Heroku vs DigitalOcean : Which one is the better choice for your business?

  • 01Heroku vs DigitalOcean: overview
  • 02What's the difference between Heroku and DigitalOcean?
  • 03Heroku pros and cons
  • 04DigitalOcean pros and cons
  • 05Heroku compared to DigitalOcean
  • 06DigitalOcean compared to Heroku
  • 07Features comparison
  • 08Heroku vs DigitalOcean: Which is the best for your business?
  • 09Promotions on Application Development software
  • 10Alternatives to Heroku & DigitalOcean

Heroku vs DigitalOcean: overview

logo heroku
Heroku
logo digital ocean
DigitalOcean
Comments
Ease of Use
4.0 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
For users accustomed to cloud solutions, the learning curve will not be as steep as for those using a solution like DigitalOcean for the first time. Heroku is a bit more complicated in certain aspects, while some bugs increase the difficulty.
Manageability
4.5 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Heroku offers developers the flexibility to focus on optimizing their applications as it handles the infrastructure aspects such as server and database maintenance. On the other hand, with Digital Ocean the main emphasis should be on application development and backend management.
Server control
2.5 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
Digital Ocean provides users with the ability to create their own virtual private server. While the service does not include management, there are helpful guides available to assist in setting up these servers independently. Regrettably, Heroku does not offer a similar option.
Scalability
4.5 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Both Heroku and DigitalOcean have the ability to scale, but they have different approaches to achieving it. Heroku’s is more automatic as the application scales naturally, while with DigitalOcean you will have to do most of the work manually.
Security
4.5 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Security is of importance to both Heroku and DigitalOcean. They each provide a range of security measures to protect your application. Heroku prioritizes security by implementing SSL encryption, establishing connections with databases, regularly updating security protocols and maintaining a team that actively monitors for potential threats. In contrast, DigitalOcean integrates security features into its platform by offering backups and employing secure password hashing techniques. Additionally, DigitalOcean offers the option to augment security further with the inclusion of firewalls and malware scans for a cost.
OS compatibility
4.0 out of 5
4.0 out of 5
DigitalOcean doesn’t play nice with Windows, as deployment is done through predefined Linux instances and the same can be said of Heroku, whose instances are Unix-based.
Integrations
4.0 out of 5
3.0 out of 5
Heroku offers a simplified PaaS experience with many integrations with tools like SendGrid, UseCSV, and Fastly, while DigitalOcean provides more control but may require more manual setup for integrations.
Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
Heroku has more criticism directed at various aspects of its platform compared to DigitalOcean, making it a less appealing choice according to customer reviews.
Pricing Plan
4.0 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
As both platforms cover the basics pretty well and are competitively priced, we could say that they’re evenly matched when it comes to value for money. DigitalOcean’s one-year Github Pro that comes as a sign-on bonus makes it a much better option.
Customer Support
4.0 out of 5
3.0 out of 5
While customer support is not perfect by any means with either platform, Heroku manages to make things worse with a lack of documentation for certain aspects and slower response times.

What's the difference between Heroku and DigitalOcean?

Heroku's Web Dashboard Showing Metric like Errors and Response Times
Heroku's Web Dashboard Showing Metric like Errors and Response Times
DigitalOcean Allows You to Easily Build, Deploy and Scale Your Apps within a Fully Managed Solution
DigitalOcean Allows You to Easily Build, Deploy and Scale Your Apps within a Fully Managed Solution

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Heroku pros and cons

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What are the disadvantages of Heroku?

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DigitalOcean pros and cons

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Heroku compared to DigitalOcean

Is Heroku better than DigitalOcean?

What is Heroku best used for?

Can Heroku replace DigitalOcean?

Is Heroku cheaper than DigitalOcean?

Is there a better Application Development software than Heroku?

DigitalOcean compared to Heroku

Is DigitalOcean better than Heroku?

What is DigitalOcean best used for?

Can DigitalOcean replace Heroku?

