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Software · head to head

Heroku vs Render

Heroku logo

Heroku

Software

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Render logo

Render

Software

A modern cloud platform for the next generation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Render 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; Render the free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
  • They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Render covers Web services.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heroku and Render actually diverge.

Attributes where Heroku and Render differ
AttributeHerokuRender
Starting price$7/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, WorkersWeb, Api
Founded20072019

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
  • Logging
  • API
  • Slack
  • Datadog

Only in Render

  • Web services
  • Static sites
  • Background workers
  • Redis database
  • Scheduled jobs
  • Custom domains
  • GitLab
  • Bitbucket

Both cover

  • Postgres database
  • Environment variables
  • GitHub
  • HTTPS
  • 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 Render
  • Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Render
  • Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Render

Render

  • Deploying web services, static sites and cron jobs from a Git repository without managing serversnot Heroku
  • Running managed Postgres and Redis alongside application servicesnot Heroku
  • Preview environments per pull request for small teamsnot 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

Render

  • The free Hobby workspace is limited to 25 services and 5 GB of bandwidth
  • Every paid plan charges the workspace fee plus compute on top, so $25 per month for Pro is a floor rather than a total
  • SAML SSO and SCIM require the Scale plan at $499 per month
  • HIPAA-compliant workspaces, inbound IP rules and advanced RBAC roles are Scale plan features
  • Organization-level audit logs require Scale; Pro provides only workspace audit logs
  • Contractual uptime SLAs, support response SLAs and a technical account manager are Enterprise only, and Enterprise is custom priced with no published rate
  • Included bandwidth is 25 GB on Pro and 1 TB on Scale, with usage beyond that billed separately

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

Render

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 web service
    • 1 static site
    • Shared CPU
  • Starter$7/month
    • Unlimited services
    • Dedicated CPU
    • 2GB RAM

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 Render if

  • You need web services.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want static sites.
Render review

Questions people ask

Is Heroku or Render better?
Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and Render at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heroku or Render?
Render has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for Render.
Does Heroku or Render run on more platforms?
Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Render runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Render for free?
Yes. Render 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 Render is typically brought in for.
What can Heroku do that Render cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Render covers Web services, Static sites, Background workers, Redis database. Both handle Postgres database, Environment variables, GitHub, HTTPS.
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