Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Heroku vs Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Asia's leading cloud computing provider
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month; Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heroku and Alibaba Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Heroku | Alibaba Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $7/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Workers | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 2007 | 2009 |
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 Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Environment variables
- Logging
- API
Only in Alibaba Cloud
- Elastic Compute Service
- Object Storage Service
- RDS Database
- MaxCompute
- Function Compute
- CDN
- Load Balancer
- API Gateway
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Heroku
- Deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administrationnot Alibaba Cloud
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Alibaba Cloud
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud
- Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Heroku
- Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Heroku
- Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Heroku
- CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Heroku
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Alibaba Cloud
- Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
- Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic
Pricing, plan by plan
Heroku
$7/month- Hobby$7/month
- 512MB RAM
- Shared CPU
- 1 web dyno
- Standard$50/month
- 512MB RAM
- Dedicated CPU
- Automatic scaling
Alibaba Cloud
Free- Free TrialFree
- Free tier credits
- ECS instances
- Cloud storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible billing
- No commitments
- Global reach
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Choose Alibaba Cloud if
- You need elastic compute service.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage service.
Questions people ask
- Is Heroku or Alibaba Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and Alibaba Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heroku or Alibaba Cloud?
- Alibaba Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for Alibaba Cloud.
- Does Heroku or Alibaba Cloud run on more platforms?
- Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
- Yes. Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $7/month.
- What is Heroku best used for?
- Heroku is most often used for deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administration, running managed postgres, redis and kafka as attached data services, isolated production environments in a private space for regulated workloads. Of those, deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administration and running managed postgres, redis and kafka as attached data services are not what Alibaba Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Heroku do that Alibaba Cloud cannot?
- Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Both handle Cloud deployment, Api support.