Software · head to head
Google Cloud Platform vs Heroku
The short version
- Only Google Cloud Platform has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Google Cloud Platform the $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
- They diverge on capability: Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, Heroku covers Git-based deployment.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Cloud Platform and Heroku actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Cloud Platform | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $7/month |
| Pricing model | usage-based | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cli | Web, Api, Workers |
| Founded | 2008 | 2007 |
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 Google Cloud Platform
- Compute Engine
- App Engine
- Cloud Run
- Cloud Storage
- Cloud SQL
- BigQuery
- Dataflow
- Cloud Pub/Sub
Only in Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Environment variables
- Logging
- API
Both cover
- Datadog
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Cloud Platform
- Running compute, storage and managed data services on Google's cloudnot Heroku
- Hosting Kubernetes workloads on GKE alongside BigQuery analyticsnot Heroku
Heroku
- Deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administrationnot Google Cloud Platform
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Google Cloud Platform
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Google Cloud Platform
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Google Cloud Platform
- The $300 Free Trial credit expires 90 days from signup, whichever comes first with spending it
- Free Tier Compute Engine is limited to one non-preemptible e2-micro instance per month and only in the us-west1, us-central1 or us-east1 regions
- Free Tier Compute Engine includes only 30 GB-months of standard persistent disk and 1 GB of outbound North America data transfer per month
- Free Tier Cloud Storage covers 5 GB-months of regional storage in US regions only, 5,000 Class A and 50,000 Class B operations per month
- Free Tier outbound data transfer allowances exclude destinations in China and Australia
- Compute Engine resources are governed by allocation quotas that require a quota increase request to exceed
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
Google Cloud Platform
Free- Free TierFree
- Compute Engine 744 hours/month
- Cloud Storage 5GB
- Cloud SQL 250MB storage
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 Google Cloud Platform if
- You need compute engine.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api, Cli.
- You also want app engine.
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Cloud Platform or Heroku better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Cloud Platform 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, Google Cloud Platform or Heroku?
- Google Cloud Platform has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Cloud Platform and $7/month for Heroku.
- Does Google Cloud Platform or Heroku run on more platforms?
- Google Cloud Platform runs on Web, Api, Cli. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
- Can I use Google Cloud Platform for free?
- Yes. Google Cloud Platform has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
- What is Google Cloud Platform best used for?
- Google Cloud Platform is most often used for running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud, hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics. Of those, running compute, storage and managed data services on google's cloud and hosting kubernetes workloads on gke alongside bigquery analytics are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Cloud Platform do that Heroku cannot?
- Google Cloud Platform covers Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage. Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Both handle Datadog, Cloud deployment.