Softwr

Software · head to head

Anyscale vs Heroku

Anyscale logo

Anyscale

Software

Platform for scaling AI and data workloads on Ray, built by Ray's creators

From
Free
Rated
-
Heroku logo

Heroku

Software

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Anyscale has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Anyscale pricing for high-end H100/B200-class GPUs is not published and requires contacting sales.; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
  • They diverge on capability: Anyscale covers Distributed model training, Heroku covers Git-based deployment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Anyscale and Heroku actually diverge.

Attributes where Anyscale and Heroku differ
AttributeAnyscaleHeroku
Starting priceFree$7/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, apiWeb, Api, Workers
FoundedUnknown2007

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 Anyscale

  • Distributed model training
  • Multimodal data curation
  • Batch embedding generation
  • Multi-cloud orchestration
  • Governance and security
  • Observability
  • Bring-your-own-cloud deployment
  • Elastic GPU allocation

Only in Heroku

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

What people use each for

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

Anyscale

  • Training large models on distributed GPU clustersnot Heroku
  • Running batch inference and embedding jobsnot Heroku
  • Preparing multimodal datasets at scalenot Heroku
  • Post-training LLMs with reinforcement learning frameworksnot Heroku

Heroku

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

Where each one falls short

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

Anyscale

  • Pricing for high-end H100/B200-class GPUs is not published and requires contacting sales.
  • Built around Ray, so teams not already using Ray face a steeper adoption curve than single-purpose inference APIs.
  • No published fixed-fee subscription tier; all listed pricing is usage-based on-demand compute.

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

Anyscale

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/mo
    • CPU only from $0.0135/hr
    • NVIDIA T4 $0.5682/hr
    • NVIDIA L4 $0.9542/hr
  • Committed contract$undefined/mo
    • Volume discounts
    • Use of existing GPU reservations

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 Anyscale if

  • You need distributed model training.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want multimodal data curation.

Choose Heroku if

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

Questions people ask

Is Anyscale or Heroku better?
Neither clearly leads. Anyscale 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, Anyscale or Heroku?
Anyscale has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Anyscale and $7/month for Heroku.
Does Anyscale or Heroku run on more platforms?
Anyscale runs on web, api. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
Can I use Anyscale for free?
Yes. Anyscale has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
What is Anyscale best used for?
Anyscale is most often used for training large models on distributed gpu clusters, running batch inference and embedding jobs, preparing multimodal datasets at scale, post-training llms with reinforcement learning frameworks. Of those, training large models on distributed gpu clusters and running batch inference and embedding jobs are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
What can Anyscale do that Heroku cannot?
Anyscale covers Distributed model training, Multimodal data curation, Batch embedding generation, Multi-cloud orchestration. Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Anyscale: How much does Anyscale cost?

Anyscale bills on a pay-as-you-go basis: CPU compute starts at $0.0135/hr, NVIDIA T4 at $0.5682/hr, and NVIDIA A100 at $4.9591/hr, with committed contracts offering volume discounts for larger workloads.

Source
Anyscale: Is there a free trial or credit?

New users receive $100 in Anyscale credits to explore the platform, which can be applied toward starter templates and on-demand compute usage.

Source
Anyscale: How is usage billed?

Hosted usage is billed hourly per compute instance type and invoiced monthly by credit card; bring-your-own-cloud usage is invoiced through Anyscale or the customer's cloud marketplace account.

Source
Anyscale: What support is included?

Hosted plans include business-hours support with up to 5 case submissions, while bring-your-own-cloud deployments get 24x7 enterprise SLAs and unlimited case submissions.

Source
Share

Related pages

Other head to heads