GitFounders12 Open Source Alternatives to Heroku
A list of 12 carefully selected open-source alternatives to Heroku.
The open-source alternatives are ranked based on our custom ranking system and score. This system takes into account various factors to determine the best alternatives.
If you’re looking for alternative features or workflows, here is a prepared detailed list of Heroku open-source alternatives — each with its own distinctive strengths and key features.
Coolify is an open-source platform that serves as a self-hostable alternative to popular deployment services like Heroku, Netlify, and Vercel. It enables developers to deploy, monitor, and manage applications effortlessly while maintaining complete control over their data.
Key Features
- Supports any programming language, framework, and server type
- Push-to-deploy with Git integration from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and more
- Automated SSL certificate issuance and renewals
- Real-time terminal for in-browser server management
- Automatic database backups and comprehensive monitoring
- Flexible deployment options including single, multiple, or Docker environments
- Collaborative features and pull request deployments
Coolify simplifies the deployment process by supporting any programming language, framework, or server, including personal setups, VPS, or cloud instances. It features Git integration for push-to-deploy, free SSL certificate automation, real-time terminal access, automated database backups, and robust APIs. The tool supports single server setups, multiple servers, and Docker services with seamless scalability and collaboration, empowering developers with a powerful and flexible deployment environment.
Dokploy is a developer-centric open source deployment platform designed for seamless multi-server application management. It delivers comprehensive control, flexibility, and a community-driven approach that makes deploying and managing projects effortless.
Key Features
- Flexible application deployment using Nixpacks, Buildpacks, or Dockerfiles
- Native Docker Compose and Docker Swarm support for orchestration
- Advanced user control with detailed roles and permissions
- Comprehensive database management with built-in backups
- Real-time monitoring and log management for optimal performance
- Open source and self-hosted options to avoid vendor lock-in
- Managed hosting plan with priority support available
Dokploy streamlines deployments with features such as native Docker Compose support, flexible application deployment using Nixpacks, Heroku Buildpacks, or custom Dockerfiles, and advanced user and database management. The platform offers full API and CLI access along with real-time monitoring to keep projects secure and efficient, catering to both self-hosted and managed hosting environments.
Daytona is an open source dev environment manager that simplifies and secures the development workflow, especially for AI-driven applications. It enables developers to rapidly create isolated sandboxes for running untrusted code, ensuring safety through complete environment isolation and elastic scaling.
Key Features
- Instant sandbox creation in 200ms
- Complete runtime isolation for secure code execution
- Integrated file, Git, and LSP support
- Massive parallelization for concurrent AI workflows
- State persistence and environment snapshots
- Flexible deployment with self-hosting and VPN access
Daytona provides lightning-fast environment creation in as little as 200ms, offering secure, isolated sandboxes to execute AI-generated code and handle concurrent workflows. With integrated file system operations, native Git handling, and built-in Language Server Protocol support, it empowers developers to run, analyze, and debug code safely. Its stateful operations and snapshot capabilities allow for persistent environments, making it ideal for AI agents, code evaluation, and data analysis.
Ptah.sh is a self-hosted platform that empowers developers to deploy and manage Docker containers on their own servers with ease. It offers a streamlined alternative to Heroku, providing robust features like HTTPS, automated backups, and real-time monitoring to reduce hosting costs and maintain full control over your infrastructure.
Key Features
- Self-hosted deployment on your own servers
- 1-Click Marketplace for rapid app deployment
- Integrated HTTPS, backups, and resource monitoring
- Flexible VPS support (AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, etc.)
- Secure infrastructure with encrypted secrets
- Cost-effective solution for indie developers and SMBs
Ptah.sh delivers an intuitive solution to deploy Docker containers on-premises or on your preferred VPS provider. It offers a simple 1-click Apps Marketplace for rapid deployment of complex applications, integrated resource monitoring, and secure management with HTTPS by default. Designed for indie developers and SMBs, Ptah.sh is built to drastically lower hosting expenses while ensuring full data control and scalability.
Caprover is a free and open-source platform as a service (PaaS) tool designed to simplify the deployment and management of applications. It leverages Docker, nginx, and Let's Encrypt to provide a scalable, robust, and automated environment that minimizes server configuration complexities.
Key Features
- Easy deployment of apps and databases for various languages
- Automated Docker container management with integrated Docker Swarm clustering
- Customizable nginx templates for load balancing
- Free, automatic SSL certification via Let's Encrypt
- User-friendly CLI and web GUI for efficient control
Caprover automates app and database deployments across multiple programming languages through a user-friendly web GUI and CLI. It utilizes Docker for containerization, nginx for load balancing, and integrates free SSL certification through Let's Encrypt. This tool streamlines one-click app installations, offers automated clustering with Docker Swarm, and provides extensive customization options for advanced configurations.
Tsuru is an open source and extensible Platform as a Service designed to enhance developer productivity. It simplifies the deployment process with a single command and supports applications written in any language or framework. Tsuru empowers teams to shift focus from infrastructure management to creating business value.
Key Features
- Open source and extensible PaaS
- Supports any language or framework
- One-command deployment process
- Dynamic resource allocation
- Centralized management of distributed applications
- Built on CNCF technologies
- Encourages community contributions
Tsuru streamlines application deployment by offering a user-friendly, one-command operation that works with any language or framework. Built on robust CNCF technologies, it facilitates dynamic resource allocation and centralized control over distributed apps across multiple Kubernetes clusters and regions. This platform minimizes configuration hassles, allowing developers to concentrate on coding while managing scalable deployments effectively. Its open source nature also welcomes contributions, ensuring continuous improvement.
Dokku is a lightweight platform as a service (PaaS) that leverages Docker containers to streamline application deployment and management. It offers a Heroku-like experience, making it easy for developers to build, deploy, and scale their applications.
Key Features
- Docker-powered architecture for containerized deployments
- Heroku-like deployment workflow for ease of use
- Plugin system to extend and customize functionality
- Streamlined app management and scaling capabilities
Dokku simplifies the application lifecycle by using Docker under the hood to create isolated and consistent environments for app deployment. It provides an intuitive interface for pushing code, managing deployments, and scaling applications. Its plugin architecture offers flexibility to extend functionality, making it a practical solution for modern development workflows.
Qovery is a DevOps Automation Platform designed to simplify cloud infrastructure provisioning and empower developer self-service. It eliminates manual DevOps tasks by automating environment setup, ensuring secure deployments, robust governance, and cost optimization.
Key Features
- Automated environment provisioning
- Self-service integrations with DevOps tools
- Custom governance and policy enforcement
- Enhanced security measures including MFA and access controls
- Cloud cost optimization with usage insights
- Multiple interfaces: CLI, API, Terraform Provider, Web UI
Qovery automates the entire infrastructure lifecycle, allowing teams to provision environments in hours rather than months. It integrates with existing tools through CLI, API, Terraform, and web UI, streamlining workflows and boosting developer velocity. The platform supports self-service capabilities, custom governance policies, and dynamic security controls, enabling swift, secure, and efficient deployments.
OpenFaaS simplifies deploying serverless functions and existing code to Kubernetes. It provides a streamlined experience that supports any language, enabling rapid production deployments with a focus on scalability, flexibility, and ease of use.
Key Features
- Deploy functions and legacy code to Kubernetes with ease
- Supports any programming language through pre-built and custom templates
- Dynamic autoscaling and event-driven triggers, including scale-to-zero capability
- Flexible deployment on-premises or in the cloud with portable OCI images
- Comprehensive monitoring, RBAC, and multi-tenancy support for production use
OpenFaaS empowers developers to deploy functions and microservices as portable OCI images on any Kubernetes cluster. It offers robust event triggers, fine-tuned autoscaling, and a rich set of templates that follow industry best practices, paving the way for efficient, production-ready serverless architectures.
Exoframe is a self-hosted tool that enables effortless one-command deployments using Docker. It streamlines project launches and simplifies management, making deployment a quick and secure process.
Key Features
- Simple one-command deployments using Docker
- Secure with SSH key authentication and deploy tokens
- Automated HTTPS and gzip compression for optimized performance
- Streamlined management including deployment logs and endpoint updates
Exoframe simplifies project deployments with a single command by leveraging Docker containerization. The tool includes secure operations through SSH key authentication and deploy tokens, paired with automated optimizations such as HTTPS and gzip compression to enhance performance. Users enjoy streamlined management through easy access to deployment logs, multiple endpoint support, and simple update procedures.
Space Cloud is an open source serverless platform that empowers developers to build, scale, and secure applications on Kubernetes. It combines the ease of Firebase with the deployment strengths of Heroku, making it ideal for modern cloud app development.
Key Features
- Instant GraphQL APIs and REST support
- Cross-database joins for seamless integration
- Native storage management including local and S3
- Built-in eventing system for asynchronous tasks
- One-click deployment of microservices
- Service mesh integration with Istio for secure communications
- Abstraction of Kubernetes and configuration complexities
- Centralized security and authorization management
Space Cloud provides a comprehensive framework for developing, deploying, and securing serverless apps on Kubernetes. With instant GraphQL APIs for any database and support for REST, storage solutions, and eventing systems, it simplifies app development. Additionally, the platform offers one-click deployment, built-in service mesh integration, and centralized security rules that abstract complex configurations, allowing you to focus on your business logic.
Price comparison of Heroku open-source alternatives
| Tool | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $5 Pay-as-you-go | - | - | Learn more |
 | $4.5 Dokploy Open Source | - | - | Learn more |
 | $0.0504 On-Demand Compute Pricing | - | - | Learn more |
 | $4.75 Hobby | $29 Startup | $89 Business | Learn more |
 | $0 Free | $29 Team | - Enterprise | Learn more |
 | $0 Community Edition (CE) | $1200 OpenFaaS Standard | - OpenFaaS for Enterprises | Learn more |
* Pricing shown is based on publicly available information and may not reflect current rates. Visit each tool's website for detailed pricing information and additional tiers.
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Heroku
Heroku is a platform as a service (PaaS) that enables developers to build, run, and operate applications entirely in the cloud.
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