Heroku
Deploy one containerized app with logs and a managed reverse proxy on a user server
A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Heroku, deploy one containerized app with logs and a managed reverse proxy on a user server. The hard boundary is managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity, plus infrastructure scale, operations, and reliability.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity
- global edge network
- managed databases
- autoscaling
- DDoS protection, support, and compliance
Why people still pay
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.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- Linux server
- Docker
- domain and DNS access
- backup destination
- basic systems administration
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Project rule, data: Model forms, field definitions, responses, consent flags, and exports; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Project rule, behavior: Implement applications, environments, secrets, domains, health checks, and rolling container replacement.
Project rule, recovery: Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions.
Implementation plan
Phase 1, architecture and data
Use Docker Compose, Caddy, PostgreSQL, Redis, and a small Go control plane. Model forms, field definitions, responses, consent flags, and exports; store source IDs and timestamps for each.
Phase 2, implement
Implement applications, environments, secrets, domains, health checks, and rolling container replacement.
Phase 3, implement
Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions.
Phase 4, review and output
Add host metrics, disk alerts, update instructions, disaster recovery, and a prominent single-server warning.
Phase 5, recovery and acceptance
Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions. Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: A failed health check must not replace the last healthy deployment; rollback must recover its exact artifact digest. State the practical limit: managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity.
Build me a focused application hosting and backend platforms workflow for the personal core of Heroku. Requirements: - Use Docker Compose, Caddy, PostgreSQL, Redis, and a small Go control plane. Model forms, field definitions, responses, consent flags, and exports; store source IDs and timestamps for each. - Paid product context: Deploy one containerized app with logs and a managed reverse proxy on a user server. Build only this DIY scope: Deploy a few trusted containerized apps behind a managed reverse proxy on one user-owned server, route domains, retain logs, and perform backups. - Implement applications, environments, secrets, domains, health checks, and rolling container replacement. - Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions. - Add host metrics, disk alerts, update instructions, disaster recovery, and a prominent single-server warning. - Use a focused application hosting and backend platforms input, review, and export interface. Required input or access: Linux server; Docker. - Recovery: Capture bounded build and runtime logs and expose restart, rollback, and redeploy actions. - Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: A failed health check must not replace the last healthy deployment; rollback must recover its exact artifact digest. - Out of scope: managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity; global edge network. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow. - Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan
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Alternatives to building your own
all 3 free 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.Flat $5 account charge rather than per-second proration. |
| basic | $7 | — | 0.5 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| standard-1x | $25 | — | 0.5 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| standard-2x | $50 | — | 1 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| performance-m | $250 | — | 2.5 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| performance-l | $500 | — | 14 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| performance-l-ram | $500 | — | 30 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| performance-xl | $750 | — | 62 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| performance-2xl | $1500 | — | 126 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar dyno. |
| private-s | $125 | — | 1 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| private-m | $250 | — | 2.5 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| private-l | $500 | — | 14 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| private-l-ram | $500 | — | 30 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| private-xl | $750 | — | 62 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| private-2xl | $1500 | — | 126 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| shield-s | $150 | — | 1 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| shield-m | $300 | — | 2.5 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| shield-l | $600 | — | 14 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| shield-l-ram | $600 | — | 30 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| shield-xl | $900 | — | 62 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance dyno. |
| shield-2xl | $1800 | — | 126 GB RAM per dyno.Cedar isolated/compliance 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.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Heroku
Can you build your own Heroku with AI?
A full replacement is not the recommended project. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Heroku, deploy one containerized app with logs and a managed reverse proxy on a user server. The hard boundary is managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity, plus infrastructure scale, operations, and reliability.
What does the Heroku build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Deploy a few trusted containerized apps behind a managed reverse proxy on one user-owned server, route domains, retain logs, and perform backups. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity; global edge network; managed databases. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Heroku prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Heroku project take?
The catalogue estimate is closest consolation build: one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Heroku?
managed runtime, add-ons, buildpacks, databases, support, and operational maturity; global edge network; managed databases; autoscaling; DDoS protection, support, and compliance. 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.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Basic Dyno plan is $7/mo (monthly per dyno), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Heroku?
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. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/heroku-basic/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.