- Heroku alternatives at a glance
- Nine app hosting platforms to compare with Heroku
- Why sleeping apps catch people out
- Managed, cloud-native or self-hosted?
- A migration checklist
- Hosting for marketing sites versus apps
- Questions to ask before you commit
- Databases and backups
- Preview environments
- My plain advice on replacing Heroku
- Frequently asked questions
A good Heroku alternative lets you push code and get a running app without managing servers, with databases, logs and scaling that are easy to reason about. Check how apps sleep or scale, regions, database options and whether you can self-host. This page lists nine platforms in no particular order.
Heroku made deploying apps feel simple, and a whole generation of platforms followed its lead. That's why so many feel familiar. Developers now choose between managed platforms, cloud provider services and self-hosted tools that recreate the same push-to-deploy feel on their own servers.
Here are nine Heroku alternatives in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. Each description comes from the platform's own website, re-checked today. If you're modernising an older app at the same time, my overview of the benefits of application modernisation helps you plan the bigger picture.
Heroku alternatives at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the platform's own site describes a free tier or free open-source software. Trial only means a free trial or one-off credits without an ongoing free tier.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coolify | Self-hosted PaaS | A Heroku-style dashboard on your server | Yes |
| DigitalOcean App Platform | Managed PaaS | Simple apps on a familiar cloud | Yes |
| Dokku | Self-hosted PaaS | A tiny Heroku on one server | Yes |
| Fly.io | App platform | Apps close to users around the world | Trial only |
| Google Cloud Run | Serverless containers | Apps that scale to zero | Yes |
| Koyeb | Serverless platform | Global serverless apps | Yes |
| Northflank | Developer platform | Apps, jobs and databases together | Yes |
| Qovery | Platform on your cloud | Running on your own cloud account | Trial only |
| Render | Managed PaaS | Web services, workers and databases | Yes |
Nine app hosting platforms to compare with Heroku
Coolify
Best for: Developers who want push-to-deploy on their own servers with an open-source dashboard.
DigitalOcean App Platform
Best for: Small teams who want managed apps on a cloud provider they already use.
Dokku
Best for: Developers comfortable with a server who want git-push deploys at small scale.
Fly.io
Best for: Developers who want to run apps in several regions near their users.
Google Cloud Run
Best for: Teams who package apps as containers and want them to scale with traffic.
Koyeb
Best for: Developers who want serverless apps and databases deployed globally.
Northflank
Best for: Teams who want services, jobs, databases and preview environments in one place.
Qovery
Best for: Teams who want a Heroku-like experience on top of their own cloud account.
Render
Best for: Developers who want a familiar push-to-deploy flow with managed databases.
Why sleeping apps catch people out
Here's the behaviour that confuses new users. Heroku's own Dev Center says Eco dynos sleep automatically after a period of inactivity to save dyno hours, and that only personal apps, not apps in a Heroku Team, can use them. A sleeping app takes a moment to wake on the next request, and that's what visitors notice. Many alternatives have similar scale-to-zero or sleep settings on their entry tiers, so check how cold starts work before you put a customer-facing app on one.
Managed, cloud-native or self-hosted?
- Managed platforms give the closest Heroku feel with the least setup.
- Cloud provider services fit teams already committed to one cloud.
- Self-hosted tools give control and flexibility but need someone to run the server.
A migration checklist
- List every add-on, environment variable and scheduled job your app uses.
- Recreate the database on the new platform and test a restore from backup.
- Deploy to a staging app and run your tests.
- Lower the DNS time-to-live a day before the switch.
- Switch traffic, watch logs closely and keep the old app ready to roll back.
Hosting for marketing sites versus apps
App platforms are built for code that's running on a server, such as APIs, dashboards and background jobs. A simple marketing site or landing page usually doesn't need one. If that's your situation, my answer to whether you need hosting for a landing page will save you a lot of setup.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Which regions can you deploy to?
- How do logs and metrics work, and how long are they kept?
- Can you run background workers and scheduled jobs?
- How are databases backed up, and can you restore one yourself?
Ask these early. The answers tell you far more about day-to-day life on a platform than the homepage does.
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Databases and backups
Your app's code is easy to move. Your data isn't. Before you pick a platform, check which managed databases it offers, how often they're backed up and whether you can restore a backup yourself without raising a support ticket. If you're self-hosting, set up automated backups to a separate location from day one and test a restore, because a backup you've never restored isn't a backup you can trust.
It's also worth checking connection limits on smaller database plans. They're easy to hit with a busy app and a few background workers, and they're rarely on the homepage.
Preview environments
Several platforms can spin up a temporary copy of your app for each pull request. It's a handy way for teammates or clients to review changes before they go live, and it catches problems you'd otherwise find in production.
Do you make an app hosting platform? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on replacing Heroku
Write down every add-on and job your app relies on, then pick the platform type that matches your team: managed if you want simplicity, self-hosted if you've got the skills. Move a staging app first, test a database restore, and switch traffic only when the logs look calm.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Heroku alternatives for small apps?
Managed platforms with simple deploys suit most small apps. Self-hosted tools suit developers who want control.
Do Heroku Eco dynos sleep?
Yes. Heroku's Dev Center says Eco dynos sleep automatically after a period of inactivity.
Is there a self-hosted Heroku alternative?
Yes. Open-source platforms on this list let you run push-to-deploy on your own server.
Can I move my Heroku database?
Yes. Export a backup, restore it on the new platform and test before you switch traffic.
Is there a free Heroku alternative?
Several platforms describe a free tier or free open-source software. The table shows what each site states.
What's a cold start?
The short delay when a sleeping or scaled-to-zero app wakes up to handle a request.
What's a preview environment?
A temporary copy of your app created for a pull request, so changes can be reviewed before they go live.
Do I need to back up a managed database?
Check what the platform backs up and how restores work, and keep your own export of anything critical.
