Cloudways Velocity vs Heroku: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Cloudways Velocity and Heroku? Both are popular hosting tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
Both are solid hosting options. Heroku is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need. In our catalog, Cloudways Velocity rates slightly higher (4.7 vs 4.2 out of 5).
Cloudways Velocity vs Heroku — Side by Side
| Cloudways Velocity | Heroku | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hosting | Hosting |
| Pricing | From $20/mo | From $5/mo |
| Starting price | From $20/mo | From $5/mo |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Best for | Hosting — several Node.js apps on one flat bill | Hosting — paas, deploy |
Pros & Cons
- Flat monthly price with no usage-based compute billing
- Several Node.js apps can share one plan
- Persistent servers, so no cold starts
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, WAF and DDoS protection included
- Terabytes of bandwidth included on every plan
- Built for Node.js — other runtimes and Docker deploys are not listed
- No free tier (3-day trial on the two smallest plans)
- Scaling is by changing plan; horizontal autoscaling is not documented
- New product (GA September 2026) with a short track record
- Dead-simple git-push deploys
- Language-agnostic buildpacks
- Rich add-on marketplace
- Mature and reliable
- No free tier since 2022
- Expensive at scale
- Eco dynos sleep when idle
- Slower innovation under Salesforce
Key Features Compared
Cloudways Velocity
- 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU
- Up to 5 Node.js apps sharing the plan
- 3 TB server bandwidth, 250 GB CDN bandwidth
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, WAF, DDoS and malware protection
- Automatic backups, SSL and OS patching
- 24/7 support
Heroku
- 1,000 dyno hours/mo (shared)
- Sleeps after 30 min idle
- All languages via buildpacks
- Add-on marketplace
Choose Cloudways Velocity if…
- Flat monthly price with no usage-based compute billing
- Several Node.js apps can share one plan
- Persistent servers, so no cold starts
Choose Heroku if…
- Budget is tight — paid plans start lower ($5/mo vs $20/mo).
- Dead-simple git-push deploys
- Language-agnostic buildpacks
- Rich add-on marketplace
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cloudways Velocity better than Heroku?⌄
Both are solid hosting options. Heroku is cheaper to start, but the right choice depends on the specific features and integrations you need. In our catalog, Cloudways Velocity rates slightly higher (4.7 vs 4.2 out of 5).
What is the difference between Cloudways Velocity and Heroku?⌄
Cloudways Velocity — Managed Node.js hosting from Cloudways (DigitalOcean) with flat monthly plans, Git-based deploys and bundled Cloudflare Enterprise security. Heroku — The original git-push PaaS — deploy apps in any language with zero infra, now Salesforce-owned (no free tier). Both are hosting tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Cloudways Velocity vs Heroku: which is cheaper?⌄
Cloudways Velocity pricing: From $20/mo. Heroku pricing: From $5/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Cloudways Velocity or Heroku?⌄
In our catalog, Cloudways Velocity rates 4.7 out of 5 and Heroku rates 4.2 out of 5, so Cloudways Velocity has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best hosting tools for startups.
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