Heroku is a cloud platform for deploying web applications without managing servers. You push code via Git, and Heroku builds, runs, and scales your app automatically. Designers use Heroku to deploy prototypes, portfolio sites with backends, and working demos of design concepts. Salesforce owns Heroku and eliminated free tiers in 2022, shifting the platform toward paying customers and enterprise teams.

Key Specs

Price	Eco $5/month (1,000 hours); Basic $7/month per dyno
Platform	Web-based, CLI tool, supports Ruby, Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Go
Best for	Backend apps, prototypes with databases, API servers
Learning curve	1-2 hours for basic deploy; days to understand add-ons and scaling

How Designers Use Heroku

For Deploying Interactive Prototypes

Designers who code (or work with developers) deploy prototypes to Heroku for user testing and stakeholder demos. Connect a GitHub repo containing a Next.js or Express app, enable automatic deploys, and every commit goes live at a herokuapp.com URL. Share the link for feedback without explaining “clone the repo and run npm install.”

For Portfolio Sites with Backends

Static site generators (Jekyll, Hugo) work on Netlify or GitHub Pages, but dynamic portfolios (Node.js with a database, Ruby on Rails apps) need a server. Heroku runs these apps cheaply. Designers deploy custom CMS systems, interactive galleries with databases, or portfolio sites that pull data from APIs.

For Running Design Tools and Bots

Some designers build custom tools: Slack bots that post daily design inspiration, web scrapers that collect competitor screenshots, or APIs that generate social media graphics. These tools run 24/7 on Heroku. The platform handles the infrastructure so you focus on the tool’s logic.

For Collaborating with Developers on Product Work

Design teams working on early-stage products deploy prototypes to Heroku for testing before investing in production infrastructure. The prototype might be a Rails app, a Django backend, or a Node.js API. Heroku provides a shared environment for designers, developers, and product managers to interact with the work-in-progress.

Heroku vs. Alternatives

Feature	Heroku	Vercel	Railway	Render
Free tier	❌ $5 minimum	✅ Generous	✅ $5 credit/month	✅ Limited free
Backend support	✅ Ruby, Python, Node, Java	⚠️ Serverless only	✅ Any Docker image	✅ Full backend
Databases	✅ Postgres, Redis add-ons	⚠️ Via third-party	✅ Integrated	✅ Integrated
Git deploy	✅ Automatic	✅ Automatic	✅ Automatic	✅ Automatic
Learning curve	Moderate	Easy	Easy	Moderate
Enterprise features	✅ Salesforce integration	✅ Teams, monitoring	⚠️ Growing	✅ Teams

Choose Vercel or Netlify if: You’re deploying static sites or Next.js apps. Free tiers are generous and deploys are automatic. Perfect for portfolios and marketing sites.

Choose Railway if: You need a backend (Node, Python, databases) and want a modern Heroku alternative with a free tier. Railway’s UI is cleaner and pricing is fairer for small projects.

Choose Heroku if: You’re on an enterprise team using Salesforce, need mature add-ons (logging, monitoring, databases), or are already familiar with Heroku from past projects. The platform is stable but no longer the best value for individuals.

Choose Render if: You need something between Vercel’s simplicity and Heroku’s power. Render supports full-stack apps with free databases (limited specs) and is actively growing.

Getting Started with Heroku

A 30-minute guide to your first deployment:

Step 1: Create a Heroku account and install the CLI

Sign up at heroku.com. Download the Heroku CLI from the website and install it. Open your terminal and run heroku login to authenticate. This CLI tool lets you create apps, view logs, and manage deployments from the command line.

Step 2: Prepare your app for deployment

Heroku detects your framework automatically (Node.js, Python, Ruby, etc.) using files like package.json or requirements.txt. For a Node.js app, make sure you have a start script in package.json and specify the Node version in engines. Heroku provides buildpacks for common frameworks.

Step 3: Deploy via Git or GitHub integration

Option 1 (Git): In your project folder, run heroku create to make a new app. Push your code with git push heroku main. Heroku builds and deploys automatically. Option 2 (GitHub): Connect your GitHub repo in the Heroku dashboard under “Deploy,” enable automatic deploys, and every push to your main branch goes live. You get a URL like yourappname.herokuapp.com.

Heroku in Your Design Workflow

Heroku sits between design and production, bridging prototypes and real products.

• Before Heroku: Design mockups in Figma, build working prototype in Next.js or Rails, test locally
• During development: Deploy to Heroku for stakeholder demos, user testing sessions, design critiques
• After Heroku: Migrate to production infrastructure (AWS, custom servers) or keep running on Heroku if it scales well

Common tool pairings:

• Heroku + GitHub for automatic deploys from version control (push to main, app updates)
• Heroku + Figma for translating designs into coded prototypes that run on Heroku
• Heroku + Postgres (Heroku add-on) for prototypes that need databases to store user data or content
• Heroku + Slack for bots and integrations built by design teams (daily inspiration posts, screenshot archives)

Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)

“My Heroku app sleeps and takes 30 seconds to wake up”

Eco dynos sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity. The first request after sleeping is slow while Heroku boots the app. Upgrade to Basic ($7/month per dyno) for always-on apps, or accept the delay for prototypes. Alternatives like Railway and Render have better cold start times for free/cheap tiers.

“Heroku is too expensive for my side project”

Agreed. A basic Heroku setup (dyno + database) costs $12-15/month minimum. Railway offers $5/month credit (covers small apps), Render has a free tier with limits, and Vercel/Netlify are free for static sites. Migrate unless you need specific Heroku add-ons or enterprise features.

“I can’t figure out why my deploy failed”

Run heroku logs --tail to see real-time error messages. Most failures are missing dependencies (package.json or requirements.txt incomplete), wrong start commands, or environment variables not set. Check the build log in the Heroku dashboard for clues. Common fix: ensure your app listens on the PORT environment variable Heroku provides.

“My Heroku app URL looks unprofessional”

Free apps get random URLs like frozen-tor-12345.herokuapp.com. Add a custom domain in Settings > Domains. Point your DNS to Heroku’s servers. This works on all paid plans (Eco and above). Custom domains make prototypes feel more polished for client demos.

“Should I learn Heroku or skip to newer platforms?”

If you’re starting fresh, learn Railway, Render, or Vercel instead. They have better free tiers, cleaner UIs, and modern workflows. Learn Heroku only if you’re joining a team that uses it or maintaining legacy apps. The concepts (Git deploy, environment variables, add-ons) transfer to other platforms, so time spent learning Heroku isn’t wasted.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Heroku eliminated free tiers in November 2022, citing abuse and fraud. The cheapest option is now Eco Dynos at $5/month for 1,000 compute hours shared across all apps (apps sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity). For prototypes, consider Railway ($5/month with $5 free credit) or Netlify/Vercel (free for static sites).

Choose Vercel or Netlify for static sites, Next.js, or Gatsby (generous free tiers, automatic deployments from Git). Choose Heroku if you need a backend server (Ruby on Rails, Django, Express) or databases. Heroku handles more complex apps but costs more. For simple prototypes, Vercel/Netlify are better values.

Sort of. You can deploy pre-built apps or templates with Heroku’s one-click deploy buttons. But customizing requires editing code. If you’re using no-code tools (Webflow, Framer, Bubble), you don’t need Heroku. Heroku is for deploying code-based apps, often built by developers or designer-developer hybrids.

Connect your GitHub repo to a Heroku app. Heroku automatically detects your framework (Node.js, Python, etc.) and builds it. Every git push to your main branch deploys automatically. You get a URL like yourapp.herokuapp.com to share. For design prototypes, this workflow pairs well with HTML/CSS/JS projects or frameworks like Next.js.

Salesforce bought Heroku in 2010. For years, Heroku continued independently. In 2022, Salesforce removed free tiers and focused Heroku on enterprise customers. In 2024, Heroku launched Fir, a major platform rewrite. The service is still active but no longer targets hobbyists and students like it did in the 2010s.

Probably not. Heroku’s $5/month Eco tier is reasonable, but alternatives like Railway, Render, and Fly.io offer better free tiers or pricing for small projects. Heroku’s strength is enterprise features (teams, Salesforce integration, compliance). For personal prototypes, newer platforms are more cost-effective.