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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Heroku vs Scaleway

Heroku logo

Heroku

Cloud & Infrastructure

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Scaleway logo

Scaleway

Cloud & Infrastructure

European cloud for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Scaleway 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; Scaleway scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.
  • They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Scaleway covers Virtual Instances.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heroku and Scaleway actually diverge.

Attributes where Heroku and Scaleway differ
AttributeHerokuScaleway
Starting price$7/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, WorkersWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20071999

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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 Scaleway

  • Virtual Instances
  • Bare Metal
  • Kubernetes Kapsule
  • Object Storage
  • Serverless Functions
  • Managed Databases
  • Container Registry
  • Load Balancer

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Api 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 Scaleway
  • Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Scaleway
  • Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Scaleway

Scaleway

  • Web hostingnot Heroku
  • Container orchestrationnot Heroku
  • Development environmentsnot Heroku
  • Data storagenot 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

Scaleway

  • Scaleway's entry-level cloud instances start at 4.99 EUR per month, and its consumption-based services (serverless jobs, IoT hub, container functions) bill by vCPU-second and GB-second beyond a fixed free-tier allowance per account per month, so costs scale with usage rather than a flat seat price.

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

Scaleway

Free
  • DEV1-S$7.99/month
    • 2 vCPU
    • 2GB RAM
    • 20GB SSD

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 Scaleway if

  • You need virtual instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal.
Scaleway review

Questions people ask

Is Heroku or Scaleway better?
Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and Scaleway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heroku or Scaleway?
Scaleway has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for Scaleway.
Does Heroku or Scaleway run on more platforms?
Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Scaleway runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Scaleway for free?
Yes. Scaleway 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 Scaleway is typically brought in for.
What can Heroku do that Scaleway cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Scaleway covers Virtual Instances, Bare Metal, Kubernetes Kapsule, Object Storage. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support, Api support.
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