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Open-source alternatives to Heroku

Compare community-driven replacements for Heroku in paas & deployment platforms workflows. We curate active, self-hostable options with transparent licensing so you can evaluate the right fit quickly.

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Heroku

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Key stats

  • 10Alternatives
  • 9Support self-hosting

    Run on infrastructure you control

  • 8Active development

    Recent commits in the last 6 months

  • 5Permissive licenses

    MIT, Apache, and similar licenses

Counts reflect projects currently indexed as alternatives to Heroku.

Start with these picks

These projects match the most common migration paths for teams replacing Heroku.

meli logo
meli
Best for self-hosting

Why teams pick it

Teams wanting a self-hosted alternative to Netlify or Vercel

Dokploy logo
Dokploy
Privacy-first alternative

Why teams pick it

Self-hostable PaaS for effortless application and database deployment

All open-source alternatives

meli logo

meli

Open source platform for deploying static sites and frontends

Self-host friendlyPrivacy-firstFast to deployTypeScript

Why teams choose it

  • Unlimited sites, teams, and users under a primary domain
  • Automatic HTTPS with Let's Encrypt and branch preview deployments
  • Custom domain mapping with seamless redirection

Watch for

Project is seeking maintainers, indicating reduced active development

Migration highlight

Agency Client Portal

Deploy unlimited client sites under one domain with custom domain mapping and password-protected staging environments

Dokploy logo

Dokploy

Self-hostable PaaS for effortless application and database deployment

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstTypeScript

Why teams choose it

  • Multi-language application deployment with Docker Compose support
  • Managed databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, Redis) with automated backups
  • Multi-node scaling via Docker Swarm with Traefik load balancing

Watch for

Requires VPS management knowledge and infrastructure maintenance responsibility

Migration highlight

Agency Client Hosting

Deploy and monitor dozens of client websites and applications from a single Dokploy instance across multiple VPS nodes, with automated backups and per-client resource tracking.

piku logo

piku

Deploy apps via git push to any server, even Raspberry Pi

Active developmentPermissive licenseFast to deployPython

Why teams choose it

  • Git‑push deployments without Docker
  • Runs on low‑resource ARM devices like Raspberry Pi
  • Automatic runtime detection with isolated dependency management

Watch for

Requires POSIX environment with Python, nginx, and uwsgi

Migration highlight

Personal blog on a home server

Deploy via git push and obtain automatic HTTPS for a static or dynamic blog.

CapRover logo

CapRover

Self-hosted PaaS for effortless app deployment without Docker expertise

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstTypeScript

Why teams choose it

  • One-click app and database deployment via web GUI or CLI
  • Automatic SSL certificates through integrated Let's Encrypt
  • Docker Swarm clustering for horizontal scaling and high availability

Watch for

Requires managing your own server infrastructure and updates

Migration highlight

Agency Multi-Client Hosting

Deploy and manage dozens of client websites and applications from a single dashboard, reducing infrastructure costs and maintenance overhead.

Up logo

Up

Deploy serverless apps to AWS Lambda in seconds

Self-host friendlyPermissive licensePrivacy-firstGo

Why teams choose it

  • Deploy vanilla HTTP servers with existing frameworks—no code changes required
  • Single-command deployment to AWS Lambda and API Gateway infrastructure
  • Built-in logging, monitoring, and alerting without additional configuration

Watch for

AWS-only deployment target limits multi-cloud flexibility

Migration highlight

Microservices API Deployment

Deploy dozens of independent API services with automatic scaling and pay-per-request pricing instead of maintaining dedicated Kubernetes clusters

Canine logo

Canine

Kubernetes deployment platform with Heroku-like simplicity

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPermissive licenseRuby

Why teams choose it

  • Heroku-inspired UI for Kubernetes cluster management
  • One-command installation via Docker Compose
  • Optional managed cloud service with GitHub integration

Watch for

Requires existing Kubernetes cluster knowledge for advanced configurations

Migration highlight

Startup Migration from Heroku

Reduce hosting costs by 60% while maintaining familiar deployment workflows on self-managed Kubernetes infrastructure

Dokku logo

Dokku

Docker-powered mini-Heroku for self-hosted application deployment

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPermissive licenseShell

Why teams choose it

  • Git-push deployments with Heroku-compatible buildpack support
  • Single-server installation on Ubuntu/Debian with minimal dependencies
  • Built-in SSL, domain management, and zero-downtime deployment capabilities

Watch for

Single-server architecture limits horizontal scaling compared to distributed platforms

Migration highlight

Rapid MVP Deployment

Launch multiple prototype applications on a single $10/month VPS with git-push simplicity, avoiding expensive PaaS bills during validation phases.

Coolify logo

Coolify

Self-hostable alternative to Heroku, Netlify, and Vercel

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPermissive licensePHP

Why teams choose it

  • Deploy apps and databases to any server with SSH access
  • Zero vendor lock-in—all configs stored on your infrastructure
  • Supports Docker, static sites, and popular frameworks (Next.js, React, Vue, Svelte)

Watch for

Requires managing your own server hardware or VPS

Migration highlight

Multi-Environment App Deployment

Deploy staging and production Next.js apps to separate VPS instances, retaining full config control and avoiding platform fees.

Sidekick logo

Sidekick

Deploy side projects to your VPS like Fly.io

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstGo

Why teams choose it

  • One-command VPS provisioning with Docker, Traefik, and security hardening
  • Zero-downtime deployments with automatic SSL certificate management
  • Built-in SOPS encryption for secure environment variable handling

Watch for

Requires Homebrew on local machine for dependency management

Migration highlight

MVP Launch on a Shoestring Budget

Deploy a full-stack web app with SSL and secrets management for under $10/month while retaining flexibility to scale or migrate.

Kubero logo

Kubero

Self-hosted Kubernetes PaaS for developers without specialized knowledge

Self-host friendlyActive developmentPrivacy-firstTypeScript

Why teams choose it

  • GitOps CI/CD pipelines with automatic review apps and up to 4 staging environments
  • 160+ application templates and integrated add-ons (PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB, RabbitMQ)
  • Deploy from Docker containers or source code across 10+ languages and frameworks

Watch for

Requires existing Kubernetes cluster or infrastructure setup

Migration highlight

Multi-Stage Application Deployment

Deploy applications through review, test, staging, and production environments with automatic promotion and rollback capabilities

Choosing a paas & deployment platforms alternative

Teams replacing Heroku in paas & deployment platforms workflows typically weigh self-hosting needs, integration coverage, and licensing obligations.

  • 9 projects let you self-host and keep customer data on infrastructure you control.
  • 8 options are actively maintained with recent commits.

Tip: shortlist one hosted and one self-hosted option so stakeholders can compare trade-offs before migrating away from Heroku.