Heroku

YES

Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.

The original git-push platform: send a branch and it builds, runs and scales your application, with add-ons for databases and everything else.

Promptfree, for everyone, and the only version there is

Build git-push deployment on your own server.

STACK
- One VPS, Dokku, which is Heroku's model in a few thousand lines of shell

SETTING UP
- Install Dokku, add your SSH key, create the app
- git push dokku main builds with the same buildpacks Heroku uses

DATABASES
- The Postgres plugin creates and links one; backups are a scheduled command
- Set that schedule on day one, not after the first incident

RELEASES
- Zero-downtime checks are built in; give the app a health endpoint and configure it
- Rollback is redeploying the previous image tag

WHAT YOU TAKE ON
- Operating system updates, disk space, and the backups. That is the whole difference

Include the Dokku setup, the health check and the backup schedule.

What you lose

Buildpacks that detect and build almost any stack without a Dockerfile
An add-on marketplace where a database or a queue is one command away
Zero-downtime releases and instant rollback with no configuration

If you would rather not build

Docker Compose behind Caddy, for something simpler

The escape hatch

open source · no votes, no paid placement

Dokku

Git-push deployment on a single server, using the same buildpacks.

dokku/dokkufree · open source

Coolify

A self-hosted platform with a web interface and database management.

coollabsio/coolifyfree · open source

Why this verdict

our own opinion · changed only by a person

74/100

Verdict yes at 74. Dokku reproduces the developer experience closely; what you inherit is the operating, not the building.

History

tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten

Interest · last 30 days

Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.

Questions about Heroku

answered from the record above

Is Heroku free?

No — the plan we track is $7 a month. Basic dynos from $7/month each; add-ons such as Postgres are billed separately.

Can you replace Heroku by building your own?

YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 74 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.

How much does Heroku cost?

$7 a month on Basic — $84 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.

What do you lose by replacing Heroku?

Buildpacks that detect and build almost any stack without a Dockerfile; An add-on marketplace where a database or a queue is one command away; Zero-downtime releases and instant rollback with no configuration. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Heroku?

Yes: Dokku, Coolify. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.

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