Heroku alternative: ComputeSphere vs Heroku
Moving off Heroku? ComputeSphere deploys the same way, from a git push, with unlimited team members on every plan. The difference is what comes with every service: custom domains with SSL, zero-downtime deploys, logs and health checks on every plan, and compute on spherelets at a fixed monthly price, from $6, instead of dynos plus paid add-ons.
Fixed price per spherelet
Compute at a fixed monthly price per spherelet, not metered by use
Logs and health checks on every plan; SphereOps dashboards from Pro
SphereFiles volumes — persist across deploys
Autoscaling on the Team plan, within the spherelets you hold
Custom domains with automatic SSL
Two-step sign-in; roles and an audit log on every plan
Hobby $0 + 14-day free trial
Heroku details reflect publicly available pricing and documentation as of October 2026 and may change. ComputeSphere details reflect current plans. Heroku pricing, explained
What your Heroku setup becomes
The pieces most Heroku apps use have a direct match.
| On Heroku | On ComputeSphere |
|---|---|
| web process | Web service |
| worker process | Background worker |
| Heroku Scheduler job | Scheduled job |
| Heroku Postgres | SphereDB (PostgreSQL 16, 17 or 18) |
| Heroku Key-Value Store | SphereCache (Valkey) |
| Config Vars | Environment variables |
| Dyno type | Spherelet size, at a fixed monthly price |
Move a service in four steps
Connect your repo
Connect the GitHub repo for your Heroku app. ComputeSphere builds it, with or without a Dockerfile, and deploys it.
QuickstartCopy your config vars
Add the same config vars to the service as environment variables, and keep secrets as secrets.
Environment variablesMove your database
Create a SphereDB database; your services get DATABASE_URL. Load your Heroku Postgres data with pg_dump and pg_restore over csph db tunnel.
PostgreSQL on SphereDBPoint your domain
Add the domain and update its DNS record. The certificate is issued and renewed for you.
Custom domains
Why teams choose ComputeSphere
Predictable pricing and push-to-deploy, with domains, SSL, logs and health checks on every plan.
Flat, predictable pricing
A flat plan per team with unlimited members, plus a fixed price per spherelet. You know what compute costs before you deploy.
The basics on every plan
Custom domains with SSL, zero-downtime deploys, logs and health checks come with every service — not add-ons you assemble one by one.
Ship from a single push
Connect a repo or start from a template — ComputeSphere builds it and routes it with SSL. No Dockerfile required, and no servers to look after.
Security you can check
Password sign-ins ask for a second step. Environment secrets, registry credentials and git connection tokens are encrypted with a key unique to your account. Services and their databases talk over a private network, and every plan gets roles for your team and an audit log.
How we split security with youFrequently asked questions
How is ComputeSphere different from Heroku?
Heroku bills per dyno and pushes storage, metrics, and more into paid add-ons. ComputeSphere keeps push-to-deploy at a fixed price per spherelet, with custom domains with SSL, zero-downtime deploys, logs and health checks on every plan — no add-ons to assemble.
Is ComputeSphere a good Heroku alternative?
Yes — it's built for teams who liked Heroku's simplicity but not the per-dyno bill and add-on sprawl. You get push-to-deploy and predictable per-spherelet pricing.
Can I migrate from Heroku to ComputeSphere?
Yes. Connect the same repo, copy your config vars, load your Heroku Postgres data into SphereDB, and point your domain. Web and worker processes, Scheduler jobs and Key-Value Store each have a direct match, and the steps above link to the guide for each.
Does ComputeSphere have a free tier like Heroku?
Yes, 14 days on every plan. A card is required to start, and from day 15 you pay for your plan (Hobby is $0) and the spherelets your account holds, unless you cancel before then. Heroku has no free tier — its Eco plan starts at $5/mo.