Software · head to head
Heroku vs DigitalOcean
The short version
- Only DigitalOcean 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; DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
- They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS).
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heroku and DigitalOcean actually diverge.
| Attribute | Heroku | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $7/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Workers | Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend) |
| Founded | 2007 | 2011 |
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 Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Environment variables
- Logging
- API
Only in DigitalOcean
- Droplets (VPS)
- Managed Kubernetes
- App Platform
- Managed Databases
- Spaces (Object Storage)
- Floating IPs
- Load Balancers
- Firewalls
Both cover
- GitHub
- Cloud deployment
- Web 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 DigitalOcean
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot DigitalOcean
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean
- Developers seeking affordable VPS starting at $4/month for small applicationsnot Heroku
- Teams deploying containerised workloads with Kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster costnot Heroku
- Data scientists and ML engineers requiring NVIDIA GPU access at $1.91/GPU/hour (committed)not 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
DigitalOcean
- Data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
- Free tier includes only 3 static sites; additional static sites require paid upgrade
- Container registry free tier capped at 500 MiB storage; exceeding requires paid tier
- Functions free tier allows 90,000 GiB-seconds monthly; overages billed on usage basis
- GPU Droplets require minimum monthly commitment for lower hourly rates; on-demand significantly more expensive
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
DigitalOcean
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Choose DigitalOcean if
- You need droplets (vps).
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
- You also want managed kubernetes.
Questions people ask
- Is Heroku or DigitalOcean better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and DigitalOcean at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heroku or DigitalOcean?
- DigitalOcean has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for DigitalOcean.
- Does Heroku or DigitalOcean run on more platforms?
- Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. DigitalOcean runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
- Can I use DigitalOcean for free?
- Yes. DigitalOcean 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 DigitalOcean is typically brought in for.
- What can Heroku do that DigitalOcean cannot?
- Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases. Both handle GitHub, Cloud deployment, Web support.