Comparison

The Heroku alternative for teams that want to keep their infrastructure

Heroku showed how simple deployment can be. When costs climb with load, or servers and mobile apps join the product, the Application Platform sets up the whole chain – with access to the machines.

Your own server over SSH or a managed one instead of a closed dyno runtime
Backend, frontend, mobile and store releases in one project
Operated in the EU with a data processing agreement

Start for free. No credit card required.

Your own servers over SSH or managed ones, with access instead of a black box.

In short

Both platforms take operational work off your hands, but at different points and with different amounts of control left to you.

Heroku fits when a web app needs to go live fast and the add-on marketplace covers your needs.
The Application Platform fits when you need your own servers, predictable costs or mobile apps.
Heroku code runs in dynos on someone else’s infrastructure, ours on servers with SSH access for you.
The CI/CD config is a readable GitLab CI file in your repository, not hidden inside a buildpack.

Heroku and Application Platform side by side

This reflects the typical scope of both platforms. Details change over time, so check the current information from each provider when it matters.

Criterion	Application Platform	Heroku
Deploying a web application	Fully covered: A prepared GitLab CI pipeline per project	Fully covered: Very simple, a push triggers build and release
Language and framework coverage	Fully covered: Templates for Next.js, NestJS, Laravel, FastAPI, Astro and Hugo	Fully covered: Broad buildpack support across many languages
Marketplace for managed extras	Partly covered: No add-on marketplace, extra services run inside your own project	Fully covered: Large add-on marketplace for databases, queues and logging
Use your own servers	Fully covered: Your own server over SSH or a managed server from the platform	Not offered: Not supported, execution happens in dynos
Server baseline	Fully covered: Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups are set up for you	Partly covered: Fully abstracted away, no access to the machine
How costs develop as you grow	Fully covered: Platform plus your own servers, which keeps the curve predictable	Partly covered: Priced per dyno and add-on, rising with instances and load
Free tier for trying things out	Fully covered: Register for free and create a first project	Not offered: No free tier available any more
Building mobile apps	Fully covered: Flutter, Expo and native iOS and Android projects including build environments	Not offered: Not part of the product
Publishing to App Store and Play Store	Fully covered: Metadata, screenshots and versions through Fastlane from inside the platform	Not offered: Not part of the product
Remote development environments	Fully covered: Cloud workspaces with VS Code, JetBrains, RDP and VNC, including macOS for iOS builds	Not offered: Not part of the product
Where processing happens	Fully covered: Operated in the EU with a data processing agreement, servers freely selectable	Partly covered: US provider owned by Salesforce, regions selectable

Green means fully covered, amber partly, grey not offered. Heroku remains extremely comfortable for deployment – the difference lies in control, cost behaviour and reach beyond the web.

As of 10 August 2026. This comparison describes typical workflows and can differ from project to project.

What the Application Platform additionally covers

The topics that remain once application deployment itself is solved.

Servers instead of a black box

Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups get configured on your server – and you keep access to it.

Your infrastructure or a managed one

Bring your own server over SSH or book a managed one. Which provider you use stays your decision.

Readable CI/CD pipelines

Test, build, publish and release live as GitLab CI configuration in your repository and can be adapted directly.

Mobile apps all the way to the store

Processing and hosting in Europe, with a data processing agreement and full ownership of your code.

Docker
Databases
Reverse proxy
SSL
Backups
Firewall
Coming soon Kubernetes
Coming soon Monitoring

The baseline setup happens automatically, and you still reach the machine.

Moving from Heroku to the Application Platform

The migration follows what you already have: a repository, an application and a database.

Connect a server

Attach your own server over SSH or book a managed one. Docker, databases, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups get configured.
Create the project

Set up your project in the wizard and pick the stack. The GitLab repository, project structure and CI/CD pipeline are created along with it.
Move your config vars

What lives as config vars on Heroku goes into the project’s credential management and is handed to individual environments from there.
Migrate the database and cut over

Load a dump into the prepared database, verify the application on a staging environment, then point the DNS record over.

Frequently asked questions

Why do teams look for a Heroku alternative in the first place?

Mostly cost and control: without a free tier, the bill grows with each dyno and add-on, and the machine itself stays out of reach. For teams in Europe, Heroku being a US provider inside Salesforce also matters.

Can I move my application over without rewriting it?

In most cases yes, if it can run in a container. The platform deploys via Docker, so your code stays the same. What you replace is anything tied to Heroku: buildpacks become a Dockerfile, config vars become secrets, add-ons become your own services.

What happens to my Heroku Postgres database?

No. With a managed server the platform handles setup and maintenance. Connect your own server, and it configures Docker, reverse proxy, SSL, firewall and backups; daily operation stays with you. Kubernetes and monitoring are announced, not yet live.

See the platform for yourself