Heroku

What Heroku does

Heroku is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) operated as a product line of Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE: CRM) and headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2007 and acquired by Salesforce in 2010, the platform provides a fully managed application runtime based on 'dynos' (smart containers) supporting polyglot development across Node.js, Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, Go, Scala, Clojure, and .NET, with deployment via `git push heroku main`. The product portfolio spans Heroku Platform (core runtime, compute, CI/CD via Heroku Flow), Heroku Data Services (managed Postgres, Redis/Valkey key-value store, and Apache Kafka), Heroku Enterprise (Private Spaces, Heroku Shield, SSO, Heroku Connect), Heroku AI (Managed Inference and Agents, Model Context Protocol hosting, pgvector for RAG, Heroku AI Studio), and the Heroku Elements Marketplace (150+ add-ons, 380+ open source buildpacks). The platform reports more than 65 million apps deployed, 38+ million managed data stores, and 65+ billion daily requests.

Heroku generates revenue through a mix of usage-based dyno compute, recurring managed database subscriptions, enterprise contracts for Heroku Enterprise / Shield / Private Spaces, usage-based AI inference, marketplace commissions on third-party add-ons, and tiered Heroku Success support services. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve signup (free Eco/Mini tiers), direct enterprise field sales, an extensive consulting partner network, and co-marketing via Salesforce events. Customers span individual developers, startups, agencies, and large enterprises in regulated industries (healthcare, life sciences, financial services), with notable logos including Align Technology, Live Nation, HealthSherpa, PensionBee, charity:water, Salesforce Trailhead, Slack Apps, and Salesforce+.

On February 6, 2026, Salesforce announced Heroku would transition to a sustaining engineering model: no new features will be developed and no new enterprise contracts will be sold, while existing enterprise subscriptions continue to be honored and resources are redirected to enterprise AI initiatives. The 51–100 employee team, absence of separate revenue disclosure, and 15+ years of platform accumulation (CNCF Platinum membership, ISO 27001/27017/27018, SOC2 Type I, PCI, HIPAA compliance) frame Heroku as a mature installed-base asset now in a managed-wind-down posture under its parent.

Name

Heroku

Legal name

Salesforce, Inc.

Website

https://heroku.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Heroku is a Salesforce-owned Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) providing fully managed cloud application hosting via 'dynos,' managed data services, and AI inference, serving developers, startups, and enterprises. As of February 2026, Salesforce is transitioning Heroku to a sustaining engineering model with no new features or new enterprise contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cloud Application Platform (PaaS)

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise PaaS (App Runtime & Managed Application Platforms) (HDAEAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA), Container Runtime & Image Infrastructure (HDABADAG)

Keywords

• Platform as a service
• Cloud application platform
• Managed application hosting
• Managed PostgreSQL service
• AI PaaS

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Subscription / Usage-based Dyno Hours: Customers pay recurring subscription fees for dyno compute and database resources (Eco, Basic, Standard, Performance, Private Spaces tiers). Dyno hours are metered consumption-based, while enterprise tiers (Shield, Private Spaces) are annual contracts. Eco and Mini Plans are generally available low-cost entry tiers.
2. Heroku Postgres & Managed Data Services: Recurring revenue from managed PostgreSQL plans (Mini, Basic, Standard, Premium, Enterprise, Private, Shield), Heroku Key-Value Store (Redis/Valkey), and Apache Kafka on Heroku. Heroku Postgres 17 introduces new upgrade process.
3. Heroku AI (Managed Inference and Agents): Recurring revenue from managed AI inference, agents, MCP hosting, and AI Studio workspace, with a Flexible Standard Plan for new models and Messages API.
4. Add-ons and Buildpacks Marketplace: Marketplace commissions from 150+ third-party add-ons and 380+ open source buildpacks in the Heroku Elements Marketplace, with a separate licensing/distribution agreement governing providers.
5. Enterprise Support and Professional Services: Higher-tier Heroku Success packages (Standard to Signature) with SLAs, expert help with scaling, architecture design, and white-glove onboarding; Heroku also offers Technical Discovery, Onboarding & Implementation Strategy, Solution Proposal, and Operational Review services.
6. Heroku Marketplace on AWS: Heroku is available to purchase in AWS Marketplace, creating a co-sell/transactional distribution revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion6 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Heroku is a fully managed Platform as a Service (PaaS) that lets developers deploy, run, and scale web, mobile, and AI applications via a simple `git push heroku main` workflow. The platform runs apps inside managed "dyno" containers and bundles managed data services (Postgres, Redis/Valkey, Kafka), continuous delivery tooling (Heroku Flow, Review Apps, GitHub Sync), and deep Salesforce integration (Heroku Connect, Heroku AppLink, Agentforce).

Product overview

Heroku offers a unified AI PaaS (Platform as a Service) built on a single managed container system (Heroku Platform) with a portfolio of integrated modules and services. The core Heroku Platform provides the runtime (Heroku Runtime), compute primitive (Heroku Dynos), and continuous delivery tooling (Heroku Flow); Heroku AI layers on Managed Inference and Agents plus Model Context Protocol (MCP) capabilities and the pgvector extension for RAG; Heroku Data Services bundles Heroku Postgres, Heroku Key-Value Store (Redis/Valkey), and Apache Kafka on Heroku; and integration modules (Heroku Connect and Heroku AppLink) connect Heroku natively to Salesforce and Agentforce. Enterprise capabilities (Heroku Enterprise, Heroku Private Spaces, Heroku Shield, Heroku Teams) and a 150+ add-on / 380+ buildpack ecosystem (Heroku Elements Marketplace) round out the offering, with developer tools (Heroku CLI, Heroku DX, Heroku OpEx) and next-generation infrastructure (Heroku Fir) extending the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heroku Platform: Core cloud application platform for deploying, managing, and scaling apps on a managed container system (dynos).
• Heroku AI
• Heroku Enterprise
• Heroku Data Services
• Heroku Elements Marketplace
• Heroku Shield
• Heroku Connect
• Heroku Fir
• Heroku AppLink
• Heroku Success
• Heroku Flow
• Heroku Teams

Products and services

• Heroku Platform Core fully managed application platform for deploying, managing, and scaling apps on a managed container system. Provides the foundation for Heroku Runtime, Heroku Dynos, and the broader AI PaaS experience.
• Heroku AI Heroku's AI Platform as a Service offering for building intelligent applications with managed inference, agents, and Model Context Protocol (MCP). Provides unified access to leading AI models with minimal setup.
• Heroku Managed Inference and Agents Managed AI service providing access to leading language models via simple CLI commands (e.g., `heroku ai:models:create`). Supports building and deploying AI applications and agents with a unified platform connecting application, AI, data, and tools.
• Heroku Data Services Fully managed cloud data services portfolio including Heroku Postgres, Heroku Key-Value Store (Redis-compatible), and Apache Kafka on Heroku. Provides near-instantaneous provisioning for data-driven applications.
• Heroku Postgres Trusted, secure, and scalable fully managed PostgreSQL database as a service, optimized for developers. Supports pgvector extension for vector similarity search and RAG applications.
• Heroku Key-Value Store A managed Redis-compatible key-value store with a robust developer experience, delivered as a service. Supports Valkey 8.1 with JSON and Bloom Modules.
• Apache Kafka on Heroku Fully managed Apache Kafka service supporting multi-tenant operations, streaming data connectors, event-driven architectures, and Shield availability for regulated industries.
• Heroku Enterprise Enterprise tier bundling Heroku Private Spaces, Heroku Shield, SSO for Heroku, Team and Resource Oversight, Heroku Connect, and Enterprise-grade Support for large companies.
• Heroku Private Spaces Network-isolated, dedicated runtime environments for enhanced privacy, power, and performance. Available globally including US, Europe (Dublin, Frankfurt), Sydney, Mumbai, Montreal, Singapore, and UK regions.
• Heroku Shield Simplified path to building high-compliance applications for regulated industries (healthcare, life sciences, financial services). Supports PCI and HIPAA compliance requirements.
• Heroku Connect Fully managed bidirectional data sync service between Salesforce and Heroku Postgres. Lets developers read and write Salesforce data using standard SQL, with diagnostic CLI tools and Salesforce CDC integration for faster, more reliable sync.
• Heroku AppLink Integration module that extends Salesforce with any programming language using JWT-based authorization. Provides the shortest path to bring custom code to Agentforce and Salesforce workflows.
• Heroku Elements Marketplace Marketplace ecosystem of 150+ third-party add-ons, 380+ open source buildpacks, and Buttons to extend app functionality, customize language stacks, and jumpstart projects.
• Heroku Dynos Smart containers that execute applications on a reliable, fully managed runtime environment. Supports multiple dyno types, instant horizontal and vertical scaling, and global auto-scaling.
• Heroku Runtime The fully managed runtime environment in which dynos execute. Supports polyglot programming with officially supported languages including Node.js, Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, Go, Scala, Clojure, and .NET.
• Heroku Flow Continuous delivery tooling that streamlines the app release experience through Pipelines, Review Apps, and GitHub Sync. Visual and efficient release orchestration.
• Heroku Teams Team collaboration platform for managing people, app-level permissions, software delivery, and billing across an organization.
• Heroku Success Support tier offerings from Standard to Signature, providing developers and partners with responsive SLAs, expert help with scaling, architecture design, and white-glove onboarding.
• Heroku Fir The next-generation Heroku Platform built on cloud-native architecture with OpenTelemetry support, Terraform for Infrastructure-as-Code, and Kubernetes compatibility.
• Model Context Protocol (MCP) on Heroku Module for hosting and scaling MCP servers on Heroku to extend AI agents with tools and APIs. Supports the open Model Context Protocol with both official Heroku MCP Server and enterprise-grade MCP server deployments.
• pgvector for Heroku Postgres pgvector extension enabling vector similarity search and full retrieval augmented generation (RAG) applications on Heroku Postgres, with embeddings stored alongside app data.
• Heroku CLI Command-line interface for managing Heroku apps, currently at version 11 (v11). Built on ECMAScript Modules (ESM) and oclif v4, supports Node.js 22, and provides unified data maintenance commands.
• Heroku AI Studio Workspace for building smarter, faster AI applications using Heroku AI, providing a focused environment for AI app development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 65 million apps deployed on the platform
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration35 records

