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Free Heroku Alternatives in 2025 for Developers

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Looking for a free Heroku alternative in 2025? Ever since Heroku discontinued its free tier, developers have been searching for Heroku-free alternatives that offer free-forever deployment options.

Thankfully, a new wave of platforms provides generous free plans and usage-based pricing to deploy apps without breaking the bank.

In this guide, we’ll compare four of the best options, like Kuberns, Railway, Qovery, and Render and help you choose the right deployment platform (free forever) for your needs.

We’ll also explore what to look for in a Heroku alternative, the benefits of usage-based pricing, and the ease of deployment each platform offers.

Let’s dive in!

Kuberns: No Platform Fee. No Hidden Costs

Kuberns Home Page Kuberns is a developer-first PaaS that offers AI-powered cloud deployment with real usage-based billing. Unlike Heroku, which charges based on dynos, Kuberns eliminates per-seat or fixed pricing.

Whether you’re running a tiny side project or scaling a production app, you only pay for what you actually use. Also, you can save 40% on AWS cloud costs.

Key Features:

  • Zero platform fee: pay only for CPU, RAM, and storage
  • Unlimited services: host multiple apps with no extra charges
  • AI-managed infrastructure: fast, optimised scaling on AWS
  • One-click deployment from GitHub without YAML
  • Built-in logs, monitoring, alerts, and real-time dashboards
  • Supports Node, Python, Flask, Go, Docker, PostgreSQL, and Redis

What makes kuberns better than Heroku?

Heroku charges fixed dyno rates and sleeps apps on free plans. Kuberns doesn’t.

It runs continuously, scales smartly with usage, and supports both container and non-container workloads. The infrastructure is AWS-based, but you save 40% more on it when bought through kuberns.

Pricing:

  • Free forever tier based on low-usage CPU/RAM
  • No forced upgrade; Pricing starts when you hit real usage
  • Transparent billing viewable from the Kuberns dashboard

Pros:

  • No lock-in, no per-user fees
  • Full AWS-grade infra with Heroku-level simplicity
  • Git-based deployment with CI/CD baked in

Cons:

  • Not ideal for non-cloud workloads (e.g., edge devices)

Try kuberns for free now

Qovery

Qovery Qovery lets you deploy apps on your own cloud accounts without touching Kubernetes directly. It gives you Heroku-level simplicity, Git-based workflows, and CI/CD automation, while you retain infrastructure control.

Key Features:

  • BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud)
  • Built-in Kubernetes abstraction
  • Multi-region, multi-cloud deploys
  • Git-based deploys + ephemeral environments

Pricing:

  • Free tier: 3 apps with limited compute
  • Team plan: from $49/month
  • Enterprise: Custom quote

Pros:

  • Great for teams wanting cloud control + PaaS ease
  • Scales on real infra, not containers-as-a-service
  • Built-in CI/CD and preview environments

Cons:

  • Slight learning curve
  • Smaller ecosystem than Heroku

Render: Heroku-like simplicity with modern features

Render Render is often called a “modern Heroku.” It supports web services, static sites, cron jobs, background workers, and more. Developers like its zero-downtime deploys and Docker support.

Key Features:

  • Free web services (with idle sleeping)
  • Built-in HTTPS, autoscaling, PR previews
  • Supports Node, Python, Go, Docker, PostgreSQL, and Redis

Pricing:

  • Free instance (512MB RAM)
  • Paid plans from $7/month

Pros:

  • Easy migration from Heroku
  • Docker-native deployments
  • Free Redis + PostgreSQL trial

Cons:

  • Apps sleep after 15 min idle
  • Limited free usage window

Fly.io: Deploy Closer to Users, Globally

Fly Fly.io focuses on latency-sensitive, globally distributed apps. It lets developers deploy to multiple regions and scale geographically, something Heroku doesn’t offer.

Key Features:

  • Docker-based deploys
  • Up to 3 shared VMs on the free tier
  • Edge deployment, built-in Postgres

Pricing:

  • Free tier includes ~3 VMs
  • Usage-based pricing beyond

Pros:

  • Perfect for low-latency apps
  • Global deployment & scaling
  • Built-in volumes and edge workers

Cons:

  • More infra knowledge required
  • Smaller community

Looking for a tool that helps you save AWS cloud cost + automate whole deployment process? Check out this free tool.

Railway

Railway Railway is all about fast project bootstrapping. It features GitHub integration, instant DB provisioning, one-click rollback, and a polished UI.

Key Features:

  • GitHub-based deploys
  • Instant rollback + redeploy
  • Postgres, Redis, and Mongo add-ons

Pricing:

  • $5 free credit
  • Usage-based pricing starts after

Pros:

  • Great onboarding experience
  • Works well for MVPs and prototypes
  • Ideal for solo devs and startups

Cons:

  • No BYOC support
  • Usage caps hit quickly with DB + storage

Replit

Replit Replit is a cloud IDE and deployment tool. You can write code, test it, and deploy instantly from one interface, great for students, solo devs, and small scripts.

