Heroku
LinearB
| Feature | Heroku | LinearB |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $5/mo | Free / from $39/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, prototyping, small-teams, ruby-python-node-developers | engineering-managers, vp-engineering, ctos, devops-teams |
| Founded | 2007 | 2019 |
| Git Deploy | ✓ | ✗ |
| Managed Postgres | ✓ | ✗ |
| Managed Redis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Add Ons | ✓ | ✗ |
| Review Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pipelines | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Scaling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cycle Time Metrics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dora Metrics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pr Insights | ✗ | ✓ |
| Workflow Automation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Benchmarks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Planning Intelligence | ✗ | ✓ |
| Investment Profile | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ LinearB Pros
- Correlates engineering metrics with business outcomes
- Automated workflow improvements (WorkerB)
- Benchmarks against industry standards
- Identifies bottlenecks in dev process
✗ LinearB Cons
- Expensive for large engineering teams
- Can feel like surveillance to developers
- Metrics can be gamed if not used carefully
The Verdict
Heroku is built for startups and prototyping, with a focus on git-deploy and managed-postgres. LinearB targets engineering managers and vp engineering and leads with cycle-time-metrics and dora-metrics.
On pricing, Heroku is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $39/mo for LinearB. That $34/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
LinearB 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.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.