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Cloud · head to head

Heroku vs RubyMine

Heroku logo

Heroku

Cloud

Cloud Application Platform

From
$5/month
Free plan
No
Visit HerokuFull review
RubyMine logo

RubyMine

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for Ruby and Ruby on Rails development

From
$24/month
Free plan
No
Visit RubyMineFull review

The short version

  • Heroku is a cloud platform as a service.
  • Heroku starts at $5/mo, RubyMine at $24/mo.
  • Only Heroku lists git-based deployment; only RubyMine lists rails-aware coding assistance.
  • Where Heroku falls short: there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month.
  • Where RubyMine falls short: no permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heroku and RubyMine actually diverge.

Attributes where Heroku and RubyMine differ
AttributeHerokuRubyMine
Starting price$5/month$24/month
PlatformsWeb, API, WorkersWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools
Founded20072000

Identical on both: pricing model (Subscription), free tier (No).

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 RubyMine

  • Rails-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Test runner integration
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker support

What people use each for

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

Heroku

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

RubyMine

  • Building and maintaining Ruby on Rails applicationsnot Heroku
  • Debugging Ruby web applicationsnot Heroku
  • Running and managing RSpec or Minitest suitesnot Heroku
  • Working across Ruby, JavaScript, and SQL in one projectnot 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

RubyMine

  • No permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription
  • More resource-intensive than lightweight editors such as Sublime Text
  • Focused primarily on Ruby, so polyglot teams may prefer IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate with plugins instead
  • Startup time can be slower than simpler text editors on older hardware

Pricing, plan by plan

Heroku

$5/month
  • Eco Dyno$5/mo
    • 0.5 GB RAM
    • Git/Docker deploy
    • Custom domains
  • Basic Dyno$7/mo
    • 0.5 GB RAM
    • Always-on
    • Free SSL
  • Standard-1X Dyno$25/mo
    • 0.5 GB RAM
    • Horizontal scaling
    • App metrics
  • Standard-2X Dyno$50/mo
    • 1 GB RAM
    • Horizontal scaling
    • App metrics

RubyMine

$24/month
  • Individual$24/mo
    • Personal use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/mo
    • Business use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Volume and renewal discounts

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 RubyMine if

  • You need rails-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
RubyMine review

Questions people ask

Is Heroku or RubyMine better?
Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $5/month and RubyMine at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heroku or RubyMine?
Heroku starts at $5/month and RubyMine at $24/month.
Does Heroku or RubyMine run on more platforms?
Heroku runs on Web, API, Workers. RubyMine runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 RubyMine is typically brought in for.
What can Heroku do that RubyMine cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Test runner integration, Database tools.

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
RubyMine: How much does RubyMine cost?

RubyMine is sold as a JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses available for students and open-source maintainers.

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
RubyMine: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains provides a free trial period for RubyMine so developers can evaluate it before purchasing a subscription.

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
RubyMine: What platforms does RubyMine support?

RubyMine runs as a desktop application on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
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