Heroku alternative
A Heroku alternative without the add-on sprawl
Heroku is proven, but the stack lives in a pile of add-ons. PrimDB bundles deploy, data, auth, and an agent API on one platform and one bill. Here is where each one fits.
What Heroku is: Heroku is the original PaaS: extremely mature, with buildpacks, pipelines, review apps, and a huge add-on marketplace for databases and services.
Side by side
PrimDB vs Heroku, feature by feature
No benchmarks, no invented numbers. Just what each platform actually gives you.
| Feature | PrimDB | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| App deploys | Git push to a live URL | Git push (buildpacks) |
| Preview per pull request | Yes, isolated per PR | Review apps per PR |
| Approval-gated promote | Yes, a human approves production | Pipeline promote, manual |
| Managed Postgres | Built in | Add-on (Heroku Postgres) |
| Redis / key-value | Built in | Add-on (Heroku Data for Redis) |
| Full-text search | Built in (Meilisearch) | Via marketplace add-on |
| Object storage | Built in (S3-style) | Via add-on |
| Built-in auth | Sessions, social sign-in, orgs | Bring your own / add-on |
| Agent / MCP API | Native MCP at mcp.primdb.com | Platform API, no bundled MCP |
| Preview feedback | Approval-gated preview + feedback overlay | Review apps, no feedback overlay |
| Hosting region | EU (Hetzner, Germany) | US + EU regions |
| Pricing | Free + usage (early access) | Usage-based |
| Maturity | New, early access | Very mature, huge add-on marketplace |
The honest call
Which one should you pick?
There is no winner for everyone. Here is where PrimDB fits and where Heroku is the better choice.
When PrimDB fits
- You want Postgres, Redis, search, storage, and auth built in, not assembled from separate add-ons.
- You want approval-gated previews with a stakeholder feedback overlay, not just review apps.
- You want a native MCP endpoint so agents can deploy and read data over one API.
- You want one predictable bill for the whole stack, hosted in the EU.
When Heroku fits
- You want the most battle-tested PaaS, with years of production hardening and a massive add-on ecosystem.
- You rely on specific Heroku add-ons or buildpacks that PrimDB does not offer.
- You want a proven, widely documented platform. PrimDB is in early access.
FAQ
PrimDB vs Heroku, answered
- How is PrimDB different from Heroku?
- On Heroku you assemble Postgres, Redis, storage, and auth from separate add-ons. PrimDB bundles managed Postgres, Redis, search, S3 storage, and auth into one platform, adds a native MCP endpoint for agents, and offers approval-gated previews with a feedback overlay.
- Is PrimDB as mature as Heroku?
- No. Heroku has years of production hardening and one of the largest add-on ecosystems anywhere. PrimDB is in early access. If maturity and a broad add-on marketplace are decisive, Heroku fits better.
- Does PrimDB use buildpacks like Heroku?
- PrimDB builds and deploys straight from a Git repo. It does not market Heroku-style buildpacks, so if you depend on specific buildpacks, check the PrimDB docs before switching.
See if one platform fits your stack.
Deploy, Data, Auth, and AI on one bill and one API. Actually free to start, no credit card.