Cloud · head to head
Deno Deploy vs Heroku
The short version
- Only Deno Deploy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Deno Deploy smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
- They diverge on capability: Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions, Heroku covers Git-based deployment.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Deno Deploy and Heroku actually diverge.
| Attribute | Deno Deploy | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $5/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Cloud/Web | Web, Api, Workers |
| Founded | 2021 | 2007 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).
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 Deno Deploy
- Edge Functions
- Deno KV
- Automatic HTTPS
- Global Distribution
- Zero Config Deploy
- Git Integration
- Instant Rollbacks
- Web Standard APIs
Only in Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Environment variables
- Logging
- API
Both cover
- GitHub
- HTTPS
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Deno Deploy
- API endpointsnot Heroku
- Edge functionsnot Heroku
- Static sitesnot Heroku
- Real-time appsnot Heroku
Heroku
- Application hostingnot Deno Deploy
- Database as a servicenot Deno Deploy
- CI/CD pipelinesnot Deno Deploy
- API deploymentnot Deno Deploy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Deno Deploy
- Smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations
- Less mature than established serverless platforms; newer company and platform
- 1GB deployment size limit may restrict larger applications
- 512MB memory limit lower than some competitors for memory-intensive workloads
- Smaller user base and community compared to Lambda or Netlify
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
Deno Deploy
Free- FreeFree
- 1M requests/month
- 100GB outbound bandwidth
- 50ms CPU time per request
- Pro$20/month
- Unlimited requests
- 5GB KV storage
- Priority support
Heroku
$5/month- Eco Dyno$5/month
- 0.5 GB RAM
- Git/Docker deploy
- Custom domains
- Basic Dyno$7/month
- 0.5 GB RAM
- Always-on
- Free SSL
- Standard-1X Dyno$25/month
- 0.5 GB RAM
- Horizontal scaling
- App metrics
- Standard-2X Dyno$50/month
- 1 GB RAM
- Horizontal scaling
- App metrics
Which should you pick?
Choose Deno Deploy if
- You need edge functions.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud/Web.
- You also want deno kv.
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Questions people ask
- Is Deno Deploy or Heroku better?
- Neither clearly leads. Deno Deploy starts at Free and Heroku at $5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Deno Deploy or Heroku?
- Deno Deploy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Deno Deploy and $5/month for Heroku.
- Does Deno Deploy or Heroku run on more platforms?
- Deno Deploy runs on Cloud/Web. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
- Can I use Deno Deploy for free?
- Yes. Deno Deploy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $5/month.
- What is Deno Deploy best used for?
- Deno Deploy is most often used for api endpoints, edge functions, static sites, real-time apps. Of those, api endpoints and edge functions are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
- What can Deno Deploy do that Heroku cannot?
- Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions, Deno KV, Automatic HTTPS, Global Distribution. Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Both handle GitHub, HTTPS, Cloud deployment, Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Deno Deploy: What does Deno Deploy's free tier include?
Deno Deploy free tier includes 1 million requests per month, 100 GB of outbound bandwidth, 50 milliseconds of CPU time per request, 50 custom domains, 1 GiB of KV storage, and up to 5 team members.
SourceHeroku: How much does Heroku cost?
Heroku dyno pricing starts at $5 per month USD for the Eco tier (with 30-minute inactivity sleep), $7 per month for Basic (always-on), and scales up to $1,500 per month for Performance-2XL with 126 GB RAM.
SourceDeno Deploy: What are Deno Deploy's Pro plan features and pricing?
Deno Deploy Pro costs $20/month and removes request limits, increases KV storage to 5GB, and includes priority support. Additional storage beyond 5GB costs $0.75/GiB.
SourceHeroku: What is the cheapest always-on Heroku plan?
The Basic Dyno at $7 per month USD is Heroku's cheapest always-on container option. It provides 0.5 GB RAM, free SSL, and support for 10 process types.
SourceDeno Deploy: What are the deployment size and memory limits for Deno Deploy?
The total size of all files within a deployment (source files and static files) should not exceed 1 gigabyte. Applications have a maximum memory allocation of 512MB.
SourceHeroku: How is Heroku Postgres priced?
Heroku Postgres Essential tier (shared resources) starts at $5-$20 per month for 1-32 GB disk. Standard tier (dedicated) ranges $50-$12,000 per month. Premium, Private, Shield, and Advanced tiers offer higher performance at corresponding prices.
SourceDeno Deploy: Does Deno Deploy support TypeScript natively?
Yes. Deno Deploy runs TypeScript natively with zero-configuration TypeScript support. Code can be written in TypeScript or JavaScript and runs on the same V8 engine.
SourceDeno Deploy: What security features does Deno Deploy provide?
Deno Deploy features an opt-in permission system to mitigate supply chain attacks. Permissions can be explicitly granted for file, network, and environment access, running code securely by default.
SourceRelated pages
More on Deno Deploy
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