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A practical, technical breakdown of Heroku vs Netlify to help you pick the best cloud platform for your web applications. Covers deployment workflows, serverless backend services, infrastructure, performance, pricing, and developer tooling.
Trying to decide whether to deploy your next web app on Heroku or Netlify?
It’s a common decision point for developers aiming to build and launch efficiently—especially when weighing backend flexibility against frontend simplicity.
This comparison examines Heroku vs Netlify through a technical lens to help you understand which cloud platform better suits your project. From deployment workflows and serverless backend services to infrastructure, performance, and pricing models, we’ll break down each aspect so you can make an informed, practical decision. This guide lays out what to expect from both platforms.
Heroku and Netlify are two popular cloud platform providers offering hosting and deployment solutions.
Heroku shines as a PaaS provider for full-stack web applications, while Netlify excels for static sites and frontend-focused workflows.
Heroku is a cloud platform as a service (PaaS) supporting many languages like Ruby, Python, Java, Node.js, PHP, Go, and Scala. It allows developers to deploy dynamic web applications with linked databases, add-ons, CI, and server infrastructure through dynos.
Netlify is a modern development platform built around JavaScript, API, and Markup (JAMstack), designed to automate static websites and provide integrated serverless backend services like serverless functions and edge functions.
Heroku is ideal for dynamic web applications and mobile applications that rely on backend services like APIs and relational databases. Developers can scale via dynos and add-ons that provide PostgreSQL, Redis, monitoring, and more. It’s suited to projects built using multiple programming languages and needing infrastructure control.
Netlify, on the other hand, is tailored for static sites or static websites with serverless functions. It integrates effortlessly with git repository workflows for frontend developers and supports automatic deployment from GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. It excels at building web applications that rely primarily on static content and lightweight serverless backend services.
Let’s examine how each handles deployment, CI/CD, and developer tooling.
Heroku uses a command-line interface (CLI) and a simple
git push
Heroku's main workflow. With a connected git repository, developers push code, and dynos build and deploy the app. Add-ons can be enabled for databases, caching, and monitoring. Heroku CI is available optionally for deployment pipelines.
Netlify automatically triggers builds and deployments whenever code is pushed to a git repository. It provides deploy previews per pull request, integrated CI, and asset optimization. Deployment is seamless for static site generators (e.g., Gatsby, Hugo, Next.js) and static web applications.
Dive into how each platform manages hosting, global presence, and scaling.
Heroku runs on AWS infrastructure using dynos—containers spread across its dyno grid. Developers rely on AWS servers behind the scenes but don't manage them directly. Heroku offers performance scaling by adjusting dyno sizes or quantity. It supports vertical and horizontal scaling easily through the dashboard or CLI.
Netlify distributes your static assets across a global content delivery network (CDN). It deploys and builds atomically across multiple cloud providers, so updates go live globally at once. That global network ensures low-latency delivery for static sites in most regions.
Here’s how both platforms support backend logic and API functionality.
Heroku offers full server hosting, supporting backend services in many programming languages. Developers can run backend APIs or applications in Node.js, Ruby, Python, Java, or PHP. It integrates easily with databases (Heroku Postgres, Redis) and allows add-ons for monitoring and analytics.
Netlify provides serverless functions built in JavaScript, TypeScript, or Go. It includes standard Netlify Functions, background scheduled functions, and edge functions running at the network edge for low latency and fast dynamic content delivery.
Edge functions enable frontend developers to deploy backend code near users without managing servers.
Netlify DB: The database for AI-native development. Powered by @neondatabase, agents can go from generating static UIs to building full-stack, data-driven apps.— Twitter Post
Heroku previously offered a generous free tier, but discontinued free dynos as of August 2022. Paid plans start from hobby dynos and scale up. Developers often rely on add-ons (databases, monitoring), which may incur additional cost.
Netlify offers a free plan with generous limits: bandwidth up to 100 GB/month, 300 build minutes, unlimited static sites, basic serverless functions, and free SSL. Its free plan is ideal for small web applications and frontend developers on a budget.
Heroku provides add-ons for databases, email, logging, monitoring, and security. Developers can pick from hundreds of add-ons, including Postgres, Redis, Kafka, Elasticsearch, datasync, and more. Add-ons are managed via the dashboard or CLI, making it easy to integrate services. It supports many programming languages and advanced features like review apps, pipelines, and enterprise tools.
Netlify integrates tools like form handling, split testing, analytics, identity services, Connect for content sources, and deployment previews. Plugins and APIs can extend functionality. It also supports edge functions and serverless backend services, making it full-featured for static site workflows.
Heroku offers enterprise-grade security features, identity controls, and compliance add-ons. Developers can rely on Heroku's logging, SSL, access controls, and audit tools. Netlify offers free SSL out of the box, deploy previews for review, and CDN caching security. Edge functions are sandboxed, and Netlify’s platform handles DDoS protection and CDN firewalls.
