/install.sh | sudo bash
View AppCrane on GitHub ↗
Comparison reflects typical default capabilities as of mid-2026; every product evolves, so verify specifics against each vendor's current docs. "~" marks features that exist but require add-ons, a higher tier, or extra configuration.