Heroku vs Vercel: Which Platform is Better for Your App in 2026?

Compare Heroku and Vercel for deploying web applications. Detailed breakdown of pricing, features, performance, and which platform suits your project best.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

Heroku

Platform as a Service for building, running, and scaling apps

$7per dyno/month (Basic plan)

Strengths

+Supports multiple languages (Ruby, Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Go, Scala)
+Extensive add-on marketplace with 200+ integrations
+Mature platform with 15+ years of stability

Weaknesses

-Free tier eliminated in November 2022
-Eco dynos discontinued, raising the effective entry price to Basic at $7/dyno/month
-More expensive than competitors for equivalent resources

Best for

Teams needing a mature PaaS with broad language support and extensive add-ons, willing to pay premium pricing

Vercel

Frontend cloud platform optimized for Next.js and modern web frameworks

$0for Hobby plan (non-commercial use)

Strengths

+Generous free tier with unlimited deployments
+Exceptional performance with global edge network
+Native Next.js integration and optimization

Weaknesses

-Primarily focused on frontend/JAMstack applications
-Limited backend/database hosting capabilities
-Hobby plan restricted to non-commercial projects; Pro required for teams ($20/user/month)

Best for

Frontend developers and teams building modern web apps with Next.js, React, or other JAMstack frameworks

Feature Comparison

Feature	Heroku	Vercel
Free Tier	None (discontinued Nov 2022)	Unlimited deployments, 100 GB Fast Data Transfer/month (non-commercial use only)
Starting Price	$7/month per dyno (Basic plan; Eco dynos discontinued)	$0 (Hobby), $20/user/month (Pro, plus usage-based overages)
Language Support	Ruby, Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Go, Scala, Clojure	JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby (via serverless)
Database Hosting	Heroku Postgres, Redis, MySQL via add-ons	No native database (integrate external services via Marketplace)
Deployment Method	Git push, GitHub integration, CLI	Git integration (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket), CLI
Auto-scaling	Available on Performance dynos ($250+/month)	Automatic serverless scaling included
Preview Environments	Review apps available (requires pipeline setup)	Automatic preview URLs for every branch/PR
CDN/Edge Network	Not included (add-on required)	Global edge network included on all plans
Build Minutes	Unlimited	6,000 minutes/month (Hobby), unlimited (Pro)
Custom Domains	Unlimited on all paid plans	Unlimited on all plans including free
Serverless Functions	Not native (requires third-party add-ons)	Native support with automatic API routes
Best Use Case	Full-stack apps, background workers, traditional backends	Frontend apps, Next.js sites, JAMstack, static sites

The Verdict

Vercel wins for modern frontend applications with its generous free tier, superior performance, and seamless Next.js integration. Heroku remains relevant for teams needing traditional backend hosting with multiple language support and database management, but the elimination of free tiers, discontinued Eco dynos, and higher pricing make it harder to justify. Choose Vercel for JAMstack/frontend projects, Heroku only if you need its specific backend capabilities and add-on ecosystem.

How to switch from Heroku to Vercel

1Export your Heroku Postgres database with `heroku pg:backups:capture` then `heroku pg:backups:download` to get a .dump file, and run `heroku config -s > .env` to save your app's environment variables.
2Provision a new database on a service like Neon, Supabase, or PlanetScale, and restore your data using `pg_restore` on the exported .dump file.
3Connect your Git repository to Vercel, import the project, and add the environment variables from your exported .env file in the Vercel dashboard.
4Recreate Heroku add-ons and Scheduler jobs using Vercel-compatible alternatives — e.g., Vercel Cron Jobs for scheduled tasks and Upstash or Redis Cloud for caching/queues.
5Point your custom domain's DNS to Vercel and run both platforms in parallel for a few days to confirm everything works before fully cutting over.
6Invite your team to the Vercel project with appropriate roles, then decommission Heroku dynos and add-ons to stop billing.

Heroku vs Vercel: common questions

How do I export my data from Heroku before switching to Vercel?+

Run `heroku pg:backups:capture` followed by `heroku pg:backups:download` to get a PostgreSQL dump in pg_dump custom format (.dump). For your app's environment variables, run `heroku config -s > .env` to save them as a plain-text file you can re-upload elsewhere.

What do I lose moving from Heroku to Vercel?+

You lose native database hosting (Heroku Postgres/Redis), long-running background workers, and cron jobs via Heroku Scheduler, since Vercel functions are stateless and time-limited. You'll need to replace these with external services like Neon, Upstash, or a dedicated worker host.

Is Vercel's free Hobby plan enough for a small team?+

No — the Hobby plan is licensed for personal, non-commercial projects only, and it doesn't support team member collaboration. For a small business team you'll need the Pro plan at $20/user/month, plus any usage overages.

Will my Heroku add-ons and integrations still work after switching to Vercel?+

No, Heroku add-ons (Papertrail, Redis, Bucketeer, etc.) don't carry over. You'll need to re-provision equivalents through Vercel's Marketplace integrations or connect external providers directly (e.g., Upstash for Redis, Neon or Supabase for Postgres).

How does the cost compare over time, Heroku vs Vercel, for a growing app?+

Heroku costs scale predictably with dyno tier and add-ons, but rise sharply if you need Performance dynos ($250+/month). Vercel's Pro plan starts cheaper but uses usage-based billing for bandwidth, function invocations, and build minutes, which can grow unpredictably with traffic — worth modeling against your expected request volume before committing.