Heroku review
Choose Heroku when your small team wants managed app deployment with buildpacks, containers and automation tools. Watch the complete running cost, because the app plan leaves managed databases and other services to be budgeted separately.
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Score breakdown
Scores come from one formula for every app platform host, explained on our methodology page.
Plans and the true 3-year price
| Plan | vCPU / RAM / Disk | Monthly | Renews at | 3-year cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco | 0.5 GB | $5 | $5 | $180 |
| Basic | 0.5 GB | $7 | $7 | $252 |
| Standard-1X | 0.5 GB | $25 | $25 | $900 |
Providers change prices often, and we regularly verify prices against their own pricing pages, though small differences from current prices are possible. Prices checked 10 Oct 2026. Excluding tax.
Who it's for
Pick it if
- You want managed app deployment through buildpacks or containers
- You need CLI, API and Terraform support for deployment automation
- You value managed databases alongside your application
- You want preboot and zero-downtime deploys on Standard-1X
Skip it if
- You need a free tier
- You need root access or SSH server administration
- You expect the app price to include your database
Reliability, SLA and policies
Our take
Heroku earns consideration when deployment and server administration are competing for your team's attention. Buildpacks and container support give you deployment options, while the CLI, API and Terraform support let you automate the surrounding workflow. Managed databases make it possible to keep application hosting and database operations with the same provider. The boundary matters: you are buying an app platform without root or SSH access. Choose it when that division of responsibility fits how you work and what your application needs.
The cheapest plan needs careful interpretation. Eco costs $5 a month for an account-wide pool of dyno hours, and its dynos sleep after inactivity. That makes it a candidate for experiments that can tolerate sleeping, but a poor match for an agent or service that must stay available. Basic is always on, with a monthly cap of $7 per dyno. Standard-1X raises that cap to $25 and adds preboot and zero-downtime deploys. Budget managed databases and supporting services separately before deciding whether the app price is affordable.
There is no introductory discount to unwind across these plans: Eco renews at $5, Basic at $7, and Standard-1X at $25. Your bigger budgeting concern is the services and dynos your application needs. Lock-in also deserves attention at the workflow level. Container support does not make deployment automation, database operations or service integrations automatically portable. Document those dependencies before they accumulate. For backups, check the Heroku Postgres tier specifically: automatic Continuous Protection starts at Standard, while scheduled logical backups require enabling and have retention determined by the plan.
We would put Railway and Render on the same shortlist when evaluating Heroku for an app, and include Fly.io if it is already a candidate for your deployment. For a site, compare the actual workload with Vercel, Netlify and Cloudflare Workers + Pages before committing. The useful comparison is the complete deployment you need: application processes, database, backups and support access. Heroku fits when its managed workflow and deployment tooling justify that combined bill. Ticket support is available, while email and phone support depend on Premier or Signature.
FAQ
Does Heroku still have a free tier?
No, Heroku has no free dyno tier. Eco is a paid subscription at $5 a month, with a pool of hours shared across the account's Eco dynos.
Will my Heroku app go to sleep?
Eco dynos sleep after inactivity, while Basic is always on. Choose Basic over Eco when sleeping would interrupt the availability your app or agent needs.
Does Heroku pricing include a database?
The app plan does not include Heroku Postgres or Key-Value Store; these are separate charges. Budget the services your application needs alongside its dynos.
Which Heroku plan should I choose for production?
Standard-1X is the production-oriented choice when you need preboot and zero-downtime deploys. Basic can meet an always-on requirement, but that alone does not establish whether it suits your production workload.
Does Heroku back up my database automatically?
Heroku Postgres Standard and higher tiers include automatic Continuous Protection physical backups. Scheduled logical backups through PGBackups can also be enabled, with retention depending on the database plan.
Can I use Docker and Terraform with Heroku?
Heroku supports container deployment and Terraform, alongside its CLI and API. It does not provide root or SSH access, so those tools do not give you server-level control.