Heroku vs. AWS: Which Cloud Hosting Should You Choose?

In the evolving landscape of cloud computing, selecting the right platform is crucial for developers, DevOps engineers, and cloud architects. As per GlobeNewswire report, the cloud computing market is projected to reach $2.32 trillion by 2032, with a recorded CAGR of 16% from 2023 to 2032. This indicates that moving toward cloud-based software makes development smarter and easier for your business. Two prominent players in this domain are Heroku and Amazon Web Services (AWS). While both offer robust solutions for application deployment and management, they cater to different needs and expertise levels.

In this post, we’ll dive into Heroku and AWS comparison in terms of features, pricing, scalability, and more (without turning this blog into a technical manual).

By the end, you’ll be equipped with ample information which will help you decide which platform aligns best with your dev needs. Stay tuned!

What is Heroku?

Heroku owned by Salesforce is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) that simplifies application deployment by abstracting infrastructure densities.  It was started in 2007 and was originally built on the top of the AWS platform. If you use Heroku, your apps run in Linux containers from Heroku called dynos. 

Heroku takes a carefully selected set of AWS services and packages them into an easy-to-use platform for app development. It is much more user-friendly compared to EC2, for example it allows developers to focus on coding without worrying about server management. Its ecosystem includes over 140 add-ons for monitoring, logging, caching, and more.

Heroku supports some states in the United States, Europe, Ireland, Australia, and Japan.

Heroku Features

• Flexible runtime environment which is based on managed, isolated Linux containers called dynos.
• Provides simple manual apps scaling.
• Great security as Heroku is built on top of AWS.
• It’s hosted on proprietary servers.
• Powerful CLI that supports to develop and manage Heroku applications.
• Integration with GitHub.
• First-class languages support for Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, Node, Go, Scala, and Clojure.
• Switching to alternative PaaS options or even AWS can be a daunting task that requires a lot of nontrivial work.
• There is an option to create a new server in 10 seconds using Heroku Command-Line.

Read more: AWS vs Azure: Which is a Better Choice for Your Organization in 2023?

What is AWS (Amazon Web Services)?

AWS is one of the leading cloud platforms and has extensive offerings with over 200 products and services i.e. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), PaaS, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. It provides granular control over computing resources, hence making it suitable for complex applications requiring customized configurations.

AWS supports a massive array of services, including EC2 for computing, S3 for object storage, AWS Lambda for serverless computing and RDS for databases.  For instance, AWS now includes user-friendly tools like Elastic Beanstalk for simplified deployments.

AWS has 81 Availability Zones within 25 geographic regions around the world.

AWS Features

• EC2’s virtual computing environment is based on instances with several OS.
• It is hosted on AWS servers.
• Its several instance types are optimized to fit different use cases.
• Configurable security and network access.
• Direct access to the processor and memory of the core server.
• Auto-scaling up and down during demand spikes and downturns.
• Provides quick restart of all app servers by using a single command.
• Support of multiple popular programming languages like Java, Python, Ruby, PHP, and Node.js, etc.

Read more: 11 Best AWS Certifications

Read more: 11 Best AWS Certifications

Comparative Analysis Heroku vs. AWS

1. Ease of Use

• Heroku: Offers a user-friendly interface with streamlined deployment processes. It’s Ideal for rapid development and deployment without deep infrastructure knowledge.
• AWS: Provides extensive customization but has a steeper learning curve. Suitable for teams with dedicated DevOps resources.

2. Scalability

• Heroku: Supports horizontal and vertical scaling through dynos. However, scaling can become costly for high-traffic applications.
• AWS: Offers robust scalability options, including auto-scaling groups and load balancers, allowing for efficient handling of varying workloads.

3. Pricing

Feature	Heroku	AWS
Billing Model	Fixed pricing based on dyno types	Pay-as-you-go with per-second billing
Entry-Level Cost	Starts at $5/month for Eco dynos	Varies; t2.micro instance eligible for free tier
Cost Predictability	High	Requires monitoring to avoid unexpected charges
Additional Services	Add-ons may incur extra costs	Charges for each service used

4. Performance

• Heroku: Suitable for small to medium applications. Performance may be affected under heavy load due to shared resources.
• AWS: High-performance capabilities with options for dedicated instances, making it ideal for resource-intensive applications.

5. Security

• Heroku: Manages security at the platform level, including regular updates and patches. Offers compliance with standards like PCI and HIPAA.
• AWS: Follows a shared responsibility model. Provides extensive security tools and compliance certifications, but requires user configuration.

6. Customization and Control

• Heroku: Limited customization to maintain simplicity. Less control over underlying infrastructure.
• AWS: Full control over infrastructure components, allowing for tailored environments to meet specific requirements.

7. Deployment and DevOps Integration

• Heroku: Simplifies deployment with Git integration and supports CI/CD pipelines. Suitable for teams aiming for rapid releases.
• AWS: Offers tools like CodeDeploy and CodePipeline for complex CI/CD workflows. Requires setup and management.

When to Choose Heroku?

• Startups and Small Teams: Looking for rapid development without managing infrastructure.
• Prototype Development: Quickly build and deploy MVPs to test ideas.
• Limited DevOps Resources: Teams without dedicated DevOps personnel.

When to Choose AWS?

• Large Enterprises: Needing scalable and customizable solutions.
• Complex Applications: Requiring specific configurations and integrations.
• Compliance Requirements: Applications needing strict security and compliance controls.

Conclusion

Both Heroku and AWS offer robust cloud hosting solutions, each with its strengths and ideal use cases. Heroku excels in simplicity and rapid deployment, making it suitable for startups and small teams. In contrast, AWS provides extensive customization and scalability, catering to complex applications and enterprise needs. Your choice should align with your project requirements, team expertise, and long-term scalability goals.

FAQ

Which is better, Heroku or AWS?

Both Heroku and AWS offer robust cloud hosting solutions, each with its strengths and ideal use cases. Heroku excels in simplicity and rapid deployment, making it suitable for startups and small teams. In contrast, AWS provides extensive customization and scalability, catering to complex applications and enterprise needs.

Is Heroku built on top of AWS?

Yes, Heroku is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure.

Which company uses Heroku?

The top companies like Financial Times, shogun, afiniyo AG and Lumenalta are using Heroku.

Is Heroku open source?

The code for the Heroku CLI is also open source. It does not require Node.js or any other dependencies to run.