Softwr

Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Heroku vs Terraform

Heroku logo

Heroku

Cloud & Infrastructure

Cloud Application Platform

From
$7/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Terraform logo

Terraform

Technology

Automate infrastructure on any cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Terraform 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; Terraform hCL syntax requires learning a domain-specific language with limited GUI alternatives
  • They diverge on capability: Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Terraform covers Infrastructure as code.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Heroku and Terraform actually diverge.

Attributes where Heroku and Terraform differ
AttributeHerokuTerraform
Starting price$7/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Api, WorkersLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryCloud & InfrastructureTechnology
Founded20072012

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 Terraform

  • Infrastructure as code
  • Resource graph
  • Plan & apply
  • State management
  • Provider ecosystem
  • Modules
  • Workspaces
  • Remote backends

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • Datadog

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 Terraform
  • Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Terraform
  • Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Terraform

Terraform

  • Multi-cloud provisioningnot Heroku
  • Infrastructure automationnot Heroku
  • Environment replicationnot Heroku
  • Disaster recoverynot Heroku
  • Compliance automationnot 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

Terraform

  • HCL syntax requires learning a domain-specific language with limited GUI alternatives
  • State file management is complex, especially at scale with multiple workspaces
  • terraform import workflow is fiddly and must be done one resource at a time
  • No native error handling or try-catch capabilities like traditional programming languages
  • No automatic rollback capability - must manually delete and re-run if needed

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

Terraform

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Terraform review.

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 Terraform if

  • You need infrastructure as code.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want resource graph.
Terraform review

Questions people ask

Is Heroku or Terraform better?
Neither clearly leads. Heroku starts at $7/month and Terraform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Heroku or Terraform?
Terraform has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $7/month for Heroku and Free for Terraform.
Does Heroku or Terraform run on more platforms?
Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers. Terraform runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Terraform for free?
Yes. Terraform 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 Terraform is typically brought in for.
What can Heroku do that Terraform cannot?
Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace. Terraform covers Infrastructure as code, Resource graph, Plan & apply, State management. Both handle GitHub, Datadog.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Terraform: Is there a free tier?

Yes. The free tier supports up to 500 managed resources and 1 concurrent run. The legacy free tier ends March 31, 2026; remaining organizations auto-convert to the enhanced free tier.

Source
Terraform: What clouds does Terraform support?

Terraform supports AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud, Docker, and HashiCorp's own HCP Terraform managed service, with over 2000 providers available.

Source
Terraform: Do I need HCP Terraform Cloud or can I run locally?

Terraform runs locally by default, storing state on your machine. For team collaboration and production use, remote backends like S3, Azure Storage, or HCP Terraform are recommended for locking and security.

Source
Terraform: Is HCL hard to learn?

HCL is designed to be human-readable and sits between JSON and YAML. It supports comments, variables, functions, and conditional logic. While beginners can get started quickly, mastering advanced features takes practice.

Source
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