Heroku vs Kinsta
Compare Heroku and Kinsta on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
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
VS
Our verdict
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Heroku is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
- ✓ Integrations
Tie
- • Security & admin
Choose Heroku if: Teams that want Salesforce-backed Cedar dynos with a published Basic $7 always-on floor
Choose Kinsta if: Teams that want managed WordPress hosting without a panel licence
Kinsta
Managed WordPress hosting — Single 20GB from $35/mo ongoing floor (ignore promotional first-month teasers). Does not outrank WP Engine 7.7.
Best for
- • Teams that want managed WordPress hosting without a panel licence
- • Buyers comparing Kinsta $35 Single to WP Engine Essential and Cloudways Flexible
- • Orgs that will treat $35 as ongoing TCO, not a promo month
Starting from $35.00/user/mo
No free plan
Comparison scorecard
Criterion-by-criterion results for Heroku and Kinsta. Numeric bars appear only when both products have approved scores.
- Heroku
Starting pricing
Published floor price and what that floor actually includes.
Heroku publishes a lower researched starting floor ($7/mo vs $35/mo for Kinsta). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
HerokuStrongerKinstaWeaker - Depends
Free plan
Whether a usable free plan is published, and what it gates.
Heroku does not research a free plan; Kinsta does not research a free plan.
HerokuDependsKinstaDepends - Depends
User / licence minimum
Seat floors, per-employee minimums, and small-team pricing traps.
Check seat, agent, or licence minimums for Heroku and Kinsta on current vendor packaging.
HerokuDependsKinstaDepends - Heroku
Integrations
Important third-party integrations.
Heroku leads on integrations (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Heroku8/10Kinsta7/10 - Tie
Security & admin
Admin controls, access, compliance posture, and security packaging.
Heroku and Kinsta are close on security admin (8/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
HerokuTieKinstaTie
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