Sliplane vs. Heroku

Jonas Scholz

3 min

Sliplane takes a radically different approach to container hosting. Instead of Heroku's complex per-dyno pricing from 2010, you rent a server and run as many containers as it can handle for one fixed monthly price.

How It Works

Here's the simple concept: You rent a server (starting at 2 vCPUs / 2GB RAM for €9/month), and you can run as many containers as it can handle.

Want to host:

A frontend app
A backend API
A PostgreSQL database
An n8n automation workflow
A Redis cache
A monitoring service

All on one €9/month server? Go for it. Your cost stays the same whether you run 1 container or 20.

Ready to escape Heroku's pricing?

Deploy unlimited containers on one server for a fixed monthly price. Start your free trial today.

The Heroku Problem: Outdated and Overpriced

Let's be honest - Heroku feels stuck in 2010. Since Salesforce acquired them, innovation has stagnated while prices have soared:

The pricing nightmare:

Basic dyno: $5-7/month (sleeps after 30 min of inactivity)
Standard dyno: $25-50/month per dyno
Performance dynos: $250-500/month
Each add-on (database, Redis, etc.) costs extra
Zero innovation since 2018

Real costs:

Running a simple web app 24/7: $25/month minimum
Add a database: +$15/month for basic Postgres
Need Redis? +$15/month more
Want to run 3 apps? That's $75/month just for the dynos

Meanwhile, Heroku still doesn't support:

Docker Compose natively
Modern deployment workflows
Proper multi-container applications
Competitive pricing for 2025

One-Click Open Source Deployments

Both platforms let you deploy open source tools, but the experience is night and day:

Heroku:

Limited marketplace with outdated "buttons"
Each app needs its own dyno ($$$)
Many popular tools don't even work due to Heroku's restrictions
Stuck with buildpacks from 2015

Sliplane:

Modern presets for popular tools (n8n, databases, AI tools)
One-click deployment with zero additional cost
Full Docker support - if it runs in Docker, it runs on Sliplane
Deploy as many tools as your server can handle

Here is a demo showing how you can deploy n8n in less than 1 minute:

When Heroku (Still) Makes Sense

To be fair, Heroku isn't completely obsolete:

Legacy Rails apps that were built specifically for Heroku
Enterprise teams already locked into Salesforce ecosystem
Projects where you don't mind paying 10x for convenience
Developers who haven't updated their deployment knowledge since 2015

But honestly? In 2025, these are edge cases. Most developers have moved on to modern alternatives.

Real-World Example: Running a SaaS Application

Let's say you're building a typical SaaS that needs:

A Next.js frontend
A Node.js API
A PostgreSQL database
A Redis cache for sessions
Background job processing with Bull
Monitoring with Grafana

On Heroku:

Frontend dyno: $25/month
API dyno: $25/month
Postgres: $15/month (hobby tier)
Redis: $15/month
Worker dyno: $25/month
Monitoring: Not available (need external service)
Total: $105/month minimum

On Sliplane:

All services on one server
Fixed monthly cost: €24 (Medium server)
Including monitoring, logging, and metrics
Total: €24/month (~$26)

The difference? Heroku costs you 4x more for inferior service.

The Bottom Line

Heroku was revolutionary in 2010. But it's 2025, and they're still charging premium prices for technology that hasn't evolved in years. If you're still on Heroku, you're literally paying for Salesforce's acquisition costs.

Sliplane gives you modern deployment tools, predictable pricing, and the freedom to run whatever you want - all for less than the cost of a single Heroku dyno.

Tired of Heroku's pricing? Join hundreds of companies who've already made the switch. Your wallet will thank you.

Cheers,

Jonas, Co-Founder of sliplane.io