DigitalOcean vs Fly.io:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Fly.io had more branded searches than DigitalOcean among developer hosting platforms worldwide. Fly.io had about 2,900 branded searches, while DigitalOcean had 10. Fly.io made up 0.05% of all developer hosting platform searches we track, and DigitalOcean accounted for <0.01%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about developer hosting platforms, DigitalOcean and Fly.io each appeared in two of the five answers. DigitalOcean was mentioned before Fly.io in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Fly.io, about 290 searches for every 1 for DigitalOcean
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
DigitalOcean, named ahead of Fly.io in 2 of 3 answers
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Top developer hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, DigitalOcean was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Fly.io was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. DigitalOcean was listed before Fly.io in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Vercel4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Render4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Railway4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Netlify2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Fly.io2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- DigitalOcean2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Heroku1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about developer hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which developer hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best developer hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best developer hosting platform for a web app?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best hosting platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“web app hosting”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is DigitalOcean or Fly.io more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for DigitalOcean and Fly.io by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven developer hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Fly.io, DigitalOcean. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Netlify | Vercel | Heroku | Render | Fly.io | Railway | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.7% | 50.9% | 6.9% | 0.41% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.2% | 51.5% | 5.7% | 0.42% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.7% | 52.1% | 4.7% | 0.35% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.6% | 52.3% | 4.7% | 0.28% | 0.13% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.2% | 52.7% | 3.9% | 0.19% | 0.1% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.7% | 53.4% | 2.6% | 0.16% | 0.1% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.9% | 53.7% | 2.2% | 0.16% | 0.07% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 48.9% | 48.9% | 2% | 0.14% | 0.08% | <0.01% | 0% |
| Jun 2026 | 48.8% | 48.8% | 2% | 0.26% | 0.08% | <0.01% | 0% |
| Jul 2026 | 49.1% | 49.1% | 1.6% | 0.14% | 0.08% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 49.2% | 49.2% | 1.3% | 0.22% | 0.05% | <0.01% | 0% |
| Sep 2026 | 49.3% | 49.3% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.05% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the DigitalOcean and Fly.io comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Fly.io was ahead of DigitalOcean in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DigitalOcean’s share of searches among developer hosting platforms worldwide held steady at <0.01%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 10.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fly.io’s share of searches among developer hosting platforms worldwide moved from 0.12% to 0.05%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.9K.
How did search popularity change for developer hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither DigitalOcean nor Fly.io moved beyond provider rounding among developer hosting platforms in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DigitalOcean’s and Fly.io’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
DigitalOcean
1 branded search term
- cloud storage digitalocean
Fly.io
1 branded search term
- flyio
Other head-to-heads among developer hosting platforms
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