This Heroku review looks at the platform that helped make deploying apps simple for a generation of developers. Founded in 2007, based in the United States, and now owned by Salesforce, Heroku runs on AWS infrastructure and lets you deploy apps with a simple push, backed by a large add-ons marketplace. Here is what this Heroku review found, including the big change to its free tier.
Key takeaways
- Heroku is a US developer platform founded in 2007, owned by Salesforce.
- It makes deploying apps simple, with a rich add-ons marketplace.
- It discontinued its free tier in 2022, so plans now start paid.
What is Heroku?
Heroku is a platform-as-a-service that lets developers deploy, run, and scale apps without managing servers. You push your code and Heroku handles the rest, which made it hugely popular with startups and developers who wanted speed over infrastructure control. It runs on AWS behind the scenes and is now part of Salesforce. Its add-ons marketplace lets you bolt on databases, monitoring, and more.
Heroku features and services
The core is simple app hosting across many languages, with a smooth deployment workflow and easy scaling by adding “dynos”, its term for app containers. The add-ons marketplace is a real strength, offering managed databases, caching, logging, and other services you can attach in a click. This ecosystem is a big reason developers have stayed loyal, even as the platform has changed.
Heroku pricing
Heroku plans start from around $5 a month per dyno. The notable change is that it discontinued its long-standing free tier in 2022, which pushed some hobbyists to alternatives. For professional projects the pricing is reasonable for the convenience, but it is no longer the go-to for free experiments. As always, confirm current pricing on the official site before you build.
Heroku pros and cons
- Pro: Very simple, fast app deployment.
- Pro: Large add-ons marketplace.
- Pro: Backed by Salesforce and AWS infrastructure.
- Con: No more free tier since 2022.
- Con: Can cost more than raw cloud at scale.
Who is Heroku best for?
As this Heroku review shows, it is best for developers and startups who value fast, simple deployment and a rich add-ons ecosystem over low-level control. If you want cheaper raw servers, DigitalOcean or Fly.io may fit better. For frictionless app hosting, though, Heroku is still a favorite. See current plans on the official Heroku website.
Frequently asked questions
Is Heroku good?
For developers who want simple deployment, yes. This Heroku review rates it highly for ease of use and its add-ons marketplace, though it no longer has a free tier.
Does Heroku have a free plan?
No, Heroku discontinued its free tier in 2022. Plans now start from around $5 a month per dyno, which pushed some hobby users to look at alternatives.
What is a dyno in Heroku?
A dyno is Heroku’s term for a lightweight container that runs your app. You scale by adding more dynos, which makes handling more traffic straightforward.
Is Heroku good for beginners?
It is beginner-friendly for developers because deployment is so simple, but it assumes you are building an app. Non-technical users who want a website should pick a shared host.
The bottom line
This Heroku review lands on a clear verdict: it remains one of the simplest ways to deploy and scale apps, backed by a strong add-ons marketplace and Salesforce. Losing the free tier hurt its hobbyist appeal, and it can cost more than raw cloud at scale, but for frictionless app hosting, Heroku is still an excellent choice.