Key Features:

  • Real-time code collaboration
  • In-browser terminal + deployments
  • AI code assistance (Ghostwriter)

Pricing:

  • Free tier (512MB RAM)
  • Hacker Plan: $7/month

Pros:

  • Fast setup, beginner-friendly
  • Great for quick tools, bots, or demos
  • Collaboration features built-in

Cons:

  • Not production-optimized
  • Can’t scale heavy workloads

Already using Heroku and looking for a safe migration? We are here to help you.

Platform.sh

PlatformSH Platform.sh is built for professional teams and enterprise workloads. It offers full control over app architecture, CI/CD, security, and staging workflows.

Key Features:

  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Multi-cloud and language support
  • Highly customizable environments

Pricing:

  • Starts at $10/month for developer environments
  • Pro plans up to $1,000+/month

Pros:

  • Best for enterprise-scale projects
  • Supports PHP, Node, Go, Ruby, etc.
  • Highly customizable infrastructure

Cons:

  • High cost for production apps
  • Not suited for side projects or hobbyists

Vercel

vercel Vercel powers modern frontend frameworks with one-click deploys and edge performance. It’s designed around the needs of JS-based frontend apps.

Key Features:

  • Git integration
  • Edge functions & CDN
  • PR preview environments

Pricing:

  • Hobby: Free
  • Pro: $20/user/month

Pros:

  • Lightning-fast frontend deploys
  • Next.js native
  • Built-in analytics

Cons:

  • Not built for backend-heavy apps
  • Serverless limits can bottleneck complex logic

Netlify

Netlify Netlify is ideal for JAMstack architecture, static frontend + serverless backend. You get Git-based workflows, instant deploy previews, and built-in form handling.

Key Features:

  • Static site generator support
  • Serverless functions
  • Asset optimisation and CDN

Pricing:

  • Free tier for personal sites
  • Paid plans from $19/user/month

Pros:

  • Great for marketing sites and blogs
  • Built-in auth, forms, functions
  • Global CDN

Cons:

  • Backend capabilities are limited
  • Can’t host full-stack apps out of the box

DigitalOcean

Digital Ocean DigitalOcean App Platform simplifies full-stack deployments. You can build APIs, web apps, and workers with predictable resource allocation and Git integration.

Key Features:

  • Static and dynamic app hosting
  • Horizontal/vertical scaling
  • Optional managed DBs

Pricing:

  • Free for static sites (3 sites, 1GB transfer)
  • Dynamic apps from $5/month

Pros:

  • Transparent pricing
  • Full control over container specs
  • Backed by DO’s cloud infrastructure

Cons:

  • No real free dynamic app tier
  • Can get costly when scaling apps

What to Look for in a Heroku Alternative?

When considering alternatives to Heroku, here’s what matters most:

  • Free Tiers: Generous compute, memory, and storage quotas without requiring a credit card.
  • Scalability: Apps that run continuously without forced sleeping. Look for autoscaling and scale-to-zero options.
  • Usage-Based Billing: Avoid fixed fees. Pay only for what you use, ideal for low-traffic or seasonal apps.
  • Easy Deployments: Git-based or one-click deployment support with built-in CI/CD.
  • Built-in Features: Support for environment variables, managed databases, SSL, and custom domains.
  • Flexibility: Ability to deploy on your own cloud infrastructure or export apps easily.

Conclusion

Heroku’s shifting pricing and limitations have made platforms like Kuberns and Qovery the standout PaaS alternatives in 2025, offering the perfect balance of simplicity, control, and cost optimisation.

If you’re looking to modernise your deployments, reduce infrastructure stress, and retain flexibility, Kuberns lets you do exactly that, minus the headaches of pricing tiers or forced idling.

Start deploying with Kuberns

Explore how we replaced Heroku

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Heroku still free in 2025?

A: No, Heroku discontinued its free dyno tier in November 2022 and now offers paid “Eco” dynos starting at $5/month. Developers now look to platforms like Kuberns, Render, Fly.io, and Railway for true no-cost deployment options.

Q. Which free Heroku alternative is best for full-stack apps?

A: For true full-stack needs, platforms like Kuberns, Render, and DigitalOcean App Platform support backend servers, databases, and static frontends, often featuring free tiers with persistent deployments.

Q. What are the best frontend-focused alternatives like Heroku?

A: Kuberns, Vercel and Netlify are top favourites for static sites and frameworks like Next.js, offering Git-based deploys, CDN, serverless functions, and generous free tiers.

Q. Is there a free alternative that supports databases, too?

A: Yes! Kuberns provides a free managed PostgreSQL database along with an always-on compute instance. Other options, like Railway, offer free initial usage credits covering small databases.

Q. Can I deploy globally and reduce latency?

Platforms like Kuberns and Vercel offer global edge deployment. They let you run instances close to users, significantly reducing latency, something not possible with legacy Heroku deployments.

Q. Which alternative feels most like Heroku’s git push workflow?

Many developers say Kuberns, Railway, Render, Koyeb, Fly.io, Netlify, and Vercel offer a similarly smooth “git push → live” experience, most with modern UIs and faster deploys.

Q. Do I need a credit card to sign up for these platforms?

You don’t need a credit card for Kuberns. The sign-up process is simple. Try it yourself.

Q. Are free tiers good enough for production?

They can be used for small production workloads. Kuberns, Platform.sh, Fly.io, and DigitalOcean offer scalable and performant options. Others are better suited for prototypes and low-traffic applications