kitio.aiDigitalOcean vs Heroku
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. DigitalOcean starts at See pricing page and Heroku starts at $5/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Hosted model inference
- Managed Agents
- Sandboxes for coding agents
- Action Gateway for tools
- Managed databases
- Containers and storage
- Managed AI inference
- Agents and MCP
- Dyno-based app hosting
- Managed data services
- Add-on marketplace
- Git and Docker deploys
| Feature | DigitalOcean | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Cloud for running AI inference, agents and apps in production | App platform with managed AI inference, agents and MCP |
| Category | Models & APIs | Models & APIs |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | See pricing page | $5/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Made by | DigitalOcean | Salesforce (Heroku) |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
DigitalOcean starts at See pricing page and Heroku starts at $5/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
3 plans
Inference
From $0.05 / M tokens
- Hosted AI models
- Single API
- No infrastructure to manage
Action Gateway
$0.10 / 1,000 calls
- 16,000+ tools
- Credentials kept from the model
- Retries and rate limits
Harness Runtime
From $0.0535 / hour
- Isolated microVM sessions
- Pause, resume and fork
4 plans
Eco
$5/mo
- Personal accounts only
- Sleeps after 30 minutes idle
- Git and Docker deploys
Basic
$7/mo
- Always on
- Everything in Eco
Standard-1X
$25/mo
- Per dyno
- Can combine with Performance dