Can I open-source Heroku?
YES · mature open-source replacementYes. Coolify (57k stars), Dokploy (36k stars), Dokku (32k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Heroku — self-host with real ops work and stop paying $7/mo.
People still pay for Heroku because hosting products sell an operations team and failure-domain diversity, not merely a deploy button. The recurring cost buys patching, certificates, isolation, secrets, builds, deploys, logs, metrics, backups, capacity, incidents, and security response, not just the visible interface.
xmanaged runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity
xglobal edge network
xmanaged databases
xautoscaling
xDDoS protection, support, and compliance
These projects already replace it, free.
CCoolifyHeroku on your own server, including Git deploys, TLS, logs, databases, and scheduled backups.open source↗DDokployA newer self-hosted PaaS for apps and databases, with previews, TLS, logs, and backups in the same control plane.open source↗DDokkuThe original tiny Heroku-on-one-box; excellent once you are comfortable treating a server like a pet.open source↗What each one is, in full: Coolify · Dokploy · Dokku
all 5 open-source alternatives to Heroku →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Heroku pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| eco | $5 | — | 1,000 pooled dyno-hours/account/month; 0.5 GB RAM; sleeps after 30 minutes idle; personal apps only. |
| basic | $7 | — | 0.5 GB RAM per dyno. |
| standard-1x | $25 | — | 0.5 GB RAM per dyno. |
| standard-2x | $50 | — | 1 GB RAM per dyno. |
| performance-m | $250 | — | 2.5 GB RAM per dyno. |
| performance-l | $500 | — | 14 GB RAM per dyno. |
| performance-l-ram | $500 | — | 30 GB RAM per dyno. |
| performance-xl | $750 | — | 62 GB RAM per dyno. |
| performance-2xl | $1500 | — | 126 GB RAM per dyno. |
| private-s | $125 | — | 1 GB RAM per dyno. |
| private-m | $250 | — | 2.5 GB RAM per dyno. |
| private-l | $500 | — | 14 GB RAM per dyno. |
| private-l-ram | $500 | — | 30 GB RAM per dyno. |
| private-xl | $750 | — | 62 GB RAM per dyno. |
| private-2xl | $1500 | — | 126 GB RAM per dyno. |
| shield-s | $150 | — | 1 GB RAM per dyno. |
| shield-m | $300 | — | 2.5 GB RAM per dyno. |
| shield-l | $600 | — | 14 GB RAM per dyno. |
| shield-l-ram | $600 | — | 30 GB RAM per dyno. |
| shield-xl | $900 | — | 62 GB RAM per dyno. |
| shield-2xl | $1800 | — | 126 GB RAM per dyno. |
| fir classic 1c / 0.5 gb | $25 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir classic 2c / 1 gb | $50 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir general purpose 1c / 4 gb | $80 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir general purpose 2c / 8 gb | $160 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir general purpose 4c / 16 gb | $320 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir general purpose 8c / 32 gb | $640 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir general purpose 16c / 64 gb | $1000 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir compute 2c / 4 gb | $150 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir compute 4c / 8 gb | $300 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir compute 8c / 16 gb | $600 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir compute 16c / 32 gb | $1200 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir compute 32c / 64 gb | $2400 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir memory 1c / 8 gb | $100 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir memory 2c / 16 gb | $250 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir memory 4c / 32 gb | $500 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir memory 8c / 64 gb | $750 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
| fir memory 16c / 128 gb | $1500 | — | Published Fir dyno size; billed while provisioned. |
free tierno free tier
billingmonthly billing; non-Eco dynos are prorated per second with a 1-minute minimum; no annual plan
hidden costsDatabases, add-ons, network services and support are separate. Review apps and one-off dynos also consume paid dyno time. Eco is charged as the full $5 monthly pool rather than normal per-second proration.
verified 2026-08-14 · source ↗
Can I open-source Heroku?
Yes. Coolify replaces Heroku today — self-host it on your own server or machine with no subscription. The full list of open-source alternatives is on this page.
How much does Heroku cost?
Heroku costs about $7/month (Basic Dyno, checked 2026-07-31), which is $84 per year. That's what you save by replacing it with open source.
What do I lose by replacing Heroku?
Honestly: managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity; global edge network; managed databases; autoscaling; DDoS protection, support, and compliance. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Heroku?
Yes: Coolify (Heroku on your own server, including Git deploys, TLS, logs, databases, and scheduled backups.) Dokploy (A newer self-hosted PaaS for apps and databases, with previews, TLS, logs, and backups in the same control plane.) Dokku (The original tiny Heroku-on-one-box; excellent once you are comfortable treating a server like a pet.) All 5 curated open-source alternatives are at caniopensourceit.online/heroku-basic/alternatives.