Deplexo vs Heroku
Heroku removed its free tier in November 2022 and shifted to sustaining engineering in February 2026. Deplexo has a free tier with no credit card required.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Deplexo | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 128 MB RAM, 1 app, no card required | None (removed Nov 2022) |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo: 512 MB RAM, 3 apps | $5/mo Eco dynos (shared, sleeps after 30 min idle) |
| Runtime isolation | Secure container (locked-down defaults) | Dyno (container-based, shared kernel) |
| Custom Dockerfile | Yes | Via Heroku Container Registry only |
| Build method | Dockerfile (default) or auto-detect via deplexo.yaml | Buildpacks |
| Git providers | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Codeberg | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket |
| Env vars encrypted at rest | Yes | Encrypted in transit; at-rest details not published |
| YAML config required | No (deplexo.yaml optional) | Procfile required for most apps |
Free tier
Heroku's free tier ran from 2010 to November 2022, then was discontinued. Every Heroku workload now needs a paid plan. The cheapest is Eco dynos at $5/month, which sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Deplexo's free tier has 128 MB RAM, 1 shared CPU, 250 MB disk, and one always-on app. No credit card is required to sign up.
Runtime model
Heroku runs apps in dynos, a container abstraction on a shared Linux kernel. Deplexo runs apps in secure containers and applies a locked-down security profile by default to every app, including free tier apps.
Where each platform is headed
Heroku announced a shift to "sustaining engineering mode" in February 2026, which means no new feature development. Deplexo is still in active development.
FAQ
- Can I migrate a Heroku app to Deplexo?
- Yes. Connect the same GitHub repo and deploy. If your app reads config from environment variables (the 12-factor pattern Heroku encouraged), set those in Deplexo's env vars panel and redeploy.
- Do I need a Procfile?
- No. Deplexo builds from your Dockerfile by default. For repos without one, add a
deplexo.yamlto configure auto-detect builds. - Does Deplexo support add-ons like Heroku Postgres?
- Not as managed add-ons. You can deploy a Postgres container separately on Deplexo, or point your app at an external database via environment variables.
- Does the free tier sleep like Heroku Eco dynos?
- No. Free tier apps on Deplexo stay running continuously within their resource limits.
Ready to deploy? Sign up free. No credit card required.