Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Heroku vs Oracle Cloud
Oracle Cloud
Cloud & Infrastructure
Enterprise cloud computing services
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Oracle Cloud 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; Oracle Cloud the free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first
- They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Heroku and Oracle Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Heroku | Oracle Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $7/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Workers | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Category | Cloud & Infrastructure | Unknown |
| Founded | 2007 | 2019 |
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 Oracle Cloud
- Autonomous Database
- Compute Instances
- MySQL Database Service
- Object Storage
- Block Volume
- Load Balancers
- Virtual Cloud Network
- API Gateway
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
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 Oracle Cloud
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Oracle Cloud
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Oracle Cloud
Oracle Cloud
- Running virtual machines, databases and storage on Oracle's cloud infrastructurenot Heroku
- Hosting Oracle Database workloads on infrastructure from the same vendornot 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
Oracle Cloud
- The free trial gives US$300 of credit that expires when consumed or after 30 days, whichever comes first
- The US$300 cloud credit is available only in select countries
- Only one Oracle Cloud Free Trial or Always Free account is permitted per person
- Accounts left idle for 30 days or more are eligible for suspension or termination as abandoned
- Always Free NoSQL Database is restricted to the Phoenix region
- Free Tier availability is subject to capacity limits, and the published per-service capacity figures are estimates that assume the entire credit is spent on that one service
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
Oracle Cloud
Free- Always FreeFree
- Oracle Autonomous Database
- 2 compute instances
- 100 GB storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible pricing
- No long-term commitment
- Enterprise support
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Choose Oracle Cloud if
- You need autonomous database.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want compute instances.
Questions people ask
- Is Heroku or Oracle Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and Oracle Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Heroku or Oracle Cloud?
- Oracle Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for Oracle Cloud.
- Does Heroku or Oracle Cloud run on more platforms?
- Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Oracle Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Oracle Cloud for free?
- Yes. Oracle Cloud 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 Oracle Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Heroku do that Oracle Cloud cannot?
- Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Oracle Cloud covers Autonomous Database, Compute Instances, MySQL Database Service, Object Storage. Both handle Cloud deployment.