Apify vs Heroku
Compare Apify and Heroku on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
Apify
Actor platform for web scraping — Free $0 ($5 usage); Starter $29/mo ($26 annual); Scale $199; Business $999.
Best for
- • Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
- • Developers who need compute + storage + proxy in one platform
- • Projects that benefit from Apify Store scrapers
Starting from $29.00/user/mo
Free plan available
VS
Our verdict
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Apify is better for
- ✓ Free plan
Heroku is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
- ✓ Security & admin
Tie
- • Integrations
Choose Apify if: Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
Choose Heroku if: Teams that want Salesforce-backed Cedar dynos with a published Basic $7 always-on floor
Heroku
Cloud PaaS / Cedar dynos — Eco $5 (sleeps); Basic $7 always-on (research floor); Standard-1X $25; Standard-2X $50; Performance-M $250+. No forever-free dyno. Does not outrank Render 7.9.
Best for
- • Teams that want Salesforce-backed Cedar dynos with a published Basic $7 always-on floor
- • Buyers comparing Heroku Basic to Railway Hobby/Pro and Render Pro $25
- • Orgs that will not treat Eco sleep dynos as production always-on TCO
Starting from $7.00/user/mo
No free plan
Apify vs Heroku at a glance
Criterion-level leaders from verified research.
Scorecard preview
Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.
- Starting pricingHeroku
Apify
Heroku
- Free planApify
Apify
Heroku
- User / licence minimumDepends
Apify
Heroku
- IntegrationsTie
Apify
Heroku
- Security & adminHeroku
Apify
Heroku
Which It Development is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → Apify
Best for free plan
Apify researches a free plan; Heroku does not research a free plan.
- → Heroku
Best for starting pricing
Heroku publishes a lower researched starting floor ($7/mo vs $29/mo for Apify). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
- → Heroku
Best for security & admin
Heroku leads on security admin (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Starting pricing
Heroku winsApify
Trails Heroku on this criterion
Heroku
Heroku publishes a lower researched starting floor ($7/mo vs $29/mo for Apify). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
Free plan
Apify winsApify
Apify researches a free plan; Heroku does not research a free plan.
Heroku
Trails Apify on this criterion
Security & admin
Heroku winsApify
Trails Heroku on this criterion
Heroku
Heroku leads on security admin (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Which should you choose?
Choose Apify if
- Teams that want ready-made or custom Actors rather than raw proxy ops
- Developers who need compute + storage + proxy in one platform
- Projects that benefit from Apify Store scrapers
Choose Heroku if
- Teams that want Salesforce-backed Cedar dynos with a published Basic $7 always-on floor
- Buyers comparing Heroku Basic to Railway Hobby/Pro and Render Pro $25
- Orgs that will not treat Eco sleep dynos as production always-on TCO
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
Bright Data
Web data / proxy platform — pay-as-you-go from ~$4/GB residential; starter commitments from ~$499/mo.
Oxylabs
Enterprise proxy + Web Scraper API — Residential Starter 5GB $30/mo ($6/GB); Web Scraper API from $49/mo; ISO 27001.
ScraperAPI
Managed scraping API — Free 1,000 credits; Hobby $49/mo ($44.10 annual); 7-day trial with 5,000 credits.
Render
Cloud PaaS / app platform — Hobby $0 + compute; Pro $25/mo + compute (production floor); Scale $499; Enterprise custom. Starter web $7/mo. Cluster award.
How we compare
A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology
1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.
Still deciding between Apify and Heroku?
Use Find My CRM for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.
- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
- Affiliate links never change winners
Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.