# 7 Free Heroku Alternatives in 2026 (Ranked by Developer Experience)
When Heroku eliminated its free tier, thousands of developers had to find new homes for their side projects, prototypes, and small production apps. Three years later, the alternatives have matured significantly. Here are seven of the best free Heroku alternatives in 2026, ranked by developer experience.
What We Evaluated
We ranked platforms on four criteria:
- 1Free tier generosity — what you can actually run for free
- 2Deployment simplicity — time from code to live URL
- 3Database support — managed databases without separate signup
- 4Team features — SSO, RBAC, multiple projects
The Comparison
| Platform | Free Tier | Containers | Databases | Cronjobs | Teams/SSO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PandaStack | 2 organizations | Yes | PG, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB | Yes | SSO + RBAC |
| Render | Static sites + limited services | Yes | PostgreSQL | Yes | Team plan |
| Railway | $5 credit/month | Yes | PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB | Yes | Basic |
| Fly.io | 3 shared VMs | Yes | Fly Postgres | No (workaround) | Basic |
| Koyeb | 1 free instance | Yes | No | No | Basic |
| Cyclic | Yes (Lambda-based) | No | No (DynamoDB only) | No | No |
| Glitch | Yes (containers) | Limited | No | No | No |
#1 PandaStack — Best for Full-Stack Apps
PandaStack's free tier includes up to 2 organizations, each of which can contain multiple projects. You can deploy static sites, container apps, managed databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB), cronjobs, edge functions, and managed WordPress/Drupal without a credit card for the free tier.
The standout features are SSO (Google and Azure/SAML) and RBAC (Owner/Admin/Member roles) — features that competing platforms lock behind paid plans. For teams building multiple apps or agencies managing client projects, having up to 2 free organizations is meaningful.
CLI: npm install -g @pandastack/cli, command: panda.
Dashboard: [dashboard.pandastack.io](https://dashboard.pandastack.io)
#2 Render — Best PostgreSQL Alternative
Render is the most mature Heroku alternative with excellent documentation and reliable PostgreSQL hosting. Its free tier includes static sites and limited container instances (with spin-down on inactivity). PostgreSQL is available on paid plans. For projects that only need PostgreSQL (not MySQL/MongoDB/Redis), Render is a strong choice.
#3 Railway — Best Balance of Features and Simplicity
Railway gives you $5/month in free credit and a dashboard that feels genuinely polished. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, and MongoDB, plus background workers and cronjobs. The free tier is consumption-based, meaning you only pay for what you use. Team features are basic compared to PandaStack.
#4 Fly.io — Best for Global Distribution
If your priority is low-latency global distribution, Fly.io's Anycast routing is hard to match. Three free shared VMs is generous, and Fly Postgres is available. The learning curve is steeper than other platforms — you need to understand Fly machines, regions, and volumes. No built-in cronjobs or edge functions.
#5 Koyeb — Best for Simple Container Hosting
Koyeb offers one always-on free instance in multiple regions. Deployment is simple (GitHub + Docker), and their dashboard is clean. No managed databases on the free tier, no cronjobs, and team features are minimal. Good for a single containerized service that needs to stay online.
#6 Cyclic — Best for Node.js Serverless
Cyclic runs Node.js apps as AWS Lambda functions, making it permanently free for low-traffic apps. The tradeoff is the Lambda execution model (no persistent filesystem, DynamoDB-only storage). Not suitable for Docker containers or non-Node.js apps.
#7 Glitch — Best for Experiments and Learning
Glitch remains a favourite for quick experiments, educational projects, and collaborative coding. Container-based deployment and in-browser editing are unique. Not suitable for production: limited resources, public code by default on free tier, no proper database support.
Our Recommendation
For most developers migrating from Heroku, PandaStack offers the most complete free tier — especially if you need MySQL/MongoDB alongside PostgreSQL, want built-in cronjobs, or need SSO for your team.
Start at [dashboard.pandastack.io](https://dashboard.pandastack.io). Docs at [docs.pandastack.io](https://docs.pandastack.io).