Cloud · head to head
Heroku vs Namespace
Namespace
Developer Tools
The dev platform for the next 100 billion commits
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Only Namespace 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; Namespace developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear
- They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Namespace covers Devboxes.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heroku and Namespace actually diverge.
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 Namespace
- Devboxes
- GitHub Actions runners
- Docker builds
- Cross-invocation caching
- NVMe storage
- High-speed networking
- Multiple OS support
- Bazel and Turborepo support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Heroku
- Application hostingnot Namespace
- Database as a servicenot Namespace
- CI/CD pipelinesnot Namespace
- API deploymentnot Namespace
Namespace
- Providing AI coding agents with cloud-based development environmentsnot Heroku
- Accelerating CI builds with faster GitHub Actions runnersnot Heroku
- Distributing builds across teams with managed infrastructurenot Heroku
- Scaling development velocity for monorepo organizationsnot 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
Namespace
- Developer plan is pay-as-you-go only; minimum usage unclear
- Team plan $100/mo is competitive but usage limits may be tight
- Devbox pricing separate at $0.004/minute could add up quickly
- Enterprise plan requires custom sales conversation
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
Namespace
Free- DeveloperFree
- Pay-as-you-go
- On-demand compute
- Docker builds
- Team$100/month
- 100,000 unit minutes
- 1,000 Docker builds
- Everything in Developer
- Business$250/month
- 250,000 unit minutes
- 2,500 Docker builds
- Everything in Team
- Enterprise$undefined/custom
- Custom compute/Docker build limits
- Audit log export
- Enterprise SSO
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Choose Namespace if
- You need devboxes.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, Mac, Windows, Linux.
- You also want github actions runners.
Questions people ask
- Is Heroku or Namespace better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $5/month and Namespace at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heroku or Namespace?
- Namespace has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Heroku and Free for Namespace.
- Does Heroku or Namespace run on more platforms?
- Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Namespace runs on Cloud, Mac, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use Namespace for free?
- Yes. Namespace 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 Namespace is typically brought in for.
- What can Heroku do that Namespace cannot?
- Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Namespace covers Devboxes, GitHub Actions runners, Docker builds, Cross-invocation caching.
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.
SourceNamespace: How is compute usage metered on the Developer plan?
Developer plan uses pay-as-you-go billing. Devboxes bill at $0.004 per minute. Storage and caching services have separate usage-based fees. A 30-day free trial is available to test usage patterns.
SourceHeroku: 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.
SourceNamespace: What is the difference between Team and Business plans?
Team ($100/mo) includes 100,000 unit minutes and 1,000 Docker builds with email support. Business ($250/mo) includes 250,000 unit minutes, 2,500 Docker builds, and high concurrency with a dedicated Slack channel.
SourceHeroku: 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.
SourceNamespace: Can Namespace support AI coding agents?
Yes, Namespace Devboxes are specifically designed as feature-rich development environments for AI coding agents, with full tooling and performance optimization.
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