Home /
Alternatives to Heroku /
Heroku vs CapRover
Heroku vs CapRover
A side-by-side look at Heroku (the paid SaaS) and CapRover (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Heroku | CapRover | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | App hosting platform as a service by Salesforce. | Free, self-hosted PaaS with a clean UI. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing | Eco dynos from $5/month; production tiers from $25. | Free to self-host |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 2/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | No |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Web only |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | None official |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
Clean web UI on top of Docker Swarm for solo or small teams.
CapRover strengths
- One-command install on any Ubuntu/Debian box.
- Web UI for managing apps, volumes and domains.
- Strong one-click app library (databases, etc.).
CapRover weaknesses
- Docker Swarm under the hood — not Kubernetes.
- Smaller team behind it.
- Scaling across many nodes is limited.
What's the catch with Heroku?
- Free tier removed in 2022.
- Pricing grew sharply for small projects.
- Vendor lock-in with buildpacks and add-ons.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Heroku: see Heroku alternatives, or learn more about CapRover on its project page.