Heroku
Netlify
| Feature | Heroku | Netlify |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $5/mo | Free / from $19/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | startups, prototyping, small-teams, ruby-python-node-developers | developers, agencies, small-teams, jamstack-developers |
| Founded | 2007 | 2014 |
| Git Deploy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Managed Postgres | ✓ | ✗ |
| Managed Redis | ✓ | ✗ |
| Add Ons | ✓ | ✗ |
| Review Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pipelines | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Scaling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Serverless Functions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
| Identity | ✗ | ✓ |
| Split Testing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Edge Functions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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
✓ Netlify Pros
- Extremely generous free tier (100GB bandwidth)
- Built-in forms without backend code
- Split testing (A/B) built-in
- Framework-agnostic — works with anything
✗ Netlify Cons
- Build times can be slow for large sites
- Serverless functions less powerful than Vercel's
- UI can be confusing for complex setups
The Verdict
Heroku is built for startups and prototyping, with a focus on git-deploy and managed-postgres. Netlify targets developers and agencies and leads with git-deploy and serverless-functions.
On pricing, Heroku is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $5/mo compared to $19/mo for Netlify. That $14/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Netlify 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.
Netlify edges out on user ratings (4.5 vs 4). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Both tools are a solid fit for small teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Netlify 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.