Deplane vs Vercel, Fly.io, Render, Railway and Heroku.
They are all good platforms, built for different jobs. Here is where Deplane is different, where it is the same, and where another platform may fit you better.
| Deplane | Vercel | Fly.io | Render | Railway | Heroku | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isolation | ||||||
| How customer code is isolated | A microVM per app, build and database (Kata Containers), each with its own kernel | Serverless functions | Firecracker microVMs | Containers | Containers | Dynos (containers) |
| Builds isolated from running apps | Yes, in their own microVMs | Yes | Yes | Containers | Containers | Containers |
| What you can run | ||||||
| Long-running servers and WebSockets | Yes | Functions with time limits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Background workers and cron jobs | Yes, built in | Cron jobs; queues as a product | Yes, configured by you | Yes | Yes | Workers; cron via an add-on |
| Managed Postgres | Yes, Postgres 17 in its own microVM, with point-in-time restore | Through Marketplace partners | Yes, Managed Postgres | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Developer experience | ||||||
| Builds without config files | Yes | Yes, for supported frameworks | Generates a config on launch | Build and start commands | Yes | Buildpacks |
| Pull request previews | Yes | Yes | Via GitHub Actions | Yes | Yes | Review apps |
| Full dashboard: deploy, logs, metrics, settings | Yes | Yes | Yes, CLI-first | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI assistant that reads your apps and acts on confirm | Yes, in beta; every change needs your Confirm | Vercel Agent | No | No | No | No |
| Infrastructure | ||||||
| Where it runs | Deplane's own data centers in Europe | Mainly AWS | Own hardware in many regions | Mainly AWS and Google Cloud | Own hardware and public clouds | AWS |
| Regions today | Europe (Germany) | Global edge, functions in many regions | Many regions worldwide | US, Europe, Asia | US, Europe, Asia | US and Europe |
| Dedicated servers and your own cluster | On the roadmap: dedicated servers; own cluster in 2027 | Enterprise options | Enterprise options | Enterprise options | Enterprise options | Private Spaces |
| Price | ||||||
| Paid plans start at | Free beta today; Pro planned at $15 / month, with 2 GB running | $20 per user / month, plus usage | Usage-based, per machine | From about $7 per instance, plus workspace plans | From $5 / month, plus usage | From $5 (Eco) or $7 (Basic) per dyno |
Based on each provider's public documentation in October 2026. Plans and features change often, so check their pricing pages. If something here is out of date, tell us at support@deplane.cloud and we will fix it.
When to choose Deplane, and when not to.
We would rather you pick the right platform than the wrong one twice.
Choose Deplane when your app is more than a front-end.
Servers that stay up, WebSockets, queues, cron jobs and Postgres, all next to each other, each in its own microVM, at one flat price instead of a price per seat.
Vercel may be better for front-ends rendered at the edge worldwide, and for teams who want the tightest Next.js integration, from the company that makes Next.js.
Choose Deplane when you want microVM isolation without the setup.
Same strong isolation, no config files to write. A full dashboard, Postgres attached in one click with point-in-time restore, previews for pull requests, and an assistant (in beta) that operates your apps with you.
Fly.io may be better when you need your app close to users in many regions around the world today, or want low-level control over machines.
Choose Deplane when isolation matters.
Render runs services in containers. Deplane gives every app, build and database its own virtual machine, which matters most when you run code you did not write line by line.
Render may be better when you need regions in the US or Asia today, or its wider range of managed services.
Choose Deplane when you want predictable plans and data in Europe.
Planned fixed monthly plans with included memory, servers in our own European data centers, and a planned path to dedicated servers when you grow.
Railway may be better if you like its visual project canvas, or need its template marketplace and wider choice of databases.
Choose Deplane when you want Heroku's simplicity, built today.
Push to deploy, without buildpack quirks. Apps sleep only if you turn it on, and wake on the next request. Each app in its own microVM, passkey login, metrics and alerts built in, and a modern CLI made for scripts and agents.
Heroku may be better when you depend on its add-on marketplace, or on Salesforce integrations.
Choose Deplane when you would rather ship than run infrastructure.
No clusters, load balancers, IAM policies or certificates to look after. And when you grow, Deplane can give you your own servers instead of sending you off to build a platform.
A hyperscaler may be better when you need hundreds of managed services or a global footprint in every region.
Switching takes an afternoon.
If your app runs on any of these platforms, it already listens on a port and reads its settings from environment variables. That is all Deplane needs.
Deploy the same code
Run deplane launch in the project, or connect the GitHub repository. No Dockerfile or config file needed; yours is used if you have one.
Bring your variables and data
Set your variables with deplane secrets set, create a Postgres database, and restore a pg_dump into it.
Point your domain
Add the domain, set one DNS record, and the certificate is issued for you. Keep the old platform running until you are happy.
Try it on a real app.
The quickest comparison is your own code. Request access and deploy something you already run elsewhere.