Clever Cloud vs. Heroku
Clever Cloud gives you the same simplicity developers already love, with transparent pricing, built-in observability, and European-grade compliance on top. Everything you need to run your applications, without compromise.
Compare Clever Cloud and Heroku.
| Category | Clever Cloud | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Main Offering | Developer-oriented PaaS & DBaaS with integrated marketplace. | US-based PaaS (Salesforce) known for ease of use, with a large add-on ecosystem. |
| Ease of Use | Simple deployment, integrated auto-scaling and monitoring, no infrastructure management. | Deploy via git push, auto-scaling dynos, integrated monitoring, no infrastructure management. |
| Supported Languages & Runtimes | .NET, Docker, Elixir, FrankenPHP, Go, Haskell, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, Scala, Static; simplified deployment workflows, VMs, containers. | Node.js, Ruby, Python, Java, PHP, Scala, Go, Clojure, .NET, Docker. |
| Scalability & Performance | Automatic horizontal and vertical scaling based on actual usage; app instance and replica auto-scaling, automatic replication and redeployment. | Automatic horizontal and vertical scaling based on actual usage; app instance and replica auto-scaling, automatic replication and redeployment. |
| Deployment Model | Git, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket integrations; built-in CI/CD pipelines; immutable deployments; CLI, API, Kubernetes, Infrastructure as Code. | Deployments via Git; pipelines and review apps available; relies on add-ons for CI/CD. |
| Marketplace & Services | Marketplace including managed databases, object storage, observability, CI/CD, IAM, security, and integrated backups. | Rich add-on marketplace for databases, monitoring, storage, logging, CI/CD, messaging, and productivity tools. |
| Monitoring & Observability | Dashboards, logs, metrics, and alerts included; no third-party service required. | Basic monitoring included, e.g., application logs and metrics. |
| Compliance, Security & Sovereignty | Built-in security: isolated apps, automatic backups, data encryption; GDPR, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, HDS compliant; SecNumCloud in progress. | PCI, HIPAA, SOC, ISO certifications. |
| Infrastructure / Global Coverage | Owns and manages its infrastructure; datacenters primarily in Europe, also in Canada, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, Abidjan, Kazakhstan. | Hosted on AWS, US-based. |
| Data Location | Hosting in France and worldwide; outside US and Chinese jurisdiction. | Mostly US regions; EU option available but under US legal framework, subject to extraterritorial laws. |
| Support & SLA | Support via console, documentation, and tickets; standard SLA 99.9%; Premium SLA 99.99% with 24/7 on-call. | Community support, tickets, and docs included; no strong public SLA, Enterprise plans only offer guaranteed SLA and 24/7 support. |
| Pricing Model | Transparent, usage-based: clear per-resource billing, optimized for cost predictability. | Pay-as-you-go per container (dyno), additional costs for extra add-ons. |
Key Advantages of Clever Cloud
The Heroku alternative
European Data Sovereignty
100% European hosting with GDPR-compliant services, no risk from extraterritorial laws like the US Cloud Act. ISO 27001 & 9001, HDS certified. SecNumCloud in progress.
Security & Reliability
Security is built-in from day one. High availability and compliance included by default.
Multicloud by Design
Deploy your applications wherever you want: on Clever Cloud, with a partner, or on your own infrastructure, with datacenters in Europe, Canada, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, Abidjan, and Kazakhstan.
Unit Resource Comparison
| Resource / Unit | Unit | Clever Cloud (€) | Heroku (€) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compute – 1 vCPU | per hour | 0.00825¹ | 0.0293⁷ |
| Memory – 1 GB RAM | per hour | 0.0219² | 0.0587⁷ |
| PostgreSQL DB – 1 GB Storage | per GB/month | 5.25³ | 4.2835⁸ |
| Storage | per GB/month | 0.02⁴ | 0.3255⁹ |
| Outbound Traffic | per GB | 0.09⁵ | Usually included in dyno price |
| Log Storage & Retention | per GB/month | 7-day retention⁶ | Included / via add-on¹⁰ |
| Monitoring & Alerts | per app/month | 0 (included) | Included¹¹ |
| CI/CD Pipeline | per app/month | 0 (included) | Included¹² |
| Basic Support | per month | Free support for all users via email; response usually within a few hours to 2 business days. | Access to Dev Center docs, Trailblazer community, Trailhead, Salesforce Help, and online case submission. No SLA; responses best-effort. |
¹Based on the “nano” unit offering 1 vCPU and 512 MB of RAM for €6 per month.
²Based on the “XS” unit offering 1 vCPU and 1 GB of RAM for €16 per month.
³Based on the “XXS Small Space” unit offering 1 GB of storage.
⁴Based on pricing for Cellar Object Storage.
⁵Based on pricing for Cellar Object Storage.
⁶Based on documentation.
⁷Based on Heroku Standard-2X dyno ($50 /month, 2 vCPU + 1 GB RAM, 730 h).
