Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Heroku vs JFrog Artifactory

Heroku logo

Heroku

Cloud

Cloud Application Platform

From
$5/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
JFrog Artifactory logo

JFrog Artifactory

Developer Tools

The Universal Binary Repository

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only JFrog Artifactory 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; JFrog Artifactory pro tier limited-time pricing at $50/month (regular rate $150/month); overages charged per GB at tiered rates
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heroku and JFrog Artifactory actually diverge.

Attributes where Heroku and JFrog Artifactory differ
AttributeHerokuJFrog Artifactory
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, WorkersWeb
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools
Founded2007Unknown

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 Heroku

  • Git-based deployment
  • Buildpacks
  • Dynos (containers)
  • Add-ons marketplace
  • Postgres database
  • Environment variables
  • Logging
  • API

Only in JFrog Artifactory

Nothing recorded that Heroku does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Heroku

  • Application hostingnot JFrog Artifactory
  • Database as a servicenot JFrog Artifactory
  • CI/CD pipelinesnot JFrog Artifactory
  • API deploymentnot JFrog Artifactory

JFrog Artifactory

  • Governing AI models and agents in single source of truthnot Heroku
  • Syncing artifacts across federated repositories in multiple sitesnot Heroku
  • Blocking risky and non-compliant open-source packages proactivelynot Heroku
  • Automating source code vulnerability remediation in real-timenot Heroku
  • Collecting compliance evidence throughout software lifecyclenot 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

JFrog Artifactory

  • Pro tier limited-time pricing at $50/month (regular rate $150/month); overages charged per GB at tiered rates
  • Enterprise+ plan requires custom quote; specific pricing not published
  • Consumption-based model adds unpredictability to monthly costs for variable storage needs

Pricing, plan by plan

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

JFrog Artifactory

Free
  • Pro$50/month
    • Limited-time offer pricing (regularly $150/month)
    • 25 GB storage included monthly
    • Tiered overage pricing: $1.25 per GB at 25-1,204 GB usage
  • Enterprise X$950/month
    • 125 GB storage included
    • High availability and artifact federation
    • SSO and advanced security scanning included

Which should you pick?

Choose Heroku if

  • You need git-based deployment.
  • You work on Web, Api, Workers.
  • You also want buildpacks.
Heroku review

Choose JFrog Artifactory if

  • You want to start without paying.
JFrog Artifactory review

Questions people ask

Is Heroku or JFrog Artifactory better?
Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $5/month and JFrog Artifactory at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heroku or JFrog Artifactory?
JFrog Artifactory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Heroku and Free for JFrog Artifactory.
Does Heroku or JFrog Artifactory run on more platforms?
Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. JFrog Artifactory runs on Web.
Can I use JFrog Artifactory for free?
Yes. JFrog Artifactory has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Heroku starts at $5/month.
What is Heroku best used for?
Heroku is most often used for application hosting, database as a service, ci/cd pipelines, api deployment. Of those, application hosting and database as a service are not what JFrog Artifactory is typically brought in for.
What can Heroku do that JFrog Artifactory cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
JFrog Artifactory: How much does JFrog Artifactory cost?

JFrog Artifactory Pro is currently $50 per month (limited-time rate; regular $150/month) with 25 GB included and $1.25 per GB for overages. Enterprise X starts at $950 per month with 125 GB included. Enterprise+ plans use custom pricing available through sales.

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
JFrog Artifactory: What are JFrog's data storage limits?

JFrog Artifactory charges based on consumption: Pro includes 25 GB monthly with tiered overage costs ($1.25/GB at 25-1,204 GB, $1.00/GB at 1,204-2,024 GB, $0.75/GB above 2,024 GB). Enterprise X includes 125 GB with similar tiered overages for additional storage.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Heroku

More on JFrog Artifactory

Keep looking

Other head to heads