Which is cheaper, DigitalOcean App Platform or Heroku?

Pricing varies by tier and usage. Check both tools for current rates.

Does DigitalOcean App Platform have a free tier?

Yes, DigitalOcean App Platform offers a free tier with staticSiteApps: 3, bandwidthGiBPerApp: 1.

DigitalOcean App Platform has moderate switching cost. Heroku has moderate switching cost. Both have similar switching complexity.

Hosting

Managed PaaS for building, deploying, and scaling apps from code or containers

Switching Cost: moderate

Heroku

PaaS for deploying, managing, and scaling apps with managed dynos and add-ons

Switching Cost: moderate

The free tier advantage goes to DigitalOcean App Platform, which offers a no-cost entry point that Heroku lacks.

DigitalOcean App Platform stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

DigitalOcean App Platform stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

Free Tier

DigitalOcean App Platform

Has a free tier option