Softwr

Software · head to head

.NET vs Heroku

.

.NET

Software

Free, cross-platform, open source developer platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Heroku logo

Heroku

Software

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only .NET has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: .NET .NET 8 and .NET 9 both reach end of support on 10 November 2026, per dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/platform/support/policy (Aug 2026), forcing an upgrade to .NET 10 by that date; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which .NET and Heroku actually diverge.

Attributes where .NET and Heroku differ
Attribute.NETHeroku
Starting priceFree$7/month
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, 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 .NET

Nothing recorded that Heroku does not also cover.

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.

.NET

No use cases recorded yet. See the .NET review.

Heroku

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

Where each one falls short

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

.NET

  • .NET 8 and .NET 9 both reach end of support on 10 November 2026, per dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/platform/support/policy (Aug 2026), forcing an upgrade to .NET 10 by that date
  • Standard Term Support releases get only 2 years of patches versus 3 years for Long Term Support releases, per Microsoft's own support policy page, so teams on an STS release face a shorter upgrade cycle

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

.NET

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the .NET review.

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 .NET if

  • You want to start without paying.
.NET 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 .NET or Heroku better?
Neither clearly leads. .NET 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, .NET or Heroku?
.NET has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for .NET and $7/month for Heroku.
Does .NET or Heroku run on more platforms?
.NET runs on Web. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
Can I use .NET for free?
Yes. .NET has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
What can .NET do that Heroku cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace.
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