⁸Based on the “Essential-0” plan, which includes 1 GB of PostgreSQL storage.
⁹Based on pricing for Stackhero Object Storage.
¹⁰Basic logging included; storage and retention via add-ons (e.g. Papertrail: free to ~$16/month).
¹¹Heroku offers certain built-in features at no additional cost.
¹²Use of the Pipelines feature is free, but you are charged for the dynos and add-ons used by your apps in the pipeline.
Monthly Estimates
| App Profile | Clever Cloud (€) | Heroku (€) | Savings (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 35.7¹ | 57.27⁴ | 37.67% |
| Standard | 136.02² | 166.31⁵ | 18.21% |
| High Performance | 289.1³ | 367.31⁶ | 21.29% |
¹A basic setup with 1 vCPU, 1 GiB RAM, and a PostgreSQL database (1 GiB/5 GB), including 10 GB storage, 50 GB outbound traffic, and free CI/CD, monitoring and support.
²A standard environment with 4 vCPU, 4 GiB RAM, and a PostgreSQL database (2 GiB/10 GB), offering 50 GB storage, 200 GB outbound traffic, and included CI/CD, monitoring and support.
³An advanced configuration with 6 vCPU, 8 GiB RAM, and a PostgreSQL database (4 GiB/20 GB), featuring 200 GB storage, 500 GB outbound traffic, and free CI/CD, monitoring and support.
⁴This profile includes 2 vCPU, 1 GB memory, and a 1 GB PostgreSQL database, along with 10 GB storage, 50 GB outbound traffic, and 1 GB of logs. CI/CD, monitoring, and alerts are included, with basic support.
⁵This configuration offers 2 vCPU, 4 GB memory, and a 10 GB PostgreSQL database, with 50 GB storage, 200 GB outbound traffic, and 3 GB of logs. CI/CD, monitoring, and alerts are included, as well as Standard Success support.
⁶Based on 4 vCPU, 8 GB memory, and a 32 GB PostgreSQL database, paired with 200 GB storage, 500 GB outbound traffic, and 16.5 GB of logs. CI/CD, monitoring, and alerts are included, with Premier Success support.
Why Clever Cloud is the Best Alternative to Heroku Today
Choosing Clever Cloud, the Heroku alternative, means:
- A modern PaaS experience keeping Heroku’s simplicity while offering more native services.
- Sovereign hosting compliant with European regulations.
- Predictable costs with clear pricing and public estimator.
- Enhanced security suitable for critical environments.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate an application from Heroku to Clever Cloud without rewriting the code?
In most cases, yes. Clever Cloud supports the same deployment workflow as Heroku: a single git push triggers the build and deployment, with no Dockerfile or infrastructure configuration required. Environment variables, managed databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis), and custom domains are reconfigured from the console. A migration from Heroku typically comes down to updating connection variables and recreating equivalent services on Clever Cloud.
Does Clever Cloud support the same languages as Heroku?
Clever Cloud supports all languages covered by Heroku — Node.js, Python, PHP, Ruby, Java, Go, Scala, .NET — as well as additional runtimes such as Elixir, Rust, Haskell, and FrankenPHP. Docker applications are also supported. Each runtime is preconfigured and maintained by Clever Cloud, with no buildpacks or system dependencies to manage.
Where is data hosted on Clever Cloud, unlike Heroku?
Clever Cloud hosts data in its own datacenters in France and Europe. Unlike Heroku, whose infrastructure runs on AWS in the United States, data hosted on Clever Cloud is not subject to American extraterritorial legislation such as the Cloud Act. Clever Cloud is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and HDS certified, and all services are GDPR compliant.
Is Clever Cloud more expensive than Heroku?
Cost depends on usage, but Clever Cloud applies consumption-based pricing with no charges for idle resources. Heroku bills its dynos by the hour even with no traffic, and third-party add-ons add up quickly. On Clever Cloud, observability (Grafana, metrics, logs) and automatic backups are included at no extra cost. An online cost simulator allows you to estimate your budget accurately before any commitment.
What is the difference between Clever Cloud and Heroku for an organization subject to GDPR?
Heroku hosts primarily in American regions and remains subject to US law, even in its European offerings. For an organization processing personal data of European residents, this creates a GDPR compliance risk that is difficult to address contractually. Clever Cloud hosts in France, under European jurisdiction, with ISO 27001 and HDS certifications. For highly regulated environments — healthcare, public sector, finance — Clever Cloud also offers On-Premises and AirGap solutions, as well as a SecNumCloud zone via its partner Cloud Temple.
Can Clever Cloud be considered a Heroku alternative?
Yes, absolutely. Both are Platform as a Service offerings sharing the same mechanisms and capabilities.
Get Started with Clever Cloud
Deploy your applications in minutes, enjoy autoscaling, stay fully GDPR-compliant — all with transparent, usage-based pricing.