Is DigitalOcean cheaper than Heroku?

Is there a better Cloud Storage software than DigitalOcean?

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Features comparison

DigitalOcean Excels Ahead of Heroku in User-Friendly Design

DigitalOcean's streamlined interface and straightforward setup processes grant users a more intuitive experience, simplifying tasks like server deployment and application hosting.
DigitalOcean's streamlined interface and straightforward setup processes grant users a more intuitive experience, simplifying tasks like server deployment and application hosting.

Heroku Offers Superior Automatic Scaling than DigitalOcean

Heroku stands out in its ability to seamlessly auto-scale applications to effectively manage sudden surges in traffic, a pivotal capability that guarantees your application's responsiveness during peak usage.
Heroku stands out in its ability to seamlessly auto-scale applications to effectively manage sudden surges in traffic, a pivotal capability that guarantees your application's responsiveness during peak usage.

Both Heroku and DigitalOcean Excel in Container Support

DigitalOcean offers a Kubernetes-based platform that automates the deployment and scheduling of applications across cloud servers, delivering unmatched control and operational efficiency.
DigitalOcean offers a Kubernetes-based platform that automates the deployment and scheduling of applications across cloud servers, delivering unmatched control and operational efficiency.

DigitalOcean Offers Better Database Management than Heroku

DigitalOcean stands out with its comprehensive selection of fully managed databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Redis. This robust offering not only relieves your tech teams of the onerous management tasks but also elevates the overall performance of your applications.
DigitalOcean stands out with its comprehensive selection of fully managed databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Redis. This robust offering not only relieves your tech teams of the onerous management tasks but also elevates the overall performance of your applications.

Heroku Provides Better Collaboration Tools while DigitalOcean Excels in Hosting and Storing

Heroku offers an array of collaboration features, including team management and access controls, designed to support expansive development teams tackling complex projects
Heroku offers an array of collaboration features, including team management and access controls, designed to support expansive development teams tackling complex projects

DigitalOcean’s Load Balancing is Superior Compared to Heroku’s

DigitalOcean's load balancers efficiently distribute incoming traffic across Droplets, ensuring that high-volume requests are handled seamlessly.
DigitalOcean's load balancers efficiently distribute incoming traffic across Droplets, ensuring that high-volume requests are handled seamlessly.

Heroku’s Impressive Integration Ecosystem Outperforms DigitalOcean’s

Heroku excels in integration opportunities thanks to its extensive array of pre-built add-ons, offering developers a marketplace brimming with hundreds of services such as data stores and monitoring tools
Heroku excels in integration opportunities thanks to its extensive array of pre-built add-ons, offering developers a marketplace brimming with hundreds of services such as data stores and monitoring tools

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Heroku vs DigitalOcean: Which is the best for your business?

Heroku is the best tool for you if:

  • You want a platform that streamlines app deployment and scales effortlessly, removing infrastructure management complexities.
  • You require built-in features, like database integration and third-party services, to enhance your app development workflow.
  • You need automatic scaling and load balancing to handle traffic spikes without manual intervention, ensuring a seamless user experience.
  • Simplicity and convenience are vital to you, allowing you to focus on coding rather than server administration tasks.
  • Your priority is rapid, hassle-free development starts, making Heroku the perfect choice for your projects.

DigitalOcean is the best tool for you if:

  • You seek a cloud provider with straightforward pricing and a developer-friendly approach to deploying and managing virtual servers.
  • Your projects demand scalable infrastructure, and you want to customize server configurations to suit specific requirements.
  • You prioritize robust documentation and a strong community for support, making DigitalOcean a great fit for your needs.
  • You're focused on containerization with Kubernetes or Docker, as DigitalOcean offers seamless integration and orchestration capabilities.
  • You value a platform that simplifies cloud infrastructure management, enabling you to efficiently develop and deploy your applications.

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Alternatives to Heroku & DigitalOcean

Promotions on Application Development software

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