Canner vs. Fly.io
Fly.io runs your Docker app as fast microVMs close to users — Toronto included. It's still a US corporation.
Fly is a superb low-level platform for globally-distributed apps. If you want managed simplicity — Postgres, cron, object storage and analytics included — under Canadian law and Canadian ownership, that's Canner.
- Fly deploys any Docker image as microVMs across 35+ regions, Toronto included. Canner runs a single Quebec region with a managed, batteries-included build.
- Fly.io is US-incorporated (Delaware). Even with a machine in Toronto, the parent company is subject to the CLOUD Act. Canner has no US affiliate of any kind.
- Fly is usage-priced in USD and leans DIY — you assemble Postgres, cron and storage yourself. Canner is flat CAD with those included.
- Both ship a CLI and REST API; Canner adds an MCP server for AI agents, plus a built-in SQL data workspace and cookieless analytics Fly doesn't offer.
| Feature | Canner | Fly.io |
|---|---|---|
| Data location | Montreal, Quebec — sole region | 35+ regions incl. Toronto (YYZ) |
| Canadian region | Yes (sole, Montreal) | Yes (Toronto, optional) |
| Company jurisdiction | 100% Canadian-owned | Delaware (US) corporation |
| CLOUD Act exposure | Not subject | Subject — US incorporation |
| Setup model | Managed — detect, build, deploy, TLS automatic | Low-level — you configure machines & services |
| Currency and billing | CAD; flat per account | USD; usage-based |
| Cheapest paid path | CA$0 Starter, CA$9 / month (Live) | Usage-based, ~US$2+/mo per machine |
| Managed Postgres | Included, one per project, every tier | Fly Postgres (self-managed) or partners |
| Scheduled jobs (cron) | Built-in — 5 on Live, unlimited on Dedicated | No first-class cron (DIY in-container) |
| SQL data workspace | Built-in Data Workshop (DuckDB SQL over your files) + scheduled SQL against your Postgres | No equivalent |
| Cookieless analytics | Built-in, cookieless — no consent banner | No built-in web analytics |
| Object storage | Included — S3-style, from Starter up | Tigris (partner, S3-compatible) |
| Languages & runtimes | Node, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Rust, static & Vite | Any Docker / OCI image |
| CLI, REST API & MCP | CLI, REST API (OpenAPI 3.1) + MCP server for AI agents | flyctl + Machines API; no MCP server |
| Energy source | Hydro-Québec grid — over 99% renewable | Varies by region |
When Canner is the right call
Fly's Toronto region gives you data residency, but not sovereignty: a US court order under the CLOUD Act still reaches a Delaware corporation wherever the machine runs. And Fly is deliberately low-level — you wire up Postgres, cron, storage and TLS yourself. Canner is the managed, Canadian-owned counterpart: one Quebec region, no US legal hook, and Postgres, cron, object storage and analytics already included.
When Fly.io still makes sense
If you need to place compute in many regions to cut latency for a global audience, run arbitrary Docker or OCI images with low-level control, scale machines to zero, or reach for GPUs, Fly is a more direct fit than a single-region managed platform. Their microVM model and multi-region networking go further than we intend to — Canner is deliberately one region, one country.
Ready to give it a try?
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