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31 alternatives to Heroku

Heroku is a Software Development product. The community recommends 31 alternatives: 28 open source, 31 self-hostable and 28 free to use. They are ranked by community votes, ratings and favorites, with the key differences from Heroku highlighted.

Last updated:

H

About Heroku

Salesforce-owned platform-as-a-service that runs apps in managed containers (dynos) with add-ons for databases and other services.

Closed source
Not self-hostable
Usage-based
Web
View detailsVisit website

Quick picks

Algernon logo

Best open-source pick

Algernon

Open source, BSD-3-Clause license

Algernon logo

Best self-hosted pick

Algernon

Run it on your own server

Algernon logo

Best free pick

Algernon

Free to use

All alternatives

  1. 0
    1.

    Algernon

    Web Servers

    Small self-contained pure-Go web server with Lua, Markdown, HTTP/2, QUIC, Redis and PostgreSQL support.

    Open source · BSD-3-Clause
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  2. 0
    2.

    Appwrite

    低代码开发

    开源的后端服务器，提供完整的后端 API 和工具集

    Open source · BSD-3-Clause
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  3. 0
    3.

    Canine

    Automation

    A developer friendly PaaS for your Kubernetes

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  4. 0
    4.

    CapRover

    Proxy

    Scalable PaaS (automated Docker+nginx) - aka Heroku on Steroids

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  5. 0
    5.

    Cloud Seeder

    Self-hosting Solutions

    One-click server appliance deployment and maintenance suite for Windows, MacOS and Linux.

    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  6. 0
    6.

    cloud-in-a-bottle

    Proxy

    Deploy, use, and share web apps on a server you control. Your apps, data, and infrastructure stay yours.

    Open source · AGPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  7. 0
    7.

    compose-farm

    Automation

    Compose Farm - run docker compose commands across multiple hosts

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  8. 0
    8.

    Coolify

    容器编排

    开源的自托管平台，用于部署和管理应用程序

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  9. 0
    9.

    Cosmos

    Self-hosting Solutions

    Run server applications securely and with built-in privacy features. It acts as a secure gateway to your application, as well as a server manager.

    Open source · Apache-2.0, commons-clause
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  10. 0
    10.

    daytona

    AI

    Daytona is a Secure and Elastic Infrastructure for Running AI-Generated Code

    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  11. 0
    11.

    Dokku

    Self-hosting Solutions

    A docker-powered PaaS that helps you build and manage the lifecycle of applications

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  12. 0
    12.

    Dokploy

    容器编排

    基于 Docker 的简单部署平台，专注于开发环境的快速部署

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  13. 0
    13.

    Dropserver

    Self-hosting Solutions

    An application platform for your personal web services.

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  14. 0
    14.

    FlowForge

    Internet of Things (IoT)

    Deploy Node-RED applications in a reliable, scalable and secure manner. The FlowForge platform provides DevOps capabilities for Node-RED development teams.

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  15. 0
    15.

    materia

    Automation

    GitOps tool for deploying Quadlets

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  16. 0
    16.

    once

    Automation

    Easy self-hosting for Docker-based web apps

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  17. 0
    17.

    openship

    Automation

    Self-hosted deployment platform

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  18. 0
    18.

    Peon

    Automation

    Open-source, self-hostable deployment platform. Deploy Git apps, Docker Compose, databases, and static sites to your own servers, the open alternative to Vercel/Heroku.

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  19. 0
    19.

    pico

    Blogging Platforms

    The ultimate ssh powered services for developers

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  20. 0
    20.

    piku

    Automation

    The tiniest PaaS you've ever seen. Piku allows you to do git push deployments to your own servers.

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  21. 0
    21.

    PTAH.SH

    Automation

    Self-hosted alternative to Heroku

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  22. 0
    22.

    RapidForge

    Software Development

    Lightweight, self hosted platform for building webhooks, scheduled tasks and pages. Implement your logic with Bash, Lua or mRuby

    Open source · Apache-2.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  23. 0
    23.

    runtm

    AI

    Open-source sandboxes where coding agents build and deploy. Spin up isolated environments where Claude Code, Cursor, and other agents code and deploy software.

    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    DetailsWebsite
  24. 0
    24.

    StartOS

    Self-hosting Solutions

    Browser-based, graphical Operating System (OS) that makes running a personal server as easy as running a personal computer.

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  25. 0
    25.

    Syncloud

    Self-hosting Solutions

    Your own online file storage, social network or email server.

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  26. 0
    26.

    Tipi

    Self-hosting Solutions

    Homeserver manager. One command setup, one click installs for your favorites self-hosted apps.

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  27. 0
    27.

    Traefik

    网页服务器

    现代化的 HTTP 反向代理和负载均衡器，简化微服务部署，支持自动服务发现和 SSL 证书管理

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  28. 0
    28.

    Tsuru

    Automation

    Open source and extensible Platform as a Service (PaaS).

    Open source · BSD-3-Clause
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  29. 0
    29.

    Websoft9

    Self-hosting Solutions

    GitOps-driven, multi-application hosting for cloud servers and home servers, one-click deployment of 200+ open source apps.

    Open source · LGPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  30. 0
    30.

    xsrv

    Self-hosting Solutions

    Install and manage self-hosted services/applications, on your own server(s).

    Open source · GPL-3.0
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite
  31. 0
    31.

    ZaneOps

    Self-hosting Solutions

    A beautiful and fast self-hosted PaaS for deploying and managing web apps, databases, static websites and more.

    Open source · MIT
    Self-hostable

    Compared with Heroku

    • + Open source (Heroku is not)
    • + Self-hostable (Heroku is not)
    • + Free to use (Heroku is paid)
    DetailsWebsite

Heroku vs. alternatives

ServiceOpen sourceSelf-hostedLicensePricingPlatformsRatingVotes
Heroku
Current
NoNoproprietaryUsage-basedWeb——
AlgernonYesYesBSD-3-Clause———0
AppwriteYesYesBSD-3-Clause———0
CanineYesYesApache-2.0———0
CapRoverYesYesApache-2.0———0
Cloud SeederNoYesproprietary———0
cloud-in-a-bottleYesYesAGPL-3.0———0
compose-farmYesYesMIT———0
CoolifyYesYesApache-2.0———0
CosmosYesYesApache-2.0, commons-clause———0
daytonaNoYes————0
DokkuYesYesMIT———0
DokployYesYesMIT———0
DropserverYesYesApache-2.0———0
FlowForgeYesYesApache-2.0———0
materiaYesYesGPL-3.0———0
onceYesYesMIT———0
openshipYesYesApache-2.0———0
PeonYesYesMIT———0
picoYesYesMIT———0
pikuYesYesMIT———0
PTAH.SHYesYesApache-2.0———0
RapidForgeYesYesApache-2.0———0
runtmNoYesother———0
StartOSYesYesMIT———0
SyncloudYesYesGPL-3.0———0
TipiYesYesGPL-3.0———0
TraefikYesYesMIT———0
TsuruYesYesBSD-3-Clause———0
Websoft9YesYesLGPL-3.0———0
xsrvYesYesGPL-3.0———0
ZaneOpsYesYesMIT———0

FAQ

What is the best alternative to Heroku?

Community-recommended alternatives to Heroku include Algernon, Appwrite, Canine, CapRover, Cloud Seeder, and cloud-in-a-bottle. Compare open source, self-hosting, pricing and platforms to choose.

Is there a free alternative to Heroku?

Yes. Algernon, Appwrite, Canine, CapRover, cloud-in-a-bottle, and compose-farm can be used for free; the open-source, self-hostable ones can be run on your own server at no cost.

Is there an open-source alternative to Heroku?

Yes. Open-source alternatives include Algernon, Appwrite, Canine, CapRover, cloud-in-a-bottle, and compose-farm.

Can I self-host an alternative to Heroku?

Yes. Algernon, Appwrite, Canine, CapRover, Cloud Seeder, and cloud-in-a-bottle can run on your own server, so you keep control of your data.

Other Software Development services

Services in the same category that haven't been suggested as Heroku alternatives yet. If one fits, add it as an alternative.

  • R
    Render

    Cloud platform for deploying web services, static sites, background workers, cron jobs and managed Postgres from a Git repository.

  • G
    GitHub

    Git hosting and developer collaboration platform with pull requests, issues, Actions CI/CD, packages and Copilot.

  • B
    Bitbucket

    Atlassian's Git hosting service with pull requests, Pipelines CI/CD and tight Jira integration.

  • P
    Postman

    API platform for sending requests, testing, documenting and mocking APIs, with shared team workspaces.

  • 9
    92five

    Self-hosted project management application.

    Self-hostable
  • V
    Vercel

    Frontend cloud platform for deploying web apps and Next.js sites with preview deployments, serverless functions and a global edge network.

Know another Heroku alternative?

Once added, the community can vote and the best suggestions rise to the top.