Kubernetes vs Heroku
type: Article
description: Kubernetes is a self-managed container orchestration platform requiring significant DevOps expertise and infrastructure overhead, while Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service that prioritizes developer speed with minimal configuration but at higher per-unit costs.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-06-23T20:27:53.351Z
date created: 2026-06-23T20:27:53.351Z
date modified: 2026-06-23T20:27:53.396Z
content reference time: 2026-06-23T20:27:53.396Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Kubernetes
about: Heroku
abstract: Kubernetes is a self-managed container orchestration platform requiring significant DevOps expertise and infrastructure overhead, while Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service that prioritizes developer speed with minimal configuration but at higher per-unit costs.
text: Management Model. Monthly Cost (Single App, Medium Scale). Setup Time for Production. Learning Curve (1-10 scale). DevOps Team Required. Scalability Limit. Cost at 10,000 Monthly Users
conclusion text: Choose Kubernetes if you have a dedicated DevOps team, expect massive scale (1M+ requests/month), need cost efficiency at large volumes, or require deep infrastructure customization. Choose Heroku if you're a small team prioritizing speed-to-market, have modest traffic (under 100k monthly active users), want zero DevOps overhead, and can accept 2-3x higher per-unit costs for operational simplicity.
additional property: Latest Stable Version (2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: v1.35.2 (February 2026) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Setup Time for Beginners
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 2-4 hours | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Scalability Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Unlimited clusters | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Primary Use Environment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Production, multi-machine clusters | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Container Runtime Dependency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Runtime agnostic (Docker, containerd, etc.) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Auto-Scaling Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Automatic horizontal and vertical scaling | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Configuration Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Complex (YAML manifests, declarative) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Multi-Cluster Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Full support with Application Sets v2 | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Time to Production Setup
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 14-30 days (requires cluster setup, networking, storage, security configuration) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Market Share (Container Orchestration)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 96% of enterprises using container orchestration (2024) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Cloud Market Share
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: N/A - not a cloud provider | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Total Cost of Ownership (3-year, 100-node cluster)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: $400K-$600K (infrastructure + 3-5 FTE DevOps engineers at $120K-$150K/year) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Vendor Lock-in Risk
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: None—runs on any cloud provider or on-premises | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Available Services
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 1 (container orchestration) + ecosystem plugins | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Community Size & Documentation
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 110K+ GitHub stars; 3000+ contributors; CNCF project | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Multi-Cloud Deployment Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle Cloud, on-premises, edge environments | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 30-120 minutes | Heroku: 2-5
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Required DevOps Experience
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 200-400 hours | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Global Community Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 8.5 million | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Minimum Monthly Cost (Small App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: $50-300 | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Scale Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: $500-5,000+ | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Maximum Concurrent Users (Native Support)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Unlimited | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Configuration as Code Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Full (YAML, Helm, Kustomize) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Automatic Scaling Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 60-180 minutes | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (Baseline App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: $150-400 | Heroku: $500-2,000
  value reference: Kubernetes
additional property: Maximum Deployable Scale
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Unlimited | Heroku: 100,000
additional property: Learning Curve (Expert Assessment)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 3-6 months | Heroku: 0.5-1 week
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Available Add-ons/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 400+ (via Helm/operators) | Heroku: 180+ (official marketplace)
  value reference: Kubernetes
additional property: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 99.5% (varies by provider) | Heroku: 99.99%
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: $300-800 | Heroku: $2,000-5,000
  value reference: Kubernetes
additional property: Required DevOps Team Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 1-2+ | Heroku: 0
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Minimum Memory Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 2 GB | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Single-node Deployment Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Requires k3s or minimal clusters | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Maximum Recommended Cluster Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 5000+ nodes per cluster | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Production Adoption
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 89% of Fortune 500 | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Time to Production Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 7-14 days | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Cost for Small Deployment (5 containers)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: $400-800 | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Built-in Auto-scaling Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Native HPA & VPA | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Certified Ecosystem Plugins
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 500+ | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 40-80 hours (self-hosted) | Heroku: 0.25-0.5 hours
  value reference: Heroku
additional property: Global Data Center Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Deployment-dependent | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Base Licensing Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Free (open-source) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Container Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Docker, Containerd, CRI-O, Podman | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Vendor Lock-in Risk Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Minimal (runs on any cloud) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Support SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: Community-dependent (varies) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Average Cluster Management Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: 30-50 hours/month (self-hosted) | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Multi-cloud Deployment Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: AWS, Azure, GCP, on-premises, edge | Heroku: N/A
additional property: Starting Monthly Price
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $50
additional property: Cold Start Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 10-30
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/kubernetes
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/kubernetes
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/kubernetes-vs-heroku
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/kubernetes-vs-heroku
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-fly-io)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-vercel
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-fly-io
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kubernetes-vs-aws
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kubernetes-vs-google-cloud
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-digitalocean
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kubernetes-vs-render
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/heroku-vs-aws
teaches: How to choose between Kubernetes and Heroku
genre: Software

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

A Versus B
type: Organization

Kubernetes
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Open-source container orchestration platform for automating deployment and scaling of containerized applications.
subject of: Kubernetes vs Heroku

Heroku
type: Thing
language: en-US
description: PaaS platform owned by Salesforce for deploying web apps with minimal DevOps knowledge.
subject of: Kubernetes vs Heroku

Kubernetes vs Heroku — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Kubernetes vs Heroku. Contains 112 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: Latest Stable Version (2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Release Cycle
variable measured: Setup Time for Beginners
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Usability
variable measured: Scalability Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capacity
variable measured: Primary Use Environment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Container Runtime Dependency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Auto-Scaling Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Configuration Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Usability
variable measured: Multi-Cluster Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Time to Production Setup
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment & Operations
variable measured: Market Share (Container Orchestration)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Market Position
variable measured: Cloud Market Share
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Market Position
variable measured: Total Cost of Ownership (3-year, 100-node cluster)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: Vendor Lock-in Risk
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Available Services
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features & Scope
variable measured: Community Size & Documentation
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community & Support
variable measured: Multi-Cloud Deployment Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Time to First Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Development
variable measured: Required DevOps Experience
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Learning & Operations
variable measured: Global Community Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community & Support
variable measured: Minimum Monthly Cost (Small App)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Enterprise Scale Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Concurrent Users (Native Support)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Configuration as Code Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Automatic Scaling Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
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: Uptime SLA Guarantee
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Reliability
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: Minimum Memory Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Resources
variable measured: Single-node Deployment Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Functionality
variable measured: Maximum Recommended Cluster Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Enterprise Production Adoption
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Market
variable measured: Time to Production Deployment
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Cost for Small Deployment (5 containers)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Economics
variable measured: Built-in Auto-scaling Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Functionality
variable measured: Certified Ecosystem Plugins
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Experience
variable measured: Global Data Center Regions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure Scale
variable measured: Base Licensing Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: Container Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Vendor Lock-in Risk Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Strategic
variable measured: Enterprise Support SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Support
variable measured: Average Cluster Management Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operational Efficiency
variable measured: Multi-cloud Deployment Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
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
variable measured: Git-Push Deployment
variable measured: Credit Card Required for Trial
variable measured: Cold Start Time
variable measured: Free Tier Bandwidth
variable measured: Supported Backend Languages
variable measured: Native Database Support
variable measured: Global Edge Locations
variable measured: Add-on Marketplace Size
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kubernetes-vs-heroku

Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Kubernetes vs Heroku.
has defined term: Release Cycle
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Capacity
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Deployment & Operations
has defined term: Market Position
has defined term: Cost
has defined term: Features & Scope
has defined term: Community & Support
has defined term: Development
has defined term: Learning & Operations
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Resources
has defined term: Functionality
has defined term: Market
has defined term: Economics
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Infrastructure Scale
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Strategic
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Operational Efficiency
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: DevOps
has defined term: Database
has defined term: Product
has defined term: History
has defined term: Onboarding
has defined term: Capabilities
has defined term: Control
has defined term: Platform Scope
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: Language Support
has defined term: Maturity

Release Cycle
type: DefinedTerm
term code: release-cycle
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Capacity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capacity
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

Deployment & Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment-&-operations
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market Position
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market-position
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features & Scope
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features-&-scope
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Learning & Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: learning-&-operations
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Functionality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: functionality
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Economics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: economics
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

Strategic
type: DefinedTerm
term code: strategic
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Operational Efficiency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operational-efficiency
in defined term set: Kubernetes vs Heroku — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-23T20:27:53.396Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: kubernetes-vs-heroku
main entity: When should I migrate from Heroku to Kubernetes?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Migrate when your Heroku bill exceeds $1,500/month or you need features unavailable on Heroku (custom networking, GPU workloads, or 14GB+ RAM per instance). At that point, Kubernetes typically pays for itself within 6 months through cost savings, though you'll need to invest 4-8 weeks in migration and 1-2 full-time DevOps engineers.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I use Kubernetes without hiring DevOps engineers?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Not practically. While managed Kubernetes services (EKS, GKE, AKS) reduce overhead by 60%, you still need 0.5-1 FTE with Kubernetes expertise for troubleshooting, security patches, resource optimization, and incident response. For true no-ops, Heroku or AWS Lightsail remain better choices.
    language: en-US
main entity: Is Kubernetes overkill for small startups?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes, for most startups. If you have fewer than 5 developers or expect under 100k monthly active users, Heroku's 30-minute setup and zero infrastructure cost typically outweigh the 3-5x price premium. Use Kubernetes only once cost savings justify hiring DevOps staff.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the real cost of switching from Heroku to Kubernetes?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Direct migration costs include: 1-2 engineers × 4-6 weeks (40k-60k in salary), infrastructure costs ($300-800/month on cloud), and 2-3 months of parallel running both systems ($1,500-3,500). Total: $45k-65k upfront + 3+ months of doubled costs, plus ongoing DevOps salary ($120k-160k annually).
    language: en-US
main entity: Which is more secure: Kubernetes or Heroku?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Heroku is more secure by default for typical teams because Salesforce (the owner) manages 99% of security concerns (OS patching, network isolation, data encryption). Kubernetes requires manual configuration of network policies, RBAC, pod security standards, and secret management—increasing security risk in inexperienced hands but allowing higher customization for security teams.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Kubernetes and Heroku
type: HowTo
description: Kubernetes is a self-managed container orchestration platform requiring significant DevOps expertise and infrastructure overhead, while Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service that prioritizes developer speed with minimal configuration but at higher per-unit costs.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Management Model
step: Consider: Monthly Cost (Single App, Medium Scale)
step: Consider: Setup Time for Production
step: Consider: Learning Curve (1-10 scale)
step: Consider: DevOps Team Required
step: Consider: Scalability Limit
step: Consider: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Users
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Kubernetes if you have a dedicated DevOps team, expect massive scale (1M+ requests/month), need cost efficiency at large volumes, or require deep infrastructure customization. Choose Heroku if you're a small team prioritizing speed-to-market, have modest traffic (under 100k monthly active users), want zero DevOps overhead, and can accept 2-3x higher per-unit costs for operational simplicity.

Consider: Management Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Management Model: Kubernetes has Self-managed infrastructure, while Heroku has Fully managed platform.

Consider: Monthly Cost (Single App, Medium Scale)
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Monthly Cost (Single App, Medium Scale): Kubernetes has $150-400 USD, while Heroku has $500-2,000 USD.

Consider: Setup Time for Production
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Setup Time for Production: Kubernetes has 2-4 weeks, while Heroku has 15-30 minutes.

Consider: Learning Curve (1-10 scale)
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Learning Curve (1-10 scale): Kubernetes has 8-9, while Heroku has 2-3.

Consider: DevOps Team Required
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: DevOps Team Required: Kubernetes has Yes, 1-2+ engineers, while Heroku has No, not required.

Consider: Scalability Limit
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Scalability Limit: Kubernetes has Unlimited (hardware limited), while Heroku has Limited to 14GB RAM per dyno.

Consider: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Users
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Cost at 10,000 Monthly Users: Kubernetes has $300-800 USD, while Heroku has $2,000-5,000 USD.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Kubernetes vs Heroku
review body: Kubernetes is a self-managed container orchestration platform requiring significant DevOps expertise and infrastructure overhead, while Heroku is a fully managed Platform-as-a-Service that prioritizes developer speed with minimal configuration but at higher per-unit costs.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Kubernetes vs Heroku

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

Supported Runtimes
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Node, Python, Ruby, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure

Available Add-ons
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 60+ marketplace add-ons

Deployment Methods
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Git push, GitHub, Dropbox, API

Build Duration
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 60-120

Free Trial Period
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: No free trial (paid only)

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $5

Pro Plan Base Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $7

Managed Postgres Starting Price
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $38

Free Tier Status
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Discontinued (2022)

Active Development Status
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Maintenance mode

Years Since Launch
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 15+

Git-Push Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Yes (original)

Credit Card Required for Trial
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Yes

Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 3-5 seconds

Free Tier Bandwidth
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $0 (discontinued)

Supported Backend Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 15+ languages

Native Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis (3 types)

Global Edge Locations
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: ~6 regions

Add-on Marketplace Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 150+ add-ons

Production Dyno Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $50

Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $50

Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $50

Automatic Scaling
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Built-in at all tiers

Database Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 1 minute (add-on)

PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $9

Server Root Access
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: No (limited to buildpacks)

Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 30+ seconds

Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $200-250

Number of Available Services/Products
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 50+

Maximum RAM per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 512

Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Not native (dyno sleep = 30sec)

Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: Yes, automatic on git push

Global Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 4

Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $50/month

Database Cost (Pro Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $50 (minimum)

Cold Start Performance
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 1,500-3,000ms

Global Server Regions
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 6 regions

Marketplace Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 180+ add-ons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $12/month

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deployment Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: 5-10

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

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

Free Tier Monthly Credit
type: PropertyValue
value: Kubernetes: N/A | Heroku: $0 (discontinued, $7 minimum now)

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

SpeakableSpecification
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Kubernetes — Wikipedia
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Heroku — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

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

Years Since Launch
type: PropertyValue
value reference: History

Git-Push Deployment
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Credit Card Required for Trial
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Cold Start Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Free Tier Bandwidth
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Supported Backend Languages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capabilities

Native Database Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Global Edge Locations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Add-on Marketplace Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Production Dyno Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Minimum Monthly Cost (Single App)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Cost per 1GB RAM (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Automatic Scaling
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Database Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

PostgreSQL Managed Database Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Server Root Access
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Control

Cold Start Time (Free/Sleeping Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Cost for Standard Production App (2 dynos + add-ons)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Number of Available Services/Products
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Platform Scope

Maximum RAM per Instance
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Lambda/Serverless Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps

Global Regions Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Minimum Monthly Cost (Paid Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Database Cost (Pro Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Cold Start Performance
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Global Server Regions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Marketplace Add-ons Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integrations

Company Age & Maturity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Free Tier Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Cold Start Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Supported Languages/Runtimes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Language Support

Add-on Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Platform Operational History
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maturity

Free Tier or Trial
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding

Database Provisioning Cost (PostgreSQL Starter)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Minimum Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Cost for Production App (2 dynos/Droplets + DB)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

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

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: Developer Experience

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