Heroku vs DigitalOcean
type: Article
description: Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) with built-in CI/CD and automatic scaling, while DigitalOcean is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering more control and lower costs but requiring manual server management. Heroku costs 5-10x more for equivalent compute resources but requires significantly less DevOps expertise.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-06-23T09:50:02.520Z
date created: 2026-06-23T09:50:02.520Z
date modified: 2026-06-23T09:50:02.564Z
content reference time: 2026-06-23T09:50:02.564Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Heroku
about: DigitalOcean
abstract: Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) with built-in CI/CD and automatic scaling, while DigitalOcean is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering more control and lower costs but requiring manual server management. Heroku costs 5-10x more for equivalent compute resources but requires significantly less DevOps expertise.
text: Starting Monthly Cost. Deployment Complexity. Scalability Model. Database Included. DevOps Expertise Required. Control & Customization. Cold Start Time
conclusion text: Choose Heroku if you're a startup, indie developer, or team prioritizing speed-to-market and minimal DevOps overhead—the convenience and automatic scaling justify higher costs for projects under 100k monthly users. Choose DigitalOcean if you need cost control, full infrastructure customization, or are scaling to significant traffic volumes—you'll save 70-80% on hosting while gaining complete system access, though you'll need DevOps capabilities.
additional property: Starting Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 10-30 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Maximum Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 99.99% | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Supported Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Available Add-ons
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 60+ marketplace add-ons | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Deployment Methods
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Git push, GitHub, Dropbox, API | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 60-120 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: No free trial (paid only) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $5 | DigitalOcean: $4
  value reference: DigitalOcean
additional property: Pro Plan Base Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $7 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Managed Postgres Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $38 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Discontinued (2022) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Active Development Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Maintenance mode | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Years Since Launch
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 15+ | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Git-Push Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes (original) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Credit Card Required for Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 3-5 seconds | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Bandwidth
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $0 (discontinued) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Supported Backend Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 15+ languages | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Native Database Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Global Edge Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: ~6 regions | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Add-on Marketplace Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 150+ add-ons | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Production Dyno Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | DigitalOcean: $4
  value reference: DigitalOcean
additional property: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | DigitalOcean: $4
  value reference: DigitalOcean
additional property: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Built-in at all tiers | DigitalOcean: Requires Kubernetes ($12+/month)
additional property: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 1 minute (add-on) | DigitalOcean: 20 minutes (manual install)
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $9 | DigitalOcean: $15
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: No (limited to buildpacks) | DigitalOcean: Yes (full SSH access)
additional property: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 30+ seconds | DigitalOcean: Instant (no sleep)
  value reference: DigitalOcean
additional property: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0.25-0.5 hours | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (Baseline App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $500-2,000 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Maximum Deployable Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 100,000 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0.5-1 week | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Available Add-ons/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 180+ (official marketplace) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $2,000-5,000 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Required DevOps Team Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $200-250 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 2-5 | DigitalOcean: 45 minutes
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Number of Available Services/Products
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 50+ | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Maximum RAM per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 512 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes, automatic on git push | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Global Regions Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 4 | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50/month | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Database Cost (Pro Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 (minimum) | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 1,500-3,000ms | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Global Server Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 6 regions | DigitalOcean: N/A
additional property: Marketplace Add-ons Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 180+ add-ons | DigitalOcean: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/digitalocean
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/digitalocean
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/heroku-vs-digitalocean
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/heroku-vs-digitalocean
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-digitalocean)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aws-vs-digitalocean
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-vultr
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-google-cloud
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-fly-io
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-hetzner
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/digitalocean-vs-render
teaches: How to choose between Heroku and DigitalOcean
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

Heroku
type: Thing
language: en-US
description: Cloud Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) by Salesforce for deploying web applications with managed infrastructure.
subject of: Heroku vs DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean
type: Thing
alternate name: Digitalocean
language: en-US
description: Cloud infrastructure provider offering affordable virtual private servers (Droplets), Kubernetes, and managed databases with flexible control.
image: ImageObject
  caption: DigitalOcean
subject of: Heroku vs DigitalOcean
image: ImageObject
  caption: DigitalOcean

Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Heroku vs DigitalOcean. Contains 139 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
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  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
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  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Starting Monthly Price
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variable measured: Cold Start Latency
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variable measured: Supported Runtimes
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variable measured: Available Add-ons
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variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
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variable measured: Pro Plan Base Cost
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variable measured: Managed Postgres Starting Price
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variable measured: Free Tier Status
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variable measured: Company Age & Maturity
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variable measured: Time from Code Commit to Production
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variable measured: Infrastructure Customization Level
variable measured: Free Tier Availability
variable measured: Base Plan Price (Monthly)
variable measured: Data Centers
variable measured: Uptime SLA
variable measured: Kubernetes Service
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-digitalocean

Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Heroku vs DigitalOcean.
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: DevOps
has defined term: Database
has defined term: Product
has defined term: History
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Onboarding
has defined term: Capabilities
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Control
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Development
has defined term: Platform Scope
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: Language Support
has defined term: Maturity
has defined term: Services
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Hardware
has defined term: UX
has defined term: Service Ecosystem
has defined term: Service
has defined term: Advanced Features
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Support & Community
has defined term: Global Reach
has defined term: Specs
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Infrastructure Scale
has defined term: Developer
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Compute
has defined term: Platform Capabilities
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Pricing Clarity

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reliability
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ecosystem
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

DevOps
type: DefinedTerm
term code: devops
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Database
type: DefinedTerm
term code: database
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Product
type: DefinedTerm
term code: product
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

History
type: DefinedTerm
term code: history
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Onboarding
type: DefinedTerm
term code: onboarding
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capabilities
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-experience
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: control
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Development
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Scope
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-scope
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integrations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integrations
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Language Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: language-support
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maturity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maturity
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Services
type: DefinedTerm
term code: services
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Hardware
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

UX
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ux
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Service Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: service-ecosystem
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Service
type: DefinedTerm
term code: service
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Advanced Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: advanced-features
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support & Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support-&-community
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Global Reach
type: DefinedTerm
term code: global-reach
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Specs
type: DefinedTerm
term code: specs
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure Scale
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure-scale
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compute
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compute
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Capabilities
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-capabilities
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing Clarity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-clarity
in defined term set: Heroku vs DigitalOcean — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-23T09:50:02.564Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: heroku-vs-digitalocean
main entity: How much can I save by switching from Heroku to DigitalOcean?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: For a typical Node.js app with database, Heroku costs $50-100/month minimum (standard-1x dyno + PostgreSQL). Equivalent DigitalOcean setup costs $4-20/month (basic droplet + managed database). Savings: 70-95% or $600-1,140 annually. However, you'll need to account for ~10-20 hours of initial DevOps setup and ongoing maintenance.
    language: en-US
main entity: Do I need Docker to use DigitalOcean App Platform?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: No. DigitalOcean offers three deployment options: (1) traditional VPS droplets requiring manual setup, (2) App Platform with git-based deployment similar to Heroku (no Docker required, pricing $12+/month), and (3) Kubernetes for advanced scaling. For beginners, App Platform is the closest Heroku alternative, though it's still slightly more manual.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform scales better for high-traffic applications?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Heroku's automatic dyno scaling is simpler for beginners but becomes expensive at scale (standard-2x dynos cost $500+/month). DigitalOcean Kubernetes is more cost-effective at high traffic but requires DevOps expertise. For 1M+ requests/month, DigitalOcean typically costs 50-60% less due to transparent pricing and no consumption-based charges.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I migrate my Heroku app to DigitalOcean easily?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Migration difficulty depends on Heroku add-ons used. Simple git-based apps migrate easily (2-4 hours). Apps using Heroku-specific services (like Dyno scaling, Heroku Postgres with Wal-E backups) require significant refactoring (8-20 hours). Database migration itself takes 1-2 hours via pg_dump. Use DigitalOcean's App Platform for easiest transition, or standard droplets + Docker for maximum control.
    language: en-US
main entity: Is DigitalOcean suitable for beginners without DevOps experience?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: DigitalOcean App Platform (git-based deployment) is beginner-friendly and similar to Heroku, but standard droplets have a steep learning curve without Linux/SSH knowledge. For true beginners, Heroku's simplicity justifies higher costs initially. After 3-6 months, most developers can handle DigitalOcean's basics through tutorials and documentation.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Heroku and DigitalOcean
type: HowTo
description: Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) with built-in CI/CD and automatic scaling, while DigitalOcean is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering more control and lower costs but requiring manual server management. Heroku costs 5-10x more for equivalent compute resources but requires significantly less DevOps expertise.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Starting Monthly Cost
step: Consider: Deployment Complexity
step: Consider: Scalability Model
step: Consider: Database Included
step: Consider: DevOps Expertise Required
step: Consider: Control & Customization
step: Consider: Cold Start Time
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Heroku if you're a startup, indie developer, or team prioritizing speed-to-market and minimal DevOps overhead—the convenience and automatic scaling justify higher costs for projects under 100k monthly users. Choose DigitalOcean if you need cost control, full infrastructure customization, or are scaling to significant traffic volumes—you'll save 70-80% on hosting while gaining complete system access, though you'll need DevOps capabilities.

