Vercel is optimized for frontend and full-stack JavaScript applications with superior cold start performance and built-in edge deployment, while Heroku offers broader language support and traditional backend deployment for diverse tech stacks. Vercel excels for modern web apps; Heroku for legacy systems and non-JavaScript backends.
Heroku vs Vercel — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud platform-as-a-service for deploying web apps across multiple programming languages with managed databases.
Serverless platform optimized for JavaScript/TypeScript frontend and full-stack deployment with global edge network.
Cold Start Time. Free Tier Availability. Supported Languages. Edge Functions/CDN. Starting Price (Small App). Database Hosting Integration. Deployment Speed
Choose Vercel if you're building modern JavaScript/TypeScript applications, need global edge deployment, want a free tier, or prioritize sub-300ms response times. Choose Heroku if you need multi-language backend support, require integrated database hosting, work with legacy systems, or prefer a mature platform with extensive add-on ecosystem.
Heroku: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: 60+ marketplace add-ons | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: Git push, GitHub, Dropbox, API | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: No free trial (paid only) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: Discontinued (2022) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: $0 (discontinued) | Vercel: 100GB
Heroku: 15+ languages | Vercel: 2 (Node.js, Python)
Heroku: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types) | Vercel: None (external only)
Heroku: 200+ add-ons available | Vercel: Native integrations limited (Git-based)
Heroku: Built-in at all tiers | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: No (limited to buildpacks) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: 180+ (official marketplace) | Vercel: N/A
Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
Heroku: Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: Yes, automatic on git push | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: No (discontinued 2022) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: 30-60 seconds | Vercel: 50-100ms
Heroku: None (discontinued) | Vercel: N/A
Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
Heroku: $7/month (Eco Dyno) | Vercel: $0 (Free) or $20/month (Pro)
Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
Heroku: 3-5 seconds (free dyno) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: 150+ integrated add-ons | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: Limited (configuration over customization) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: Discontinued (was free, now hobby tier $50/month) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: $0.05 (shared dyno equivalent) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: 30-60 seconds | Vercel: 10-20 seconds
Heroku: 15+ years (established 2011) | Vercel: N/A
Heroku: $0 (discontinued, $7 minimum now) | Vercel: $0 (usage-based)
Heroku: None (tier discontinued) | Vercel: 100GB/month
Heroku: 8+ languages (Java, Python, Ruby, Node.js, Go, PHP, Clojure, Scala) | Vercel: JavaScript/TypeScript, limited Python support
Heroku: Regional deployment (limited) | Vercel: 180+ cities worldwide
Heroku: Heroku Postgres with automated backups | Vercel: Third-party integrations required
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Covina, California, USA
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Enterprise market leader
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native Vercel Postgres
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Basic (paid plans enhanced)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Detailed Web Analytics
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited free tier
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200+ edge locations
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (via Docker)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Automatic per git branch
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: SOC 2, DDoS, WAF included
Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1 GB (Vercel Postgres)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Free tier (limited)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (Node.js focus)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited Functions (100GB bandwidth)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0 native; integrations available
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: API integrations only
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $0.10-0.50 per Serverless Function GB-hr
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Automatic (280 edge locations)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1/10 (git push automatic deployment)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 180+ edge locations
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: PostgreSQL only (Vercel Postgres)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Not included (external service required)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Next.js optimized (Node.js compatible)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited deployments, 12 serverless function invocations/day
Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: OAuth providers only
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native (created by Vercel team)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 85ms (with edge caching)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2 (connect GitHub, auto-deploy)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0 (integrations only)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited (auto-scales serverless)
Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Yes (Node.js, Python, Go)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native first-class support
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 30-50ms faster than origin
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20 (Web Analytics)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (requires external platform)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 30+ (optimized for Next.js)
Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native integration with auto-optimization
Heroku vs Vercel — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Heroku vs Vercel. Contains 165 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Heroku vs Vercel.
Why did Heroku discontinue its free tier?
In October 2022, Salesforce (Heroku's parent company) discontinued the free tier due to abuse of free resources and resource allocation costs. The company shifted focus to paid plans starting at $7/month. This directly contrasts with Vercel's continued free tier with 100GB monthly bandwidth, making Vercel more accessible for hobbyist projects.
Can I run Python applications on Vercel?
Vercel has limited Python support through Serverless Functions, but it's not optimized for Python backends like Heroku is. Vercel is designed primarily for JavaScript/TypeScript. For Python-heavy applications, Heroku remains the better choice as it natively supports Python with pip dependencies and full runtime environments.
Which platform is better for global content delivery?
Vercel is significantly superior for global delivery, with Edge Functions deployed across 180+ cities worldwide and sub-300ms cold starts. Heroku offers regional dyno distribution but lacks native edge computing. For applications requiring sub-100ms latency globally, Vercel's edge network is a clear advantage.
Does Vercel provide database hosting like Heroku?
No. Heroku includes integrated Postgres database hosting as a managed add-on, while Vercel provides only compute and requires you to use third-party database services like Supabase, MongoDB Atlas, or PlanetScale. This makes Heroku better for all-in-one solutions, while Vercel requires more infrastructure coordination.
What's the best platform for a Next.js application?
Vercel is the clear winner for Next.js since it was created by the Next.js team. You get automatic optimizations, Image Optimization, native Edge Middleware support, and zero-configuration deployments. While you can deploy Next.js to Heroku, you won't get these native optimizations and it's not the intended platform.
Cold Start Time: Heroku has 500-1000ms, while Vercel has 100-300ms.
Free Tier Availability: Heroku has Discontinued (October 2022), while Vercel has Available with 100GB bandwidth/month.
Supported Languages: Heroku has Java, Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, Go, Clojure, Scala (8+), while Vercel has Primarily JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, Python (limited).
Edge Functions/CDN: Heroku has Dyno proxy with regional deployment, while Vercel has Native Edge Network in 180+ cities.
Starting Price (Small App): Heroku has $7/month (Eco Dyno), while Vercel has $20/month (Pro plan) or Free tier.
Database Hosting Integration: Heroku has Heroku Postgres (built-in add-on), while Vercel has Third-party integrations only (Supabase, MongoDB).
Deployment Speed: Heroku has 30-60 seconds, while Vercel has 10-20 seconds.