---
title: "Fly.io vs while: the French alternative for your AI agent"
url: https://while.sh/en/comparisons/while-vs-fly/
author: "Grégoire Mougeolle, co-founder of Nextmap"
updated: 2026-11-02
---

# Fly.io vs while: which one to choose when your AI agent deploys?

Fly.io runs your apps as close as possible to your users, anywhere in the world. With while, your AI agent deploys everything over MCP, database included, and sensitive actions wait for you.

## What changes between Fly.io and while

| What matters | Fly.io | while |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Apps that must run close to their users, all over the world | People who build their apps with an AI agent, solo or as a team |
| Your AI agent | An MCP server in beta, with fine-grained permissions, that manages without deploying: it deploys with the command line (source 5) | Connected over MCP, with OAuth: it deploys, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things |
| What protects production | Permissions by organization, by app and by operation (source 5) | Sensitive actions, like deleting a production database, wait for a person |
| The database | Managed PostgreSQL, from $38 per month (source 3) | PostgreSQL in while, backed up every day, with point-in-time recovery |
| In France | Yes for apps, not for the managed database (sources 2 and 3) | Yes, with Nextmap, a French company |
| To get started | Usage-based, with no lasting free tier (source 4) | A trial without an account. Then €0 to get started, and €13.75 per month for an app and its database |

## Fly.io, your apps as close as possible to your users

Fly.io runs your apps in many regions around the world, billed by the second (sources 2 and 4). Its MCP server gives your agent fine-grained permissions, by app and by operation (source 5).

## With while, your AI agent does the rest

- **Your agent deploys, over MCP.** It writes while.yaml, creates the database, reads the logs and fixes things, with no command line to learn.
- **Nothing serious happens without you.** Deleting a production database waits for your approval, before it runs, and every action is recorded in a signed activity log.
- **Your keys stay secret.** Your app uses them, your agent never sees them.
- **Your colleagues sign in with the company account.** Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, on the Pro plan, with no sign-in page to code.
- **A mistake is quickly undone.** In the 30 minutes after a deployment, the previous version comes back in a second, and your database goes back to a precise moment.

## Moving from Fly.io to while

### Take over your app

> You, to your agent: Move our Fly.io app to while.

Your agent writes while.yaml from your code. A Node.js, Python or Go app starts without a Dockerfile, the others with yours.

### Copy your PostgreSQL database

> You, to your agent: Copy our PostgreSQL database to while.

Your agent exports the database with `pg_dump`, then loads it into while.

### Carry over your variables

> You, to your agent: Carry over our environment variables.

Your agent carries your settings over to while. You enter your secret keys yourself: it never sees them.

## Which one to choose

- **Choose Fly.io** if your users are all over the world and every millisecond counts.
- **Choose while** if your AI agent deploys your apps, and you want to stay in control without reviewing every command, with your data in France.

## Next steps

- [Deploy a Docker container](/en/guides/deploy-docker-container/)

## Sources

1. [Fly.io, the MCP server](https://docs.fly.io/model-context-protocol/setup-agent.md), 2026-11-02
2. [Fly.io, regions](https://docs.fly.io/reference/regions.md), 2026-11-02
3. [Fly.io, Managed Postgres](https://docs.fly.io/postgres/index.md), 2026-11-02
4. [Fly.io, pricing](https://docs.fly.io/about/pricing.md), 2026-11-02
5. [Fly.io, the hosted MCP server](https://mcp.fly.io/), 2026-11-02

## Questions

### Does Fly.io have a region in France?

Yes for apps, but its managed PostgreSQL database isn't offered there (sources 2 and 3). On while, the app and its database are in France.

### Can my agent deploy through the Fly.io MCP server?

Not through the Fly.io MCP server, which manages and monitors: your agent deploys with the command line, flyctl (source 5). On while, your agent deploys over MCP.

### How much for an app and its database?

On Fly.io, the managed database starts at $38 per month (source 3). On while, €13.75 per month for an app and its database.