AI capability4 records

Feature15 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• SalesforceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalesforce acquired Heroku in 2010 and operates it as a subsidiary. Deep integration includes Heroku Connect (bidirectional Salesforce ↔ Heroku Postgres sync), Heroku AppLink (Salesforce integration via JWT), Agentforce integration, Data 360, and bundled positioning across Dreamforce/Agentforce World Tour.
• GitHubcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative GitHub Integration with Review Apps and automatic deployment; Heroku for GitHub Students program; Heroku GitHub Enterprise Integration announced for stronger security and continuous delivery; Heroku CLI v10 supports the next-gen Heroku platform.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationHeroku runs on AWS infrastructure; Heroku is now available to purchase in AWS Marketplace; new Heroku Postgres Essential Plans are built on Amazon Aurora; Amazon Nova models now available on Heroku AI; Heroku Private Spaces can peer with AWS.
• MuleSoft (Salesforce)coreTechnology or IntegrationMastering API Gateway Integration: Salesforce, Heroku, and MuleSoft Anypoint Flex Gateway referenced; Connect the MuleSoft Database Connector to Heroku Postgres documented.
• ActivePrimeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint event 'Data You Can Trust: Powered by Heroku + ActivePrime' listed in 2025 events calendar.
• Heroku Consulting Partners (SI / Agency Network)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFormal 'Heroku Partner Program' for Consultants, ISVs, and technical solution providers with 'Become a Heroku Consulting Partner' track, Partner App Showcase, and Heroku Partner Portal.
• Heroku Elements Marketplace Add-on ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor150+ third-party add-ons and 380+ buildpacks listed on elements.heroku.com, governed by Salesforce License and Distribution Agreement for the Heroku Elements Marketplace and Additional Terms for Heroku Elements Marketplace Providers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vercel: Vercel is a developer-first cloud platform for frontend frameworks and serverless functions, directly competing with Heroku for modern web app deployment. Both emphasize git-based deploy workflows, polyglot/framework support, and developer experience as primary GTM.
• Render: Render is a unified cloud platform for hosting web services, APIs, and databases, frequently cited as a modern Heroku alternative. Both offer managed Postgres, automatic deploys from git, and tiered pricing aimed at developers and small teams.
• Platform.sh: Platform.sh is an end-to-end PaaS for building, running, and scaling web applications, targeting enterprise and regulated workloads comparable to Heroku Enterprise/Private Spaces. Both emphasize polyglot support, managed data services, and compliance postures.
• DigitalOcean App Platform: DigitalOcean App Platform is a PaaS built on DigitalOcean's cloud, targeting SMB developers and startups with simple git-based deploys and managed databases — the same persona Heroku has long served at the lower end of the market.

Emerging players

• Railway: Railway is a modern PaaS focused on simple deployment of services and databases, positioned as a Heroku-style developer experience with infrastructure-as-code. Targets the same self-serve developer persona that Heroku historically captured.
• Fly.io: Fly.io runs full-stack apps close to users via a global edge network of micro-VMs. Competes with Heroku on simplicity of deployment but differentiates with geographic distribution and a more infrastructure-as-code approach.
• Cloudflare Workers: Cloudflare Workers is an edge serverless platform for deploying code close to users. It represents the next generation of PaaS that Heroku would need to compete with for AI-driven and latency-sensitive workloads, and is increasingly cited as a Heroku alternative.

Broad incumbents

• AWS Elastic Beanstalk: AWS Elastic Beanstalk is Amazon's PaaS offering for deploying and scaling web applications within the AWS ecosystem. It overlaps directly with Heroku Dynos but benefits from AWS's bundled enterprise procurement and broader service portfolio.
• Google App Engine: Google App Engine is a hyperscaler PaaS for building and deploying applications on Google Cloud. It competes with Heroku on managed runtime and auto-scaling, and benefits from Google Cloud's enterprise sales motion and AI/data ecosystem.
• Azure App Service: Azure App Service is Microsoft's PaaS for hosting web apps, APIs, and mobile backends within the Azure ecosystem. It directly competes with Heroku Enterprise for regulated workloads and benefits from Microsoft enterprise agreements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heroku
• GitHubgithub.com/heroku
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/407039
• Facebookfacebook.com/Heroku

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heroku