Heroku alternatives in 2026: what to use now
Heroku entered sustaining engineering mode in February 2026, which means no new features and no new Enterprise contracts. These are 7 alternatives worth a look.
What happened to Heroku
Heroku removed its free tier in November 2022. In February 2026, Salesforce announced Heroku was entering "sustaining engineering mode", so it won't get new features. Teams still on Heroku should start planning a migration.
1. Deplexo
Deplexo has a free tier that stays on and doesn't ask for a credit card. You deploy with git push, like on Heroku, and the framework is detected for you. Apps run in containers with locked-down defaults, and pricing is fixed ($0/5/10/custom).
To migrate, connect the same GitHub repo, copy your env vars over, and deploy. See the Heroku alternative and Heroku comparison pages for details.
2. Render
Render is the Heroku replacement people mention most. Its free tier sleeps after 15 minutes of inactivity, and paid plans start at $7/mo. Its Heroku migration docs are good, and it offers managed Postgres.
3. Railway
Railway's developer experience is the closest to Heroku's. Pricing is usage-based, with a one-time $5 trial credit, then $1/month on the free plan, and you need a credit card. There are quick-start templates for common frameworks, but the free tier doesn't keep apps running all the time.
4. Fly.io
Fly.io deploys Firecracker microVMs to a global edge network. There is no free tier; it's pay-as-you-go only, though new users get a short trial. You need the flyctl CLI. It suits apps that need low latency in several regions.
5. Koyeb
Koyeb's free tier scales to zero after 1 hour of inactivity, with a 1-5s cold start. It's Docker-native and supports buildpacks. Acquired by Mistral AI in February 2026. It works well for containerized workloads.
6. Coolify
Coolify is open source and runs on your own server, so it's free if you already have the infrastructure. It supports Docker Compose and has a one-click app marketplace.
7. CapRover
CapRover is a self-hosted PaaS built on Docker Swarm, so you need your own VPS. Apps are configured with captain-definition files, and there is a one-click app marketplace.
Migration checklist
- Export your env vars from the Heroku dashboard
- Check that a Dockerfile or framework detection covers your app
- Connect your GitHub repo to the new platform
- Set the env vars on the new platform
- Deploy and verify
- Update DNS if you use custom domains
- Cancel your Heroku subscription