Best Heroku Alternatives in 2026
Moving away from Heroku? Whether due to cost, removed free tier, or aging infrastructure, explore these modern Heroku alternatives that offer better value and contemporary features.
1. Server Compass – Modern Heroku Experience on Your Own VPS
Server Compass brings Heroku's simplicity to your own infrastructure with a modern desktop interface. Simple deployments without Heroku's per-dyno costs, plus full SSH access and control that Heroku never offered.
10x Lower Cost
$29 one-time + VPS ($5-20/mo) vs Heroku's $7+ per dyno monthly
More Than Heroku
SSH access, file browser, and infrastructure control Heroku lacks
Modern Desktop UX
Beautiful Electron app vs Heroku's web dashboard
No Add-on Costs
Self-hosted databases and services without add-on fees
| Feature | Server Compass | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $29 + VPS ($5-20/mo) | $7+ per dyno/mo |
| Free Tier | $5 trial credit | Removed |
| SSH Access | Full terminal | |
| File Browser | ||
| Infrastructure Control | ||
| Docker Support | Container Registry | |
| PM2 Deployments | ||
| Database Add-ons | Self-hosted free | Paid add-ons |
| Visual Cron Jobs | Scheduler add-on | |
| No Vendor Lock-in |
Other Heroku Alternatives
Railway
From $5/moModern Heroku replacement with cleaner UI, usage-based pricing, and excellent developer experience.
Pros
- Modern alternative to Heroku
- Simpler than Heroku
- Great Docker support
- Managed databases included
Cons
- Usage-based can scale
- No SSH access
- Vendor lock-in
- Limited to Railway infra
Best For
- Ex-Heroku users
- Modern PaaS needs
- Docker deployments
Render
From $7/moDirect Heroku competitor with transparent pricing, managed databases, and automatic SSL.
Pros
- Similar to Heroku
- Transparent pricing
- Managed databases
- Good documentation
Cons
- No SSH access
- Cold starts on free tier
- Limited customization
- Vendor lock-in
Best For
- Heroku migrants
- Full-stack apps
- Managed services
Fly.io
From $5/moContainer platform with global edge deployment and SSH access to containers.
Pros
- Global distribution
- SSH to containers
- Modern infrastructure
- Docker-based
Cons
- More complex than Heroku
- Steeper learning curve
- Complex pricing
- Requires Docker knowledge
Best For
- Global apps
- Docker-savvy teams
- Low-latency needs
DigitalOcean App Platform
From $5/moHeroku-like PaaS from DigitalOcean with predictable pricing.
Pros
- Predictable pricing
- Simple like Heroku
- DigitalOcean ecosystem
- Good documentation
Cons
- Fewer features than Heroku
- Limited add-ons
- No SSH access
- Basic automation
Best For
- DigitalOcean users
- Simple deployments
- Predictable costs
Dokku
Free (self-hosted)Open-source Heroku alternative you host yourself with buildpack compatibility.
Pros
- Free Heroku alternative
- Buildpack compatible
- Self-hosted control
- Plugin ecosystem
Cons
- Requires server management
- CLI only
- Manual setup
- DevOps knowledge needed
Best For
- Self-hosting
- Budget projects
- Heroku-compatible needs
Coolify
Free (self-hosted)Modern open-source Heroku alternative with web UI and Docker support.
Pros
- Free
- Web UI included
- Docker support
- One-click apps
Cons
- Self-hosting required
- Less mature than Heroku
- Community support
- Manual updates
Best For
- Self-hosting enthusiasts
- Budget teams
- Full control
Google Cloud Run
Pay-as-you-goGoogle's serverless container platform with automatic scaling.
Pros
- Scales to zero
- Google infrastructure
- Container-based
- Pay actual usage
Cons
- GCP complexity vs Heroku
- Cold starts
- Learning curve
- Different paradigm
Best For
- Google Cloud users
- Container workloads
- Variable traffic
AWS Elastic Beanstalk
Pay for underlying resourcesAWS PaaS service similar to Heroku with more AWS integration.
Pros
- Full AWS integration
- Multi-language support
- Mature platform
- Enterprise features
Cons
- AWS complexity
- More complex than Heroku
- Learning curve
- Can be expensive
Best For
- AWS users
- Enterprise teams
- AWS-native projects
Porter
From $15/mo + cloud costsDeploy to your own cloud account with Heroku-like experience on Kubernetes.
Pros
- Use your cloud account
- Heroku-like UX
- Kubernetes-based
- No resource markup
Cons
- Requires cloud account
- More setup than Heroku
- Kubernetes complexity
- Additional costs
Best For
- Teams with cloud credits
- Kubernetes users
- Enterprise compliance
Netlify
Free / $19+ per memberHeroku alternative focused on static sites and JAMstack applications.
Pros
- Great for frontend
- Simple deployment
- Built-in features
- Good free tier
Cons
- Limited to static/JAMstack
- Not full PaaS
- Team pricing
- Build limits
Best For
- Static sites
- JAMstack apps
- Frontend projects
Vercel
Free / $20+ per memberFrontend-focused Heroku alternative optimized for Next.js.
Pros
- Excellent Next.js support
- Global CDN
- Zero config
- Great DX
Cons
- Frontend-focused
- Team pricing
- Not traditional PaaS
- Bandwidth charges
Best For
- Next.js apps
- Frontend teams
- Static sites
Caprover
Free (self-hosted)Free open-source PaaS with one-click apps, similar to Heroku.
Pros
- Free
- One-click apps
- Web UI
- Docker-based
Cons
- Self-hosting required
- Basic compared to Heroku
- Manual management
- Community support
Best For
- Self-hosting
- Simple apps
- Budget projects
Why Server Compass is the Best Heroku Alternative
Dramatically lower cost: $29 one-time + VPS ($5-20/mo) vs Heroku's $7+ per dyno monthly
Full SSH terminal access that Heroku never provided
Visual file browser for remote file management
Self-hosted databases without expensive add-on fees
Visual cron job management vs Heroku Scheduler add-on
Modern desktop app vs Heroku's aging web dashboard
Own your infrastructure – no vendor lock-in
Deploy Docker, PM2, Next.js, and static sites
Offline-capable desktop application with local data
Unlimited deployments and bandwidth without quotas
Multi-server management from single application
No dyno sleeping or cold starts on your VPS
Ready to Switch from Heroku?
Join developers who have switched from Heroku to Server Compass and are saving up to 90% on hosting costs while gaining full control over their infrastructure.