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Heroku vs MySQL

Heroku logo

Heroku

Software

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MySQL logo

MySQL

Software

The world's most popular open source database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MySQL 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; MySQL hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component
  • They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, MySQL covers ACID compliance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heroku and MySQL actually diverge.

Attributes where Heroku and MySQL differ
AttributeHerokuMySQL
Starting price$7/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, WorkersWindows, Macos, Linux, Unix
Founded20071995

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 MySQL

  • ACID compliance
  • SQL support
  • Multi-version concurrency control
  • Replication
  • Partitioning
  • Stored procedures
  • Triggers
  • Views

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 MySQL
  • Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot MySQL
  • Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot MySQL

MySQL

  • Web application backendnot Heroku
  • E-commerce platformsnot Heroku
  • Content management systemsnot Heroku
  • Data warehousingnot Heroku
  • Business applicationsnot 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

MySQL

  • Hot online backup is not in the free Community Server; MySQL Enterprise Backup is a paid Enterprise Edition component
  • Transparent Data Encryption, data masking and de-identification are Enterprise Edition only
  • MySQL Enterprise Firewall, which guards against SQL injection, and MySQL Enterprise Audit are both paid components
  • External authentication against PAM or Windows Active Directory requires MySQL Enterprise Authentication
  • The thread pool ships as MySQL Enterprise Scalability rather than in the community build

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

MySQL

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Open source license
    • Full SQL support
    • InnoDB storage engine
  • Standard Edition$2000/year
    • Commercial license
    • Oracle Premier Support
    • MySQL Enterprise backup
  • Enterprise Edition$5000/year
    • Advanced security
    • MySQL Enterprise Monitor
    • High Availability

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 MySQL if

  • You need acid compliance.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix.
  • You also want sql support.
MySQL review

Questions people ask

Is Heroku or MySQL better?
Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and MySQL at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heroku or MySQL?
MySQL has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for MySQL.
Does Heroku or MySQL run on more platforms?
Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. MySQL runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Unix.
Can I use MySQL for free?
Yes. MySQL 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 MySQL is typically brought in for.
What can Heroku do that MySQL cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. MySQL covers ACID compliance, SQL support, Multi-version concurrency control, Replication.
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