Heroku review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Heroku suits teams that want managed PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka from a single platform and accept an entry price of $5 with no free tier. It sits above the median of the database listings on price, so weigh the opening bill against the stack it replaces.
Key facts
- Best for
- Managed PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka on a single platform
- Price from
- $5↗
- Database engines
- PostgreSQL, Redis, Kafka↗
- Free tier
- No↗
- Headquarters
- United States↗
- Founded
- 2007↗
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community↗
- Official website
- heroku.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 4 sources
Apps and profiles
Listed in
Pros and cons
Pros
- A single vendor covers PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka, so managed relational, caching and streaming databases sit on the same platform
- The entry plan starts at $5, under the €5.83 median entry price across the listings on this site
- Heroku ranks 16 of 70 on entry price, placing it in the cheaper part of the field
- A US company founded in 2007, which suits teams wanting an established vendor
- Support spans email, help centre and community, so a help centre, email and community answers cover most questions without a call
Cons
- There is no free tier, while SberCloud publishes one, so early testing needs a paid plan
- The entry figure of $5 is higher than RisingWave's $0.23 and UCloud's $0.96
- Support runs on email, help centre and community, so no phone channel is listed for problems that need a call
Who it suits
- Teams that want managed PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka from a single platform rather than separate vendors
- Developers happy to pay from the outset: the entry plan begins at $5 and there is no free tier
- US based buyers who can work through email, help centre and community without phone support
Who should look elsewhere
- Teams testing before paying, since SberCloud has a free tier and Heroku does not
- Buyers chasing the lowest opening bill, as RisingWave starts at $0.23
- Readers weighing the widest general cloud catalogue, since UCloud starts at $0.96 while Heroku lists PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka
Pricing
Heroku's entry plan starts at $5, and that is the figure to carry into a renewal forecast: the plan details publish a starting price rather than a discounted opening period paired with a separate renewal rate. Across the ranked database brands on this site the median entry price is €4.38, the lower quartile is €3.07 and the upper quartile is €9.05, so the entry figure sits above the median of the field. Heroku ranks 16 of 70 brands on entry price, and its overall score is 8.5. Another point readers weigh is the absence of a free tier: 84.5% of ranked database brands publish one, and Heroku does not, so there is no free database to grow out of before the opening paid bill. Storage, sizing and add-ons sit on top of $5 when a real workload is modelled.
Who runs it
Heroku is a US company founded in 2007. Support reaches customers through email, help centre and community, so a help centre and community answers sit next to email rather than a phone-led desk. That mix suits developers who prefer to search documentation and read peer replies before contacting anyone, and it suits teams that want a vendor with a US base and a long record. Buyers who need a call centre during an outage will find the listed channels thinner than a phone-first provider. The company profile is established and US based, while the support model is asynchronous by design.
How Heroku compares
Heroku vs ScalaHosting9.3 vs 8.3
Heroku vs Contabo9.3 vs 9.2
Heroku vs Kamatera9.3 vs 9.5- Heroku vs Novada9.3 vs 8.9
Heroku vs Cloudways9.3 vs 9.2
Heroku vs PlanetHoster9.3 vs 8.7
Heroku vs Acronis9.3 vs 9.9
Heroku vs Aruba9.3 vs 9.3
Heroku vs Decodo9.3 vs 9.1
Heroku vs Hostinger9.3 vs 9.1- Heroku vs MarsProxies9.3 vs 9.0
Heroku vs hide.me9.3 vs 8.7
Heroku vs Proton Drive9.3 vs 8.3
Heroku vs AIS Cloud9.3 vs 8.1
Frequently asked questions
What does the Heroku entry plan cost to start?+
Heroku's entry plan starts at $5. That figure sits below the median entry price across the ranked database brands here, which is €4.38, so the opening bill lands close to the middle of the field rather than at the floor. Storage, sizing and add-ons will shape the final amount.
Does Heroku offer a free tier?+
No, Heroku publishes no free tier for its managed databases. Most ranked database brands do offer a free tier, at 84.5%, and SberCloud is a listed alternative that does. Budgeting for Heroku therefore starts with a paid plan from the outset rather than a free database that is later paid for.
Which database engines can I run on Heroku?+
The managed engines cover PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka, which handles the common relational, caching and event streaming needs. A requirement outside that set means sourcing the extra engine from another provider and adding a second bill to manage.
Is the entry price introductory or does it apply at renewal?+
The published starting figure, $5, is the plan price rather than an opening period promotional rate, and the plan details do not pair it with a separate renewal number. Budget from $5 when forecasting costs, and confirm the current rate in the plan details before a commitment.
Where is Heroku based and how established is it?+
Heroku is a US company founded in 2007. A US base and a long operating history suit teams that want a settled vendor for production databases rather than a new entrant, and the company has been in the market since its founding year.
How can I reach Heroku support?+
Support runs on email, help centre and community. That means a self-serve help centre and community answers sit alongside email, which suits developers comfortable searching documentation and reading peer replies before opening a ticket. No phone channel is listed, so voice support is not part of the published set.
How does Heroku's entry price compare with the alternatives?+
Heroku's entry plan starts at $5, above RisingWave at $0.23 and UCloud at $0.96. The gap closes only if Heroku's managed PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka replace several separate services, so the real comparison is between total stack cost and the opening database bill.
Where does Heroku rank on price?+
On entry price, Heroku ranks 16 of 70 brands listed on this site. The database category median entry price is €4.38 against an upper quartile of €9.05, and the overall score for this listing is 8.5.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroku checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“Heroku was founded in 2007”
- help.heroku.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Ask the community or create a ticket”
- heroku.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Database engines
“Heroku Data Services - Simplify your data management with Heroku's fully managed cloud databases”
- heroku.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free tier, Price from
“Build Your Next Big Thing on Heroku. Sign Up Now”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.