Hosting
Heroku
Managed application platform built around deployable dynos, data services, pipelines and add-ons.
What it is
Heroku is a proprietary platform as a service that builds and runs applications in managed dyno containers, with pipelines, logs, data products and marketplace add-ons. Eco provides 1,000 shared personal-account dyno hours for $5 monthly and sleeps inactive web apps; Basic and larger dynos are usage-prorated up to published monthly caps. Dyno filesystems are ephemeral, so durable state belongs in databases or object storage. Compute, data services, add-ons, CI, support and private networking must be costed together.
Key features
Managed dynos
Runs isolated application processes with platform-managed cycling and replacement.
Release workflow
Builds deployable releases and supports pipelines, review apps and one-off administrative processes.
Data and add-ons
Attaches Heroku data products and third-party marketplace services to applications.
Runtime tiers
Offers sleeping personal Eco dynos through always-on production and isolated Private/Shield options.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- Managed runtime: Heroku handles container placement, restarts and underlying operating-system administration.
- Simple release model: Source or container deployments, configuration variables and one-off commands support repeatable application delivery.
- Integrated ecosystem: Pipelines, review apps, Postgres, Key-Value Store and marketplace add-ons reduce integration work.
- Granular billing: Most dynos and data add-ons are prorated to the second up to a monthly maximum.
Where it falls short
- No general free compute tier: Eco costs $5 monthly, is personal-app only and can exhaust its shared hour pool.
- Eco cold starts: Inactive web dynos sleep after 30 minutes and wake with a delay.
- Ephemeral local disk: Files written at runtime disappear across restarts, deploys or dyno replacement.
- Stacked cost: Production dynos, databases, add-ons, CI, teams and support can materially exceed the headline compute price.
Who it is for
Application teams willing to pay for managed delivery and operations instead of controlling raw servers.
Our verdict
Heroku remains useful when reduced platform work is worth the premium; validate build/runtime compatibility, externalize every durable file, load-test the chosen dynos and database, and model the complete monthly stack before production.
Closest alternatives we track
Same category, ordered by verified starting price.
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What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.No
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.Yes
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Official sources reviewedReviewed: 2026-08-24
- Heroku — Dynos ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: managed application containers, current Eco Basic Standard and Performance prices, sleep behavior, production positioning, Private and Shield availability
- Heroku Dev Center — Eco hours ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: $5 monthly plan, 1,000 shared hours, personal-app restriction, 30-minute inactivity sleep, worker behavior, hour exhaustion, no extra-hour purchase, review-app and CI consumption
- Heroku Dev Center — How Heroku works ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: dyno manager, container cycling, one-off dynos, ephemeral filesystem, stateless architecture, shared durable services
- Heroku Dev Center — Usage and billing ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: per-second proration, monthly price caps, current dyno prices, data add-on billing, review-app usage, resource deletion risk
- Heroku Dev Center — Platform limits ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: dyno scaling limits, Eco concurrency, API limits, log-history boundary, memory enforcement
- Heroku Dev Center — Regions ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: Common Runtime and Private Space regions, single-region app placement, add-on region dependency, control-plane residency caveat
Limit: Official Heroku product and Dev Center pages were reviewed; ToolCompare did not create an account, deploy an app, benchmark cold starts or dynos, inspect every buildpack and stack, run a database, test backups or failover, calculate add-on/support/Enterprise quotes, validate SSO configuration, or audit compliance and residency. Prices and limits may change after the review date.