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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Deno Deploy vs Heroku

Deno Deploy logo

Deno Deploy

Cloud & Infrastructure

Serverless JavaScript at the edge

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Heroku logo

Heroku

Cloud & Infrastructure

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deno Deploy and Heroku actually diverge.

Attributes where Deno Deploy and Heroku differ
AttributeDeno DeployHeroku
Starting priceFree$7/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud/WebWeb, Api, Workers
Founded20212007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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

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

$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 Deno Deploy if

  • You need edge functions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want deno kv.
Deno Deploy 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 Deno Deploy or Heroku better?
Neither clearly leads. Deno Deploy 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, Deno Deploy or Heroku?
Deno Deploy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Deno Deploy and $7/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 $7/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.

Source
Deno 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.

Source
Deno 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.

Source
Deno 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.

Source
Deno 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.

Source
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