Heroku performance depends on dyno size and count. Scaling involves managing dynos and possibly database read replicas. On Netlify, static sites load fast via CDN globally, and edge functions deliver dynamic content quickly. Static sites and serverless functions scale automatically without managing servers.
Backend developers building APIs, web applications, or full-stack services benefit from Heroku’s support for multiple programming languages, full database services, add-ons, and CI/CD tools. It supports git workflows, Heroku CLI, and integrates with GitHub for continuous deployment.
Frontend developers creating static sites or web applications with serverless functions find Netlify’s developer tools streamlined. Git repository–based deployment, integrated CLI, preview URLs, continuous deployment, and edge functions support modern web frameworks like React, Vue, Hugo, Gatsby, and Next.js.
Here’s a comprehensive comparison table based on the content you provided. This table captures key differences between Heroku and Netlify across several technical categories:
This table helps provide a quick reference for developers evaluating Heroku vs Netlify. You can embed it directly into the blog post after the relevant sections to boost reader engagement and improve SEO scannability.
| Feature / Category | Heroku | Netlify |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Workflow | Uses command line (git push heroku main), supports Heroku CLI and manual pipelines. | Automatic deployments from git repository with deploy previews and integrated CI/CD. |
| CI/CD Integration | Optional Heroku CI pipelines; requires manual setup. | Built-in CI/CD; auto-deploys on every commit with real-time previews. |
| Developer Tooling | CLI-based, supports many programming languages and full-stack app workflows. | Designed for frontend developers; supports static site generators and simple CLI. |
| Hosting Infrastructure | PaaS running on AWS with dyno-based container hosting. | Distributed global network (CDN); deploys across multiple cloud providers. |
| Global Network Delivery | Limited to Heroku’s AWS region; CDN requires third-party configuration. | Integrated CDN for static assets with global propagation and edge delivery. |
| Backend Services | Supports full server hosting, backend APIs, and databases (Postgres, Redis). | Serverless backend services using Netlify Functions and Edge Functions. |
| Serverless Functions | Not native; uses full server instances (dynos) for backend execution. | Native support for serverless and edge functions with auto-scaling. |
| Supported Languages | Ruby, Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Scala, Go (many languages). | JavaScript, TypeScript, Go (focused on JAMstack). |
| Pricing & Free Plan | No longer offers a free tier for dynos; starts with paid hobby plans. | Generous free plan with 100 GB bandwidth, 300 build minutes, free SSL, and serverless functions. |
| Add-ons & Ecosystem | Large marketplace of add-ons (databases, logging, analytics, monitoring, etc.). | Integrated plugins for forms, identity, analytics, A/B testing, and content sources. |
| Security Features | Enterprise-grade controls, SSL, audit logging, and identity access settings. | Free SSL, sandboxed edge functions, built-in DDoS protection, secure CDN delivery. |
| Performance and Scaling | Manual dyno scaling (vertical/horizontal); based on dyno sizes and concurrency. | Auto-scaling for static sites and serverless functions; CDN and edge functions speed up performance. |
| Use Case Focus | Best for backend-heavy, full-stack, or mobile applications with databases. | Best for static websites, frontend-heavy apps, and rapid static deployments. |
| Integration with GitHub | Supported via GitHub integration and git-based deployment workflows. | Tight integration with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket; automatic deployments. |
| Developer Audience | Suited for backend developers building dynamic, data-driven applications. | Built with frontend developers in mind; supports modern frontend frameworks. |
| CLI & Git Support | Heroku CLI required for setup and advanced management; supports git-based deployments. | Netlify CLI optional; git-based deployment is automatic and streamlined. |
| Forms & Static Site Support | Requires custom code or third-party services for form handling. | Built-in forms handling, analytics, and edge features tailored for static sites. |
After reviewing both platforms, you can see Heroku vs Netlify is not about a win but about fit. Use Heroku when your web applications need server-side logic, databases, or support for many languages. Choose Netlify when your project is centered on static sites, frontend development, and you want seamless deployment with serverless backend services.
Here is what to consider next:
Evaluate your application needs: static site or dynamic backend?
Try the free plan: Netlify’s generous free plan or Heroku’s hobby tier (if available in your region).
Experiment with edge functions or dynos: build sample features in both.
Assess add-ons and services: databases, monitoring, and authentication.
Check community resources and expert views by following relevant LinkedIn posts or tweets from experts who compare them (e.g., tech engineers discussing JAMstack vs PaaS).
Documenting this comparison revealed how different the platforms truly are: Heroku excels at full-stack, back‑end apps in many languages with database support and add-ons, while Netlify is a tool built for frontend developers deploying static sites with serverless functions. The right choice depends on your project's architecture and your focus.
