Heroku (Eco + Basic dynos) alternatives
Killing $5-25+/mo (~$60/yr) — here are 3 verified escapes, honest trade-offs included.
the answer medium migration
Dokku · Free ⭐ 32.1K stars Mini-Heroku powered by git push to your own box — the closest drop-in.
you stop paying $5-25+/mo → keep ~$60/yr
head-to-head
| Heroku (Eco + Basic dynos) | Dokku | |
|---|---|---|
| price | $5-25+/mo | Free |
| self-hostable | no | yes |
| license | proprietary | MIT |
| verified | — | 2026-08 |
| migration | — | medium effort |
free & open source (3)
Free
Mini-Heroku powered by git push to your own box — the closest drop-in.
trade-offs: You manage the server & SSL
github →Free
Self-hosted PaaS with one-click apps, web UI and automated SSL.
trade-offs: Docker-centric workflow differs from Buildpacks
github →migration guide
Dokku: git push heroku-style, minus the bill
⏱ ~2 hours- Rent a VPS (Hetzner CX22 ≈ €4/mo handles several small apps).
- Install Dokku with their bootstrap script; run the setup over SSH.
- dokku apps:create your-app; install plugins: postgres, redis, letsencrypt.
- git remote add dokku && git push dokku main — buildpacks detect your stack exactly like Heroku.
- Copy config vars: dokku config:set APP KEY=value …
- Point DNS, verify, then power down Heroku apps before Eco renewal.
faq
What is the best free alternative to Heroku (Eco + Basic dynos)?
Dokku is the top free option — Mini-Heroku powered by git push to your own box — the closest drop-in.
How much can I save by switching from Heroku (Eco + Basic dynos)?
Heroku (Eco + Basic dynos) costs $5-25+/mo, so switching to a free alternative saves roughly $60/year per seat.
Can Heroku (Eco + Basic dynos) be self-hosted?
Yes — Dokku and CapRover and Coolify can be self-hosted for free.