What can't Fly.io handle that needs Kubernetes?

Stateful services like databases. No operator access means manual scaling, backups—total ops hell.

Is k3s good for production on-prem clusters?

Yes, if you're vigilant. Lightweight, full K8s API. Thousands run it at edge. Just monitor your VMs.

How much does on-premise Kubernetes really cost?

Hardware + time. Free VMs? Zilch. Buy mini-PCs? $200-500 upfront, pennies monthly.

Fly.io to On-Prem Kubernetes: When Free VMs Beat Cloud Hype

Everyone figured cloud platforms like Fly.io were the no-brainer for apps. Then reality hit: stateful services demand real Kubernetes control. This dev went on-prem—and slashed costs to zilch.

theAIcatchup Apr 10, 2026 3 min read

Journey diagram from Fly.io cloud to on-premise k3s Kubernetes cluster with ScyllaDB and NATS

⚡ Key Takeaways

Managed platforms like Fly.io cripple stateful services without Kubernetes operator access. 𝕏
On-prem k3s delivers full control and zero costs if you have hardware access. 𝕏
Cloud hype ignores ops reality—hybrid stacks (Vercel + self-hosted) often win. 𝕏

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theAIcatchup

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#Fly.io #Fly.io limitations #Kubernetes #k3s #k3s cluster #on-premise #on-premise Kubernetes #stateful services

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Originally reported by dev.to

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