Heroku vs Render
Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Heroku
Salesforce's long-running PaaS that deploys apps with git push, dynos and add-ons.
Render
Cloud platform for web services, static sites, workers, cron jobs and managed Postgres.
The short answer
Heroku is the original git-push platform and remains a dependable home for existing apps; Render is the platform many teams pick when leaving it. Render runs web services, workers, cron jobs, static sites and Postgres together with a free Hobby workspace, while Heroku has no free tier and is now in sustaining engineering mode. New projects usually fit Render better; stable Heroku apps rarely need to move in a hurry.
Heroku or Render: our take
The two share a philosophy: connect code, let the platform build it, and get a running service with TLS, domains and managed databases without touching servers. Heroku does this with buildpacks and dynos, plus pipelines and review apps for staging, and a large add-on marketplace for logging, email, monitoring and data stores. Render builds from a Git repository or container image and can run the app as a web service, private service, background worker, cron job or static site, with managed Postgres and a Redis-compatible key-value store. Infrastructure can be written down in a render.yaml Blueprint, and pull requests can get preview environments.
Costs and direction differ. Heroku removed its free tier in 2022; the cheapest Eco dyno is $5 and sleeps after 30 minutes idle, and a Basic dyno is $7, billed per dyno, so a multi-service app adds up faster than on newer platforms. In February 2026 Heroku announced a move to a sustaining engineering model focused on stability, security and support rather than new features, while saying nothing changes for existing customers. Render's Hobby workspace is $0/month plus compute, with free instances that spin down after 15 minutes idle; the Pro workspace is $25/month plus compute for team features. That workspace fee sits on top of per-service compute, which is worth counting when comparing totals.
For a team with a working Heroku app, its maturity, add-ons and familiar workflow are real advantages, and the sustaining model promises stability rather than disruption. For a new project, or one that needs workers, cron and Postgres under one roof with infrastructure as code, Render is the more active platform and offers a free way to start. Both cover fewer regions than the big clouds, so check location needs first.
Which should you pick?
Choose Heroku if…
- Teams with existing Heroku apps that value a stable, well-known git-push workflow
- Simple git-push deploys with mature buildpacks
- Large add-on marketplace
Choose Render if…
- Teams moving off Heroku who want services, workers, cron and Postgres in one place
- You want a free option (Heroku is paid only)
- Runs web services, workers, cron jobs and static sites together
- Managed Postgres and key-value store included
About each app
What is Heroku?
Heroku defined the platform-as-a-service model: you push code with Git, buildpacks detect the language and build it, and the app runs in containers called dynos that you scale with a command. Managed Postgres, Key-Value Store, Kafka and a large marketplace of add-ons cover databases, logging, email and monitoring, and review apps and pipelines handle staging and production. It supports Ruby, Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Go and more. Heroku removed its free tier in 2022; the cheapest Eco dynos sleep when idle, and Basic and larger dynos are billed monthly per dyno, so costs climb faster than on newer usage-based platforms. In February 2026 Heroku announced a move to a sustaining engineering model focused on stability, security and support rather than new features, while saying nothing changes for existing customers. It remains a dependable choice for existing apps, but many teams starting fresh now compare it with Render, Railway and Fly.io.
What is Render?
Render is a cloud application platform that many teams adopted as a Heroku replacement. You connect a Git repository or container image and Render builds and runs it as a web service, private service, background worker, cron job or static site, with managed Postgres and a Redis-compatible key-value store alongside. Deploys are automatic on push, pull requests can get preview environments, and infrastructure can be described in a render.yaml blueprint. It handles TLS, custom domains, autoscaling, persistent disks and private networking. Pricing combines a workspace plan with compute billed per service: the Hobby workspace is free, with free instances for web services and Postgres that spin down after 15 minutes without traffic, while Pro and higher plans add team features, more bandwidth and compliance. Paid instance types are priced per month, prorated by the second. It is a strong middle ground between serverless frontend hosts and running your own cloud infrastructure.
Side by side
| Attribute | Heroku | Render |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Best for | Teams with existing Heroku apps that value a stable, well-known git-push workflow | Teams moving off Heroku who want services, workers, cron and Postgres in one place |
| Status | Active | Active |
Heroku vs Render pricing
Heroku: paid
We couldn't verify Heroku's plan details on its own site yet, so we don't list them.
Heroku pricing pageRender: free plan + paid
- Free plan: Hobby, $0/month plus compute source
- Pro plan: $25/month plus compute source
- Free instance spin-down: After 15 minutes idle source
Platforms
| Platform | Heroku | Render |
|---|---|---|
| Web |
Heroku facts
4 of 4 verified- Engineering model
- Sustaining engineering (since Feb 2026)
- Checked Oct 25, 2026heroku.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Heroku is transitioning to a sustaining engineering model focused on stability, security, reliability, and support.”
- Eco dyno sleep
- After 30 minutes idle
- Checked Oct 25, 2026heroku.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Sleeps after 30 minutes of inactivity”
Render facts
3 of 3 verified- Free plan
- Hobby, $0/month plus compute
- Checked Oct 25, 2026render.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Hobby Pro Scale Enterprise For individuals building personal projects and prototypes. $ 0 /mo + compute For teams deploying production-grade apps and agents.”
- Pro plan
- $25/month plus compute
- Checked Oct 25, 2026render.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$ 25 /mo + compute For teams that need advanced governance and compliance.”
- Free instance spin-down
- After 15 minutes idle
- Checked Oct 25, 2026render.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Spinning down on idle Render spins down a Free web service that goes 15 minutes without receiving any inbound traffic.”
Pros and cons of Heroku
- Simple git-push deploys with mature buildpacks
- Large add-on marketplace
- Pipelines and review apps for staging workflows
- 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
Pros and cons of Render
- Runs web services, workers, cron jobs and static sites together
- Managed Postgres and key-value store included
- Infrastructure as code with Blueprints
- Free web services spin down after 15 minutes idle
- Workspace fee on top of compute for teams
- Fewer regions than the big clouds
Other apps to consider
Heroku vs Render: common questions
Is Heroku better than Render?
Heroku is the original git-push platform and remains a dependable home for existing apps; Render is the platform many teams pick when leaving it. Render runs web services, workers, cron jobs, static sites and Postgres together with a free Hobby workspace, while Heroku has no free tier and is now in sustaining engineering mode. New projects usually fit Render better; stable Heroku apps rarely need to move in a hurry.
Is Heroku free?
No. Heroku is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is Render free?
Render has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Heroku or Render open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Heroku and Render support?
Heroku: Web. Render: Web.