Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head
Proxmox VE vs Heroku
Proxmox VE
Cloud & Infrastructure
Open-source hypervisor combining KVM and LXC virtualisation
- From
- €120/year
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Proxmox VE per-socket licensing model: cost scales with CPU socket count, not vCore count, resulting in high costs for multi-socket servers; Heroku there is no free dyno tier; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 per month
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Proxmox VE and Heroku actually diverge.
| Attribute | Proxmox VE | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | €120/year | $7/month |
| Platforms | Linux, Web, API, Self-hosted | Web, Api, Workers |
| Founded | Unknown | 2007 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Proxmox VE
Nothing recorded that Heroku does not also cover.
Only in Heroku
- Git-based deployment
- Buildpacks
- Dynos (containers)
- Add-ons marketplace
- Postgres database
- Environment variables
- Logging
- API
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Proxmox VE
- Open-source datacenter virtualisation for hosting providers and cloud platformsnot Heroku
- Cost-sensitive enterprise virtualisation replacing commercial hypervisorsnot Heroku
- High-availability clustering for disaster recovery and business continuitynot Heroku
- Container deployments using LXC as lighter-weight alternative to Dockernot Heroku
- Hybrid VM and container workloads in a single management interfacenot Heroku
- Backup and archival infrastructure alongside primary virtualisationnot Heroku
Heroku
- Deploying and scaling web applications with git push and no server administrationnot Proxmox VE
- Running managed Postgres, Redis and Kafka as attached data servicesnot Proxmox VE
- Isolated production environments in a Private Space for regulated workloadsnot Proxmox VE
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Proxmox VE
- Per-socket licensing model: cost scales with CPU socket count, not vCore count, resulting in high costs for multi-socket servers
- Linux-based host only; Windows hypervisors not supported, limiting adoption in Windows-focused organisations
- Clustering and high-availability setup requires operational expertise and careful network configuration
- Commercial support tiers limit advanced features (just-in-time access, network flow logs) to paid subscriptions
- Smaller ecosystem of third-party plugins and integrations compared to VMware vSphere
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Proxmox VE
€120/year- Community$120/year
- Enterprise Repository access
- Community forum support only
- Per-socket subscription model
- Basic$370/year
- 3 support tickets per year
- 1 business day response time
- Stable updates and Enterprise Repository
- Standard$550/year
- 10 support tickets per year
- 4-hour response time for critical issues
- Remote SSH support and offline updates
- Premium$1100/year
- Unlimited support tickets
- 2-hour response time for critical issues
- Remote SSH support and offline updates
Heroku
$7/month- Hobby$7/month
- 512MB RAM
- Shared CPU
- 1 web dyno
- Standard$50/month
- 512MB RAM
- Dedicated CPU
- Automatic scaling
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if
- You need git-based deployment.
- You work on Web, Api, Workers.
- You also want buildpacks.
Questions people ask
- Is Proxmox VE or Heroku better?
- Neither clearly leads. Proxmox VE starts at €120/year and Heroku at $7/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Proxmox VE or Heroku?
- Proxmox VE starts at €120/year and Heroku at $7/month.
- Does Proxmox VE or Heroku run on more platforms?
- Proxmox VE runs on Linux, Web, API, Self-hosted. Heroku runs on Web, Api, Workers.
- What is Proxmox VE best used for?
- Proxmox VE is most often used for open-source datacenter virtualisation for hosting providers and cloud platforms, cost-sensitive enterprise virtualisation replacing commercial hypervisors, high-availability clustering for disaster recovery and business continuity, container deployments using lxc as lighter-weight alternative to docker. Of those, open-source datacenter virtualisation for hosting providers and cloud platforms and cost-sensitive enterprise virtualisation replacing commercial hypervisors are not what Heroku is typically brought in for.
- What can Proxmox VE do that Heroku cannot?
- Heroku covers Git-based deployment, Buildpacks, Dynos (containers), Add-ons marketplace.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Proxmox VE: What is the licensing model for Proxmox VE?
Proxmox VE is open-source and free to deploy. Optional subscription tiers provide technical support, priority response times, and access to the Enterprise Repository for stable update channels. All tiers include identical virtualisation features.
SourceProxmox VE: Can I run Proxmox VE without a support subscription?
Yes. Community Edition (€120/year per socket) provides Enterprise Repository access with community-based support through forums. The core Proxmox VE platform is fully functional without any subscription.
SourceProxmox VE: What hypervisors does Proxmox VE support?
Proxmox VE includes both KVM for full virtualisation and LXC for Linux containers. It does not support Xen or Hyper-V. Workloads on those platforms must be migrated or reimplemented.
Source