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It's a split decision.
Heroku is a managed application platform built around dynos, GitHub deployments, add-ons and managed data services. Upsun is a managed PaaS that defines application stacks in repository YAML and provisions isolated branch environments across multiple cloud providers. Choose Heroku when its managed runtime and familiar deployment model fit your app. Choose Upsun when environment replication, configurable resource sizing and multi-cloud options matter more. Both are hosted services; compare total usage costs and service dependencies before moving.
01Side by side
| Heroku | Upsun | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Monthly dyno plans start at $5; higher tiers add capacity. | €9/project plus €10/user monthly, then metered resource charges. |
| Free tier | No free plan; Eco starts at $5/month. | 15-day trial; no free plan. |
| Integrations | GitHub, Salesforce, identity providers, add-ons and community buildpacks. | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Fastly, Slack, PagerDuty and more. |
| API and SDKs | GitHub deployment workflow; API and SDK details aren't published. | API integration listed; SDK details aren't published. |
| Deployment model | Deploy with GitHub or git push to Heroku. | Git branches can provision isolated replica environments. |
| Platforms | Managed dynos, Postgres and Redis-based key-value store. | AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, OVHcloud and IBM Cloud. |
| Limits and scaling | Dyno tiers vary in RAM, compute and process types. | Flex sizing is granular; Fixed uses predefined tiers. |
| Lock-in and data export | Dynos, add-ons and buildpacks create platform-specific dependencies. | Git-defined stacks and multi-cloud deployment support portability. |
Heroku Choose Heroku if
- Choose Heroku if you want managed dynos and straightforward GitHub deployments.
- Choose Heroku if managed Postgres and Redis fit your app.
- Choose Heroku if you need Review Apps and continuous delivery.
Upsun Choose Upsun if
- Choose Upsun if you want stack configuration stored in Git.
- Choose Upsun if branch environments need isolated replicas of production.
- Choose Upsun if deploying across multiple cloud providers matters.
02Pricing at real usage
Heroku has no free plan. Its Eco dyno is $5 per month and sleeps after 30 minutes of inactivity; Basic is $7 and stays on. Standard-1X is $25 monthly, while larger Standard, Performance, Private, Shield and Fir options rise with compute, memory, isolation or compliance requirements. Upsun offers a 15-day trial, then bills pay-as-you-go monthly in euros: €9 per project and €10 per user, plus metered resources. Each project includes 10 GB egress, 500,000 ingress requests, 2.5 CPU-hours and 5 GB-hours of builds monthly. Extra egress is €0.03/GB; disk is €0.49/GB/month. More seats, support, SLA, storage and managed services add cost. Volume pricing above €1,000 monthly is available, but rates are not published.
03API, SDKs and integration
Heroku’s documented workflow centers on Git and GitHub: its homepage gives git push heroku main as a deployment example, and GitHub pushes can trigger deployments or create disposable Review Apps. The platform also supports buildpacks, third-party add-ons, Salesforce and identity providers. Heroku does not publish API or SDK details on its product pages, so confirm specific API needs before choosing it.
Upsun stores application stacks, routing and service topologies in repository YAML, including .upsun/config.yaml. Its integration list includes GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Fastly, Slack, PagerDuty, New Relic, webhooks and an API. The homepage lists runtimes including PHP, Python, Node.js/TypeScript, Java, Go, Ruby, .NET, Rust and Elixir, plus frameworks such as Django, Laravel and Next.js. Upsun does not publish an SDK inventory in its product pages. Check the vendor documentation for protocol, client-library and CLI requirements.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both products are presented as managed cloud platforms. Neither vendor publishes an open-source licence, self-hosting option or data-export path for these platforms. Heroku’s dynos, buildpacks, managed data services and add-ons can create dependencies that need replacing in a migration. Upsun’s stack and service topology are declared in Git-based YAML, and its deployments span multiple cloud providers. That can make application configuration easier to reproduce, but it does not establish that managed database contents or service state move automatically. Before committing, ask each vendor about database export formats, backup retrieval, service-specific migration steps and any charges for moving data.
Questions people ask
Is Heroku or Upsun cheaper?
It depends on workload and usage. Heroku publishes fixed monthly dyno prices, starting at $5 for Eco and $7 for Basic. Upsun starts with a €9 monthly project fee and €10 per user, then charges for resource use and services. Compare expected compute, storage, egress, seats and support before estimating total cost.
Does Upsun create a separate environment for each Git branch?
Upsun’s homepage says Git branches and pull or merge requests can provision isolated replica environments, including code, databases and connected services. That model supports staging and review workflows. Check your project configuration and resource budget, since Upsun bills for usage beyond included monthly resources.
Can Heroku deploy from GitHub?
Yes. Heroku supports manual or automatic deployment of a branch on GitHub pushes. Its GitHub integration can also create disposable Review Apps for pull requests. The platform homepage also gives git push heroku main as a deployment workflow.
Can I move an application between Heroku and Upsun?
Application code may be portable, but deployment configuration and managed services differ. Heroku uses dynos, buildpacks and add-ons; Upsun defines stacks and services in repository YAML. Plan to adapt configuration and verify database export, restore and service-migration steps with the vendors.