Consider: Starting Monthly Cost
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Starting Monthly Cost: Heroku has $50+ (basic dyno), while DigitalOcean has $4-6 (basic droplet).

Consider: Deployment Complexity
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Deployment Complexity: Heroku has Push to git, auto-deploy (5 minutes), while DigitalOcean has Manual provisioning and configuration (30-60 minutes).

Consider: Scalability Model
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Scalability Model: Heroku has Automatic horizontal scaling included, while DigitalOcean has Manual load balancer setup required.

Consider: Database Included
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Database Included: Heroku has PostgreSQL add-on ($9+/month), while DigitalOcean has Install manually or use Managed Databases ($15+/month).

Consider: DevOps Expertise Required
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: DevOps Expertise Required: Heroku has Minimal (good for beginners), while DigitalOcean has Moderate to advanced (Linux/Docker knowledge needed).

Consider: Control & Customization
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Control & Customization: Heroku has Limited to platform constraints, while DigitalOcean has Full root access and complete customization.

Consider: Cold Start Time
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Cold Start Time: Heroku has 30+ seconds (free dyno sleeps), while DigitalOcean has Instant (always-on servers).

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Heroku vs DigitalOcean
review body: Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) with built-in CI/CD and automatic scaling, while DigitalOcean is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering more control and lower costs but requiring manual server management. Heroku costs 5-10x more for equivalent compute resources but requires significantly less DevOps expertise.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Heroku vs DigitalOcean

Company Age & Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Founded 2007 | DigitalOcean: N/A

Free Tier Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: No (discontinued 2022) | DigitalOcean: N/A

Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 30-60 seconds | DigitalOcean: N/A

Uptime SLA Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 99.99% | DigitalOcean: 99.99%

Supported Languages/Runtimes
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 12+ | DigitalOcean: N/A

Add-on Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 200+ | DigitalOcean: N/A

Platform Operational History
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 22 years | DigitalOcean: N/A

Free Tier or Trial
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: None (discontinued) | DigitalOcean: N/A

Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $9/month | DigitalOcean: N/A

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $12/month | DigitalOcean: $4/month
value reference: DigitalOcean

Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $250-350/month | DigitalOcean: $30-50/month
value reference: DigitalOcean

Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: <2 minutes | DigitalOcean: 10-30 minutes
value reference: Heroku

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 3-5 seconds (free dyno) | DigitalOcean: <1 second
value reference: DigitalOcean

Maximum Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 99.99% | DigitalOcean: 99.99%

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 150+ integrated add-ons | DigitalOcean: Managed services via Marketplace
value reference: Heroku

Infrastructure Customization Level
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Limited (configuration over customization) | DigitalOcean: Full control (root SSH, custom runtime)

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Discontinued (was free, now hobby tier $50/month) | DigitalOcean: Free tier with $200/month credits

Base Plan Price (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $4.00

Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 8

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 99.99%

Kubernetes Service
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: DOKS (DigitalOcean Kubernetes Service)

Startup Bias
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Highly favored by startups

CPU Architecture
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Intel Xeon

Dashboard Learning Curve
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Beginner-friendly, modern

Managed Database Offerings
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 5

Core Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 50+

Global Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 8

Database Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $15 (1vCPU, 1GB RAM)

Pricing Transparency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Flat-rate, predictable; per-second billing (min $0.01) as of Jan 2026

AI/ML Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Basic ML tools, no proprietary AI platform

Support Quality
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Community forums, standard support, documentation-heavy

Learning Curve
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Beginner-friendly with intuitive dashboard

Minimum Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $4.00

Entry-Level vCPU (Basic Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 2 vCPU

Entry-Level RAM
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 4 GB

Storage (Basic Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 80 GB SSD

Monthly Bandwidth (Basic Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 4 TB

Documentation Quality
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Comprehensive with extensive tutorials

Data Center Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 12 regions

Managed Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Kafka

Entry-Level VPS Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $6.00/month

Bare Metal Server (Entry-Level)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $140/month

Global Data Center Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 12 regions

SSD Storage (1GB Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 25GB SSD

RAM (Entry-Level VPS)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 1GB

Documentation Pages/Guides
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 2000+ tutorials

Kubernetes Service Included
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Yes (DOKS)

Basic Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $4/month

Basic Plan RAM
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 1GB

Basic Plan vCPU
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 1 dedicated

Free Tier Monthly Compute Hours
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $0

Built-in CI/CD Pipelines
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Manual setup required

Managed Database Types
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 5 types

API Rate Limits
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 5,000 req/hr

Global Data Center Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 12 regions

Average Global Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 150-300ms (8 region average)

Managed Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis)

Compute Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $0.00595 (6GB RAM droplet / 730 hours)

API Rate Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 5,000

Free Tier Included
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: No free tier; $6/month minimum

Container Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Via App Platform (secondary to droplets)

Entry-Level Compute Cost (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $4/month (Basic Droplet)

AI/ML Service Count
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 0 (requires third-party)

Kubernetes (Managed)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: DOKS (Simplified, limited customization)

Time to Deploy Hello World
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 3-5 minutes

Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis)

Enterprise Support Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $100/month

Entry-Level VM/Droplet Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $4-6

Standard 2GB RAM VM Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $12

Available Services/Products
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 45

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 12 regions

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 99.99%

Time to Deploy First VM
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 5-10

AI/ML Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 3

Free Tier Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $200 (60 days)

Basic Compute Instance Hourly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $0.0066/hour

Monthly Compute Instance Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $4/month

Free Trial Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $200 (60 days)

Available Cloud Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 12 regions

Platform Services Offered
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 14 core services

Maximum Virtual Machine RAM
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 512 GB

Premium Support Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Not available

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 2/10 (simple)

Available Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 40+ services

Entry-Level Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: $5/month (Droplet)

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 60 days ($200 credit)

Setup Time to First Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: 2-5 minutes (average)

AI/ML Service Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Limited API integrations, no native ML

Enterprise Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: SOC2, ISO 27001

Monthly Billing Transparency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | DigitalOcean: Simple: Fixed pricing per resource, no hidden fees

SpeakableSpecification
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css selector: #verdict
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Heroku — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

DigitalOcean — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare Heroku vs DigitalOcean
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-digitalocean
object: Heroku
object: DigitalOcean

Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Infrastructure Customization Level
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Control

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Base Plan Price (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Kubernetes Service
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Services

Startup Bias
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

CPU Architecture
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware

Dashboard Learning Curve
type: PropertyValue
value reference: UX

Managed Database Offerings
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Services

Core Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Service Ecosystem

Global Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Database Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Pricing Transparency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Service

AI/ML Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Advanced Features

Support Quality
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Learning Curve
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Minimum Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Entry-Level vCPU (Basic Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Entry-Level RAM
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Storage (Basic Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Monthly Bandwidth (Basic Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Documentation Quality
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support & Community

Data Center Locations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Global Reach

Managed Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Entry-Level VPS Monthly Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Bare Metal Server (Entry-Level)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Data Center Locations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

SSD Storage (1GB Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Specs

RAM (Entry-Level VPS)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Specs

Documentation Pages/Guides
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Kubernetes Service Included
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Services

Basic Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Basic Plan RAM
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Specs

Basic Plan vCPU
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Specs

Free Tier Monthly Compute Hours
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Built-in CI/CD Pipelines
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Managed Database Types
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

API Rate Limits
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Global Data Center Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure Scale

Average Global Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Managed Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Compute Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

API Rate Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer

Free Tier Included
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Container Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Entry-Level Compute Cost (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

AI/ML Service Count
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Kubernetes (Managed)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Time to Deploy Hello World
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Enterprise Support Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Entry-Level VM/Droplet Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Standard 2GB RAM VM Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Available Services/Products
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Time to Deploy First VM
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

AI/ML Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Free Tier Credit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Basic Compute Instance Hourly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Monthly Compute Instance Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Trial Credit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Available Cloud Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Platform Services Offered
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Maximum Virtual Machine RAM
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compute

Premium Support Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Available Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Platform Capabilities

Entry-Level Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Setup Time to First Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Experience

AI/ML Service Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Advanced Features

Enterprise Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Monthly Billing Transparency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing Clarity