Google Cloud Platform
Heroku
| Feature | Google Cloud Platform | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | From $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| Best For | data-teams, kubernetes-users, ai-ml-teams, startups | startups, prototyping, small-teams, ruby-python-node-developers |
| Founded | 2008 | 2007 |
| Compute Engine | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bigquery | ✓ | ✗ |
| Kubernetes Gke | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud Functions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Vertex Ai | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud Storage | ✓ | ✗ |
| Firebase | ✓ | ✗ |
| Git Deploy | ✗ | ✓ |
| Managed Postgres | ✗ | ✓ |
| Managed Redis | ✗ | ✓ |
| Add Ons | ✗ | ✓ |
| Review Apps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pipelines | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto Scaling | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Google Cloud Platform Pros
- Best-in-class data and analytics tools (BigQuery)
- Leading Kubernetes offering (GKE) from its creators
- Clean, modern console and developer experience
- $300 free credits for new accounts
✗ Google Cloud Platform Cons
- Smaller service catalog than AWS
- Enterprise support and sales lag behind AWS/Azure
- History of deprecating services concerns users
✓ Heroku Pros
- Simplest deployment experience (git push to deploy)
- Extensive add-on marketplace for databases and services
- Great for prototyping and MVPs
- Managed Postgres and Redis included
✗ Heroku Cons
- Removed free tier in 2022
- Expensive for production workloads at scale
- Limited infrastructure customization
The Verdict
Google Cloud Platform is built for data teams and kubernetes users, with a focus on compute-engine and bigquery. Heroku targets startups and prototyping and leads with git-deploy and managed-postgres.
On pricing, Google Cloud Platform is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $5/mo for Heroku. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Google Cloud Platform has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Heroku requires a paid subscription from day one.
Google Cloud Platform edges out on user ratings (4.4 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Google Cloud Platform has a slight overall edge — but if simplest deployment experience (git push to deploy) matters most to you, Heroku may still be the right call.