multicornLesson 1 of 6
Choosing a hosting platform
Compare Vercel, Netlify, and Fly.io and pick a path that matches what you built in Course 2.
By the end: You know which platform to use first, with Vercel as the default for a frontend app you built in Course 2.
You finished Course 2 with an app that runs on your computer. When you close the browser, it stops. When you close your laptop, it stops. Other people cannot see it.
A hosting platform is a company that runs your app on their computers so it is always on and anyone with the link can use it. They charge you (sometimes nothing, sometimes a little) and in return they handle the hard parts: keeping your app online, giving it a URL, and making sure the connection is secure.
Three platforms cover almost every app a person might build in Course 2. You do not need to compare every feature. You need to pick one and start.
Fly.io is your platform
You are on the Fly.io path. This one is different from the other two.
Fly.io runs backend services. If you built an API, a database-backed service, or something that needs to keep running in the background (not just serve web pages), Fly.io is the right fit. It gives your app a real server in a data centre close to you and keeps it running 24 hours a day.
Why Fly.io for you:
- It is designed for apps that run continuously. A web form that posts to a backend needs that backend to be awake when the form is submitted.
- It has a free tier for small apps. You will usually fit inside it for a first project.
- HTTPS is on by default. You do not configure it.
- It uses a command line tool called
flyctlinstead of a visual dashboard for most actions. If you chose Fly.io in the picker, you said terminals are fine.
What you get:
A public URL like your-app.fly.dev that works from any browser in the world. You will connect a custom domain in Lesson 4.
What to expect in the next lessons:
Lesson 2 walks through the exact deploy steps using flyctl. Lesson 3 shows you how to set secrets with fly secrets set. Lesson 4 connects a domain you own. Lesson 5 is reading Fly.io logs when something goes wrong.
Curious about other platforms?
Curious about Netlify or Fly.io?
Netlify is the closest alternative to Vercel. Same general model (connect GitHub, auto-deploy, HTTPS included), slightly more free bandwidth, a dashboard some people prefer. If you ever outgrow Vercel or want to try something different, you can redeploy the same project on Netlify in under an hour.
Fly.io is a different kind of platform. It runs backend services that need to stay awake. If your next project is an API, a bot, or something that needs a database, Fly.io is the tool for that job. It is not a replacement for Vercel for frontend apps.
Curious about Vercel or Fly.io?
Vercel is the closest alternative to Netlify. Same general model (connect GitHub, auto-deploy, HTTPS included). It is what Multicorn itself runs on. If you ever want to try it, you can redeploy the same project on Vercel in under an hour.
Fly.io is a different kind of platform. It runs backend services that need to stay awake. If your next project is an API, a bot, or something that needs a database, Fly.io is the tool for that job. It is not a replacement for Netlify for frontend apps.
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