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Developer Tools · head to head

HCP Terraform vs Heroku

HCP Terraform logo

HCP Terraform

Developer Tools

Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Heroku logo

Heroku

Cloud

Cloud Application Platform

From
$5/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HCP Terraform has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HCP Terraform legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HCP Terraform and Heroku actually diverge.

Attributes where HCP Terraform and Heroku differ
AttributeHCP TerraformHeroku
Starting priceFree$5/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Api, Workers
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCloud
FoundedUnknown2007

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 HCP Terraform

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.

HCP Terraform

  • Infrastructure as Code managementnot Heroku
  • Cloud resource provisioningnot Heroku

Heroku

  • Application hostingnot HCP Terraform
  • Database as a servicenot HCP Terraform
  • CI/CD pipelinesnot HCP Terraform
  • API deploymentnot HCP Terraform

Where each one falls short

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

HCP Terraform

  • Legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier
  • New users receive $500 credit but still require usage to continue service
  • Terraform Enterprise requires custom pricing

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

HCP Terraform

Free
  • Essentials$0.1/month
    • Per resource pricing
    • Remote state storage
    • VCS connection
  • Standard$0.47/month
    • Per resource pricing
    • Essentials features plus unlimited modules
    • Module deprecation
  • Premium$0.99/month
    • Per resource pricing
    • Standard features plus module revocation
    • Waypoint actions

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 HCP Terraform if

  • You want to start without paying.
HCP Terraform 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 HCP Terraform or Heroku better?
Neither clearly leads. HCP Terraform 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, HCP Terraform or Heroku?
HCP Terraform has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HCP Terraform and $5/month for Heroku.
Does HCP Terraform or Heroku run on more platforms?
HCP Terraform runs on Web. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
Can I use HCP Terraform for free?
Yes. HCP Terraform has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $5/month.
What is HCP Terraform best used for?
HCP Terraform is most often used for infrastructure as code management, cloud resource provisioning. Of those, infrastructure as code management and cloud resource provisioning are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
What can HCP Terraform do that Heroku cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HCP Terraform: How much does HCP Terraform cost?

HCP Terraform uses per-resource pricing starting at $0.10/month/resource for Essentials, $0.47/month/resource for Standard, and $0.99/month/resource for Premium.

Source
Heroku: 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.

Source
HCP Terraform: Does HCP Terraform offer a free tier?

No, the legacy free version has been deprecated. However, new users receive $500 credit to try the service.

Source
Heroku: 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.

Source
HCP Terraform: What does the Standard plan include?

Standard plan at $0.47/month/resource includes unlimited modules, module deprecation, team notifications, no-code provisioning, and Waypoint templates.

Source
Heroku: 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.

Source
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