Heroku

What is Heroku?

Heroku is a cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) that pioneered the concept of simple application deployment for developers. Founded in 2007 and acquired by Salesforce in 2010, Heroku revolutionized how developers deploy and scale web applications by abstracting away infrastructure complexity. The platform allows developers to focus entirely on code while Heroku handles servers, networking, operating systems, and scaling automatically.

What made Heroku groundbreaking was its introduction of the “git push” deployment model. Before Heroku, deploying an application meant configuring servers, setting up load balancers, and managing infrastructure manually. Heroku simplified this to a single command: push your code, and the platform handles everything else. This developer experience innovation influenced an entire generation of cloud platforms and established patterns that remain standard today.

Heroku supports multiple programming languages including Ruby, Python, Node.js, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, and Clojure through its buildpack system. The platform provides a rich ecosystem of add-ons for databases, caching, monitoring, and other services that can be provisioned with a single click. While newer platforms have emerged with different pricing models, Heroku remains popular for its mature ecosystem, extensive documentation, and the simplicity that made it famous among developers worldwide.

Key Features

• Git-based Deployment: Deploy applications with a simple git push command; Heroku detects the language and builds automatically.
• Dyno Containers: Lightweight, isolated containers that run your application with instant scaling up or down as needed.
• Add-on Marketplace: Over 200 third-party services including databases, caching, monitoring, and email available with one-click provisioning.
• Heroku Postgres: Managed PostgreSQL database service with automatic backups, rollback, and high availability options.
• Heroku Redis: Managed Redis instances for caching and real-time data with enterprise-grade reliability.
• Review Apps: Automatically create disposable app instances for each pull request to test and review changes.
• Pipelines: Visual representation of your deployment workflow from development through staging to production.
• Heroku CI: Continuous integration service that runs tests automatically with each push.
• Private Spaces: Isolated, dedicated environments with network isolation and compliance features for enterprises.
• Container Registry: Deploy Docker containers directly to Heroku for applications requiring custom environments.

Recent Updates and Improvements

Heroku continues evolving its platform with features focused on modern development practices and enterprise requirements.

• Next Generation Runtimes: Updated language runtimes with latest versions of Node.js, Python, Ruby, and other supported languages.
• Improved Build Performance: Faster builds through caching improvements and optimized buildpack execution.
• Enhanced Postgres: New PostgreSQL versions, improved performance, and additional enterprise features.
• Shield Spaces: Enhanced compliance features for healthcare, finance, and other regulated industries.
• Manifest Deploys: Deploy multiple applications and resources with declarative configuration files.
• Improved CLI: Enhanced command-line interface with better performance and additional commands.
• Cost Management: Better visibility into resource usage and cost optimization recommendations.
• Integration Updates: Improved integrations with GitHub, Salesforce, and enterprise SSO providers.

System Requirements

Heroku CLI

• Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Node.js 14.x or later (optional, bundled with installer)
• Git for deployment
• Internet connection for cloud services

Supported Languages

• Node.js (JavaScript/TypeScript)
• Ruby
• Python
• Java
• PHP
• Go
• Scala
• Clojure
• Docker containers

Browser Support

• Dashboard works in all modern browsers
• Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge supported

How to Use Heroku

Initial Setup and Deployment

1. Sign up at heroku.com
2. Install the Heroku CLI
3. Login via command line
4. Create a new application
5. Push your code to deploy

# Install Heroku CLI (macOS)
brew tap heroku/brew
brew install heroku

# Login to Heroku
heroku login

# Create new application
heroku create my-app-name

# Deploy application
git push heroku main

# Open deployed app
heroku open

# View logs
heroku logs --tail

Configuration and Scaling

# Set environment variables
heroku config:set NODE_ENV=production
heroku config:set DATABASE_URL=postgres://...

# Scale dynos
heroku ps:scale web=2 worker=1

# View running processes
heroku ps

# Add PostgreSQL database
heroku addons:create heroku-postgresql:mini

# Add Redis cache
heroku addons:create heroku-redis:mini

Procfile Configuration

# Procfile for a Node.js app
web: npm start
worker: node worker.js
release: npm run migrate

# Procfile for a Python/Django app
web: gunicorn myproject.wsgi
worker: celery -A myproject worker

# Procfile for a Ruby/Rails app
web: bundle exec puma -C config/puma.rb
worker: bundle exec sidekiq

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Developer Experience: Exceptionally simple deployment with git push and automatic language detection and building.
• Mature Platform: Over 15 years of development has produced a stable, well-documented platform with solved edge cases.
• Add-on Ecosystem: Extensive marketplace of databases, monitoring, and services that provision instantly.
• Managed Databases: Heroku Postgres and Redis are among the best managed database services available.
• Review Apps: Automatic preview environments for pull requests enable excellent collaboration workflows.
• Pipelines: Visual deployment pipelines make promoting code through environments straightforward.
• Documentation: Comprehensive documentation and tutorials make getting started and troubleshooting easy.

Cons

• Pricing: Costs can escalate quickly; even basic production apps require paid dynos and databases.
• No Free Tier: Heroku eliminated free dynos in 2022, requiring payment for any deployed application.
• Cold Starts: Basic and Eco dynos sleep after inactivity, causing slow first requests.
• Limited Customization: Less infrastructure control compared to IaaS platforms like AWS or GCP.
• Vendor Lock-in: Some Heroku-specific patterns and add-ons may complicate migration to other platforms.

Heroku vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Heroku?

Heroku is ideal for:

• Enterprise Teams: Organizations needing mature platform with compliance features, SSO, and audit logging.
• Ruby/Rails Developers: Heroku original focus on Ruby means exceptional Rails support and ecosystem.
• Teams Valuing Simplicity: Developers who want to focus on code without infrastructure management.
• Salesforce Users: Organizations using Salesforce benefit from deep integration and shared infrastructure.
• Add-on Heavy Projects: Applications requiring multiple third-party services benefit from the add-on marketplace.
• Pipeline-based Workflows: Teams using structured promotion through development, staging, and production.

Heroku may not be ideal for:

• Budget-Conscious Startups: The removal of free tiers makes Heroku expensive for early-stage projects.
• Static Sites: Frontend-only sites are better served by Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare Pages.
• Edge Performance: Applications requiring global edge deployment should consider Fly.io or Cloudflare Workers.
• Infrastructure Control: Teams needing custom networking, specific instance types, or infrastructure customization.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Heroku cost?

Heroku pricing starts with Eco dynos at $5/month (shared, sleeps after inactivity) and Basic dynos at $7/month (dedicated, always on). Production dynos start at $25/month with horizontal scaling. Heroku Postgres starts at $5/month for mini tier, with production databases starting at $50/month. Costs add up quickly for production applications requiring always-on dynos, databases, and add-ons.

Why did Heroku remove free dynos?

In 2022, Heroku eliminated free dynos citing abuse for crypto mining and other malicious purposes. The decision was controversial as free dynos had been central to Heroku appeal for learning and side projects. Users needing free hosting now typically use alternatives like Railway, Render, or Fly.io for hobby projects.

How does Heroku compare to AWS?

Heroku is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) built on AWS infrastructure that abstracts away server management. AWS provides Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) with more control and lower costs at scale, but requires more DevOps expertise. Heroku is faster to start but more expensive long-term; AWS is cheaper at scale but requires more configuration. Many teams start on Heroku and migrate to AWS as they grow.

Can I deploy Docker containers to Heroku?

Yes, Heroku supports Docker deployments through Container Registry. You can build and push Docker images directly to Heroku, which is useful for applications requiring specific system dependencies or custom runtime environments. This complements the standard buildpack deployment model for teams already using Docker in their workflow.

What happened to Heroku free tier?

Heroku removed free dynos, free Postgres databases, and free Redis on November 28, 2022. All dynos now require paid plans starting at $5/month. Students with GitHub Student Developer Pack still receive credits. For free alternatives, consider Railway (limited free tier), Render (free tier available), or Fly.io (generous free allowance).

Final Verdict

Heroku holds a special place in developer history as the platform that proved simple deployment could coexist with powerful features. The experience of deploying an application with just git push heroku main remains impressively straightforward, and the mature ecosystem of add-ons, documentation, and tooling reflects over fifteen years of platform development.

However, the cloud platform landscape has evolved significantly since Heroku pioneered PaaS deployment. The removal of free tiers in 2022 eliminated a key advantage for hobbyists and startups, while newer platforms like Railway, Render, and Fly.io offer compelling alternatives with modern features and competitive pricing. For enterprise customers who value Salesforce integration, compliance features, and platform maturity, Heroku remains relevant.

Heroku is best suited for enterprise teams and organizations already invested in the Salesforce ecosystem. For startups, side projects, and cost-conscious teams, exploring alternatives before committing to Heroku is worthwhile. The platform excellent developer experience and mature tooling are undeniable, but whether those benefits justify the cost compared to modern alternatives depends on specific project requirements and budget constraints.