Heroku vs Vercel
type: Article
description: 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.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-09T07:47:41.594Z
date created: 2026-07-09T07:47:41.594Z
date modified: 2026-07-09T07:47:41.628Z
content reference time: 2026-07-09T07:47:41.628Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Heroku
about: Vercel
abstract: 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.
text: Cold Start Time. Free Tier Availability. Supported Languages. Edge Functions/CDN. Starting Price (Small App). Database Hosting Integration. Deployment Speed
conclusion text: 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.
additional property: Starting Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 10-30 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Maximum Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 99.99% | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Supported Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Available Add-ons
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 60+ marketplace add-ons | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Deployment Methods
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Git push, GitHub, Dropbox, API | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 60-120 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: No free trial (paid only) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $5 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Pro Plan Base Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $7 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Managed Postgres Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $38 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Discontinued (2022) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Active Development Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Maintenance mode | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Years Since Launch
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 15+ | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Git-Push Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes (original) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Credit Card Required for Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 500-1000ms | Vercel: 100-300ms
  value reference: Vercel
additional property: Free Tier Bandwidth
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $0 (discontinued) | Vercel: 100GB
additional property: Supported Backend Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 15+ languages | Vercel: 2 (Node.js, Python)
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Native Database Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types) | Vercel: None (external only)
additional property: Global Edge Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: ~6 regions | Vercel: 280+
  value reference: Vercel
additional property: Add-on Marketplace Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 200+ add-ons available | Vercel: Native integrations limited (Git-based)
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Production Dyno Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: $20 (Pro plan)
  value reference: Vercel
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Built-in at all tiers | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 1 minute (add-on) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $9 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: No (limited to buildpacks) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 30+ seconds | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0.25-0.5 hours | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (Baseline App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $500-2,000 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Maximum Deployable Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 100,000 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0.5-1 week | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Available Add-ons/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 180+ (official marketplace) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $2,000-5,000 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Required DevOps Team Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 0 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $200-250 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 2-5 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Number of Available Services/Products
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 50+ | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Maximum RAM per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 512 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: Yes, automatic on git push | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Global Regions Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 4 | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50/month | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Database Cost (Pro Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: $50 (minimum) | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Cold Start Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 1,500-3,000ms | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Global Server Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 6 regions | Vercel: N/A
additional property: Marketplace Add-ons Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Heroku: 180+ add-ons | Vercel: 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/vercel
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/vercel
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/heroku-vs-vercel)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/heroku-vs-vercel)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/google-cloud-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gcp-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vercel-vs-render
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vercel-vs-aws-amplify
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/vercel-vs-github
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-fly-io
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aws-vs-vercel
teaches: How to choose between Heroku and Vercel
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: Heroku vs Vercel — 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 for deploying web apps across multiple programming languages with managed databases.
subject of: Heroku vs Vercel

Vercel
type: Organization
language: en-US
description: Serverless platform optimized for JavaScript/TypeScript frontend and full-stack deployment with global edge network.
subject of: Heroku vs Vercel

Heroku vs Vercel — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Heroku vs Vercel. Contains 165 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
  type: DataDownload
  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
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Starting Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Maximum Uptime SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Supported Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Available Add-ons
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Deployment Methods
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: DevOps
variable measured: Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Trial Period
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Pro Plan Base Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Managed Postgres Starting Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Database
variable measured: Free Tier Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Active Development Status
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Product
variable measured: Years Since Launch
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: History
variable measured: Git-Push Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Credit Card Required for Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Onboarding
variable measured: Cold Start Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Tier Bandwidth
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Limits
variable measured: Supported Backend Languages
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Native Database Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Global Edge Locations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Add-on Marketplace Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Production Dyno Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Automatic Scaling
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Database Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Server Root Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Control
variable measured: Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Baseline App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Deployable Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Available Add-ons/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Required DevOps Team Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Development Speed
variable measured: Number of Available Services/Products
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Platform Scope
variable measured: Maximum RAM per Instance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: DevOps
variable measured: Global Regions Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Global Presence
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Database Cost (Pro Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Cold Start Performance
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Global Server Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Marketplace Add-ons Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integrations
variable measured: Company Age & Maturity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Free Tier Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Accessibility
variable measured: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
variable measured: Supported Languages/Runtimes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Language Support
variable measured: Add-on Marketplace Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Platform Operational History
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Maturity
variable measured: Free Tier or Trial
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Onboarding
variable measured: Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Time from Code Commit to Production
variable measured: Cold Start Response Time
variable measured: Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
variable measured: Infrastructure Customization Level
variable measured: Free Tier Availability
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)
variable measured: Global Deployment Regions
variable measured: CPU Cost Per Hour
variable measured: Deployment Time
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel)

Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Heroku vs Vercel.
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: Limits
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Control
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Development Speed
has defined term: Platform Scope
has defined term: Global Presence
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: Accessibility
has defined term: Language Support
has defined term: Maturity
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Financial Metrics
has defined term: Financial
has defined term: Company History
has defined term: Company Info
has defined term: Growth Metrics
has defined term: Strategy
has defined term: Backend
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Monitoring
has defined term: Trial
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Backend Features
has defined term: User Base
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Framework Support
has defined term: CI/CD
has defined term: Developer Features
has defined term: Resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: limits
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

Development Speed
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development-speed
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Global Presence
type: DefinedTerm
term code: global-presence
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Accessibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: accessibility
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Financial Metrics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: financial-metrics
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Financial
type: DefinedTerm
term code: financial
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Company History
type: DefinedTerm
term code: company-history
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Company Info
type: DefinedTerm
term code: company-info
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Growth Metrics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: growth-metrics
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Strategy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: strategy
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Backend
type: DefinedTerm
term code: backend
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Monitoring
type: DefinedTerm
term code: monitoring
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Trial
type: DefinedTerm
term code: trial
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Backend Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: backend-features
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Base
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-base
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-limits
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Framework Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: framework-support
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

CI/CD
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ci/cd
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-features
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resources
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resources
in defined term set: Heroku vs Vercel — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-09T07:47:41.628Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: heroku-vs-vercel)
main entity: Why did Heroku discontinue its free tier?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I run Python applications on Vercel?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform is better for global content delivery?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US
main entity: Does Vercel provide database hosting like Heroku?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the best platform for a Next.js application?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Heroku and Vercel
type: HowTo
description: 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.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Cold Start Time
step: Consider: Free Tier Availability
step: Consider: Supported Languages
step: Consider: Edge Functions/CDN
step: Consider: Starting Price (Small App)
step: Consider: Database Hosting Integration
step: Consider: Deployment Speed
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: 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.

Consider: Cold Start Time
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Cold Start Time: Heroku has 500-1000ms, while Vercel has 100-300ms.

Consider: Free Tier Availability
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Free Tier Availability: Heroku has Discontinued (October 2022), while Vercel has Available with 100GB bandwidth/month.

Consider: Supported Languages
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Supported Languages: Heroku has Java, Python, Node.js, Ruby, PHP, Go, Clojure, Scala (8+), while Vercel has Primarily JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, Python (limited).

Consider: Edge Functions/CDN
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Edge Functions/CDN: Heroku has Dyno proxy with regional deployment, while Vercel has Native Edge Network in 180+ cities.

Consider: Starting Price (Small App)
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Starting Price (Small App): Heroku has $7/month (Eco Dyno), while Vercel has $20/month (Pro plan) or Free tier.

Consider: Database Hosting Integration
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Database Hosting Integration: Heroku has Heroku Postgres (built-in add-on), while Vercel has Third-party integrations only (Supabase, MongoDB).

Consider: Deployment Speed
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Deployment Speed: Heroku has 30-60 seconds, while Vercel has 10-20 seconds.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Heroku vs Vercel
review body: 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.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Heroku vs Vercel

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

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

Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 30-60 seconds | Vercel: 50-100ms
value reference: Heroku

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $7/month (Eco Dyno) | Vercel: $0 (Free) or $20/month (Pro)
value reference: Vercel

Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $250-350/month | Vercel: N/A

Time from Code Commit to Production
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: <2 minutes | Vercel: N/A

Cold Start Response Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 3-5 seconds (free dyno) | Vercel: N/A

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

Integrated Services & Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 150+ integrated add-ons | Vercel: N/A

Infrastructure Customization Level
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Limited (configuration over customization) | Vercel: N/A

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Discontinued (was free, now hobby tier $50/month) | Vercel: N/A

Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $50-150 | Vercel: N/A

Global Deployment Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 4 | Vercel: N/A

CPU Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $0.05 (shared dyno equivalent) | Vercel: N/A

Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 30-60 seconds | Vercel: 10-20 seconds
value reference: Vercel

Included PostgreSQL Database
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $9 | Vercel: N/A

Community Size & Age
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 15+ years (established 2011) | Vercel: N/A

Free Tier Monthly Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: $0 (discontinued, $7 minimum now) | Vercel: $0 (usage-based)

Typical App Latency (US-EU)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 150-200 | Vercel: N/A

Free Tier Monthly Bandwidth
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: None (tier discontinued) | Vercel: 100GB/month
value reference: Vercel

Supported Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: 8+ languages (Java, Python, Ruby, Node.js, Go, PHP, Clojure, Scala) | Vercel: JavaScript/TypeScript, limited Python support
value reference: Heroku

Global Edge Network Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Regional deployment (limited) | Vercel: 180+ cities worldwide
value reference: Vercel

Integrated Database Hosting
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: Heroku Postgres with automated backups | Vercel: Third-party integrations required
value reference: Heroku

Company Valuation
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $9.3B

Annualized Recurring Revenue
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $340M

Total Funding Raised
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $863M

Founding Year
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2015

Current Funding Stage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Series F

YoY Revenue Growth Rate
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 86%

Primary Geographic HQ
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Covina, California, USA

Market Position (2026)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Enterprise market leader

Starter Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200+

Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 50-100ms

Max Serverless Function Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 10GB

Database Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native Vercel Postgres

DDoS Protection Level
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Basic (paid plans enhanced)

Analytics Dashboard
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Detailed Web Analytics

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited free tier

Free Tier Allowance
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited

Pro Plan Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20

Database Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 3-4 options

CDN Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200+ edge locations

Serverless Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: <100ms average

Container Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (via Docker)

Preview Environments
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Automatic per git branch

Enterprise Security Features
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: SOC 2, DDoS, WAF included

Cold Start Time (Function)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 50-100ms

Starting Pro Plan Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20

Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 35+ frameworks

Database Storage (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1 GB (Vercel Postgres)

Monthly Free Credits/Tier
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Free tier (limited)

Integrated Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 15-20 services

Compute Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 150+ (edge)

Docker/Container Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (Node.js focus)

Free Tier Compute
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited Functions (100GB bandwidth)

Native Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0 native; integrations available

ML/AI Services
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: API integrations only

Compute Price (vCPU/hour)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $0.10-0.50 per Serverless Function GB-hr

Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Automatic (280 edge locations)

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1/10 (git push automatic deployment)

Starter Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20/month

Edge Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: ~50 ms

Standard Deployment Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 200-400ms

Edge Network Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 180+ edge locations

Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: PostgreSQL only (Vercel Postgres)

Background Jobs
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Not included (external service required)

Supported Frameworks/Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Next.js optimized (Node.js compatible)

Free Tier Included Features
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited deployments, 12 serverless function invocations/day

Average Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0.5-1.2

Built-in Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0

Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $2.00

Built-in Authentication Systems
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: OAuth providers only

Next.js Framework Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native (created by Vercel team)

Learning Curve for New Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Beginner-friendly

Average Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 85ms (with edge caching)

Setup Time to First Deploy
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2 (connect GitHub, auto-deploy)

Built-in Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 0 (integrations only)

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 99.95% (global)

Concurrent Connections per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited (auto-scales serverless)

Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 5-8 hours

Monthly Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2.5M+

Average Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 45 seconds

Free Tier Deployments Per Day
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 3

Serverless Function Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Yes (Node.js, Python, Go)

Next.js Framework Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native first-class support

Third-Party Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 150+

GitHub Actions Free Tier Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: N/A

Edge Function Latency Reduction
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 30-50ms faster than origin

Serverless Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 50-100ms

Function Invocation Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $0.50

Free Monthly Function Invocations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 1 million

Edge Node Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: ~180 regions

Deployment Speed (avg)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 2.3 seconds

Analytics Tool Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20 (Web Analytics)

Pro Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20/month

Free Tier Bandwidth Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 100

Next.js Build Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 15-25% faster

DDoS Protection on Free Plan
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: No, Pro+ required

Time to First Deploy
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: < 1 (git push)

API Rate Limit (Free)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited

Backend Function Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Limited (requires external platform)

Average Build Time (Next.js)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 35 sec

Supported Frameworks
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 30+ (optimized for Next.js)

Free Tier Build Minutes/Month
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 6,000 min

Environment Variables (Free)
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Unlimited

Edge Network Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: 280+ cities

Next.js ISR/Image Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Native integration with auto-optimization

Starter Plan Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: Free

Team Collaboration Plan
type: PropertyValue
value: Heroku: N/A | Vercel: $20/month

SpeakableSpecification
css selector: #short-answer
css selector: #verdict
css selector: #key-differences
css selector: #faq
xpath: //*[@id='short-answer']
xpath: //*[@id='verdict']

Heroku — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Vercel — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare Heroku vs Vercel
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel)
object: Heroku
object: Vercel

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: Flexibility

Free Tier Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Monthly Cost (Basic Production App)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Deployment Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

CPU Cost Per Hour
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Included PostgreSQL Database
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Community Size & Age
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Free Tier Monthly Credit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Typical App Latency (US-EU)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Free Tier Monthly Bandwidth
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Supported Languages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Global Edge Network Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Integrated Database Hosting
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Company Valuation
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Financial Metrics

Annualized Recurring Revenue
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Financial

Total Funding Raised
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Financial

Founding Year
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Company History

Current Funding Stage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Company Info

YoY Revenue Growth Rate
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Growth Metrics

Primary Geographic HQ
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Company Info

Market Position (2026)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Strategy

Starter Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Global Data Centers
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Max Serverless Function Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Backend

Database Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Backend

DDoS Protection Level
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Analytics Dashboard
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Monitoring

Free Trial Duration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Trial

Free Tier Allowance
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Pro Plan Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Database Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

CDN Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Serverless Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Container Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Architecture

Preview Environments
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Enterprise Security Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Cold Start Time (Function)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Starting Pro Plan Price
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Supported Languages (via Framework/Docker)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Database Storage (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Database

Monthly Free Credits/Tier
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Integrated Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Compute Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Docker/Container Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Free Tier Compute
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Native Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

ML/AI Services
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Compute Price (vCPU/hour)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Setup Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Starter Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Edge Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Standard Deployment Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Edge Network Locations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Background Jobs
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Supported Frameworks/Languages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Free Tier Included Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Average Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Built-in Database Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Serverless Function Cost (per 1M invocations)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Built-in Authentication Systems
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Backend Features

Next.js Framework Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Learning Curve for New Users
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Average Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Setup Time to First Deploy
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Built-in Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

SLA Uptime Guarantee
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Concurrent Connections per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Estimated Learning Time for New Developer
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Monthly Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Base

Average Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Free Tier Deployments Per Day
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing & Limits

Serverless Function Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Next.js Framework Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Framework Support

Third-Party Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

GitHub Actions Free Tier Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: CI/CD

Edge Function Latency Reduction
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Serverless Function Cold Start
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Function Invocation Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Monthly Function Invocations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Edge Node Locations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Deployment Speed (avg)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Analytics Tool Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Pro Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier Bandwidth Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Next.js Build Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

DDoS Protection on Free Plan
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Time to First Deploy
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

API Rate Limit (Free)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Features

Backend Function Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Average Build Time (Next.js)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Supported Frameworks
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Free Tier Build Minutes/Month
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resources

Environment Variables (Free)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Edge Network Coverage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Next.js ISR/Image Optimization
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Starter Plan Pricing
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Team Collaboration Plan
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing