Heroku alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data
Common reasons people leave Heroku: no free tier, and dynos cost more than newer platforms, and now in a sustaining engineering mode with few new features. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Heroku, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Render currently ranks first.
No alternatives match these filters.
Show all 6 alternativesThe best Heroku alternative for…
The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.
Best Heroku alternative for most people
RenderThe most common Heroku replacement, with a similar model and a free tier.
Best Heroku alternative for a free option
DokkuOpen-source, self-hosted Heroku clone that accepts the same buildpacks.
Best Heroku alternative for a free plan you can upgrade
RailwayUsage-based pricing and a polished dashboard for apps and databases.
Best Heroku alternative for open source
DokkuOpen-source, self-hosted Heroku clone that accepts the same buildpacks.
Best Heroku alternative for self-hosting
DokkuOpen-source, self-hosted Heroku clone that accepts the same buildpacks.
Best Heroku alternative for Linux
DokkuOpen-source, self-hosted Heroku clone that accepts the same buildpacks.
Best Heroku alternative for working in the browser
Fly.ioRun apps as lightweight VMs in many regions, billed by the second.
Heroku alternatives: common questions
What is the best alternative to Heroku?
Render ranks first right now. The most common Heroku replacement, with a similar model and a free tier. Railway and Fly.io follow it in our ranking.
Is there a free alternative to Heroku?
Yes. Render (free plan + paid), Railway (free plan + paid), Dokku (open source) and DigitalOcean App Platform (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.
Is there an open-source alternative to Heroku?
Yes: Dokku. Dokku can also be self-hosted.
Which Heroku alternatives work on Linux?
Dokku runs on Linux.
Why do people switch from Heroku?
The complaints we hear most: no free tier, and dynos cost more than newer platforms; now in a sustaining engineering mode with few new features; cheapest Eco dynos sleep when idle.
How is this list ranked?
Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Heroku, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.