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Software · head to head

AI21 Labs vs Heroku

AI21 Labs logo

AI21 Labs

Software

Enterprise language AI solutions

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Heroku logo

Heroku

Software

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only AI21 Labs has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: AI21 Labs the free allowance is $10 of credit lasting 7 days rather than an ongoing free tier; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
  • They diverge on capability: AI21 Labs covers Jamba models, Heroku covers Git-based deployment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AI21 Labs and Heroku actually diverge.

Attributes where AI21 Labs and Heroku differ
AttributeAI21 LabsHeroku
Starting priceFree$7/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsApi, CloudWeb, Api, Workers
Founded20172007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AI21 Labs

  • Jamba models
  • Long context
  • RAG engine
  • Writing tools
  • REST API
  • Amazon Bedrock
  • Cloud platforms
  • Cloud support

Only in Heroku

  • Git-based deployment
  • Buildpacks
  • Dynos (containers)
  • Add-ons marketplace
  • Postgres database
  • Environment variables
  • Logging
  • API

Both cover

  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AI21 Labs

  • Running long-context tasks on the Jamba model familynot Heroku
  • Building and optimising production AI agents with Maestronot Heroku
  • Routing between models to control cost and accuracynot Heroku
  • Long-horizon agentic tasks needing stateful workspacesnot Heroku

Heroku

  • Deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administrationnot AI21 Labs
  • Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot AI21 Labs
  • Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot AI21 Labs

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AI21 Labs

  • The free allowance is $10 of credit lasting 7 days rather than an ongoing free tier
  • Jamba Large is $2 per million input tokens and $8 per million output, so output-heavy work costs four times as much as input
  • Volume discounts, private cloud hosting and higher rate limits require a custom plan
  • Standard rate limits are not published

Heroku

  • There is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
  • Eco dynos sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity, are restricted to personal accounts and allow only 2 process types
  • Free SSL and 10 process types start at the Basic dyno at $7 per month
  • Private and Shield dyno types require a Private Space, which is billed on top of the dynos
  • Private Space dynos start at $250 per month for Private-M and $500 per month for Private-L
  • Dyno prices are per dyno per month, so an app with several process types multiplies the bill

Pricing, plan by plan

AI21 Labs

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Limited usage
    • API access
  • Jamba$0.2/per-million-input-tokens
    • 256K context
    • Hybrid architecture

Heroku

$7/month
  • Hobby$7/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • Shared CPU
    • 1 web dyno
  • Standard$50/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • Dedicated CPU
    • Automatic scaling

Which should you pick?

Choose AI21 Labs if

  • You need jamba models.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want long context.
AI21 Labs review

Choose Heroku if

  • You need git-based deployment.
  • You work on Web, Api, Workers.
  • You also want buildpacks.
Heroku review

Questions people ask

Is AI21 Labs or Heroku better?
Neither clearly leads. AI21 Labs starts at Free and Heroku at $7/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AI21 Labs or Heroku?
AI21 Labs has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for AI21 Labs and $7/month for Heroku.
Does AI21 Labs or Heroku run on more platforms?
AI21 Labs runs on Api, Cloud. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
Can I use AI21 Labs for free?
Yes. AI21 Labs has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
What is AI21 Labs best used for?
AI21 Labs is most often used for running long-context tasks on the jamba model family, building and optimising production ai agents with maestro, routing between models to control cost and accuracy, long-horizon agentic tasks needing stateful workspaces. Of those, running long-context tasks on the jamba model family and building and optimising production ai agents with maestro are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
What can AI21 Labs do that Heroku cannot?
AI21 Labs covers Jamba models, Long context, RAG engine, Writing tools. Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Both handle Api support.
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