Software · head to head
Heroku vs Contabo
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month; Contabo fully unmanaged infrastructure requires all setup and maintenance by customer
- They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Contabo covers VPS Hosting.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heroku and Contabo actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Environment variables
- Logging
- API
Only in Contabo
- VPS Hosting
- Dedicated Servers
- Object Storage
- Snapshots
- DDoS Protection
- Custom ISO
- Multiple Locations
- SSD Storage
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- 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 Contabo
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Contabo
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Contabo
Contabo
- Web hostingnot Heroku
- Game serversnot Heroku
- Development environmentsnot Heroku
- VPN serversnot 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
Contabo
- Fully unmanaged infrastructure requires all setup and maintenance by customer
- No formal SLA with financial compensation for downtime violations
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
Contabo
€4.5/month- Cloud VPS$4.5/month
- 4 vCPU
- 8 GB RAM
- 100 GB SSD
- Cloud VDS$39/month
- Dedicated cores
- 24 GB RAM
- 180 GB NVMe
- Dedicated Server$149/month
- AMD CPU
- 64 GB RAM
- 1 TB NVMe
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Choose Contabo if
- You need vps hosting.
- You work on Linux, Windows.
- You also want dedicated servers.
Questions people ask
- Is Heroku or Contabo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and Contabo at €4.5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heroku or Contabo?
- Heroku starts at $7/month and Contabo at €4.5/month.
- Does Heroku or Contabo run on more platforms?
- Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Contabo runs on Linux, Windows.
- 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 Contabo is typically brought in for.
- What can Heroku do that Contabo cannot?
- Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Contabo covers VPS Hosting, Dedicated Servers, Object Storage, Snapshots. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support, Api support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Contabo: What is the base pricing for Contabo VPS?
Contabo Cloud VPS starts at EUR 4.50 per month (approximately $4.95 USD) with 4 vCPU cores and 8 GB RAM. Prices scale up to EUR 39+ per month for dedicated performance VPS with higher specs.
SourceContabo: Does Contabo raise prices at renewal?
No. Unlike many hosting providers, Contabo does not increase renewal prices. The promotional price you get at sign-up is locked in for future renewals.
SourceContabo: What data center locations does Contabo offer?
Contabo operates 9 global data center regions including multiple EU locations, US East/Central/West Coast, United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Japan, and Australia.
SourceContabo: Does Contabo provide managed services?
No. Contabo VPS is fully unmanaged. You handle all setup, security patching, and system maintenance. Managed hosting adds 2 hours per month of dedicated support for a fee.
SourceContabo: What is Contabo's uptime guarantee?
Contabo maintains a 99.996% uptime guarantee across all plans. The platform includes unlimited traffic and free DDoS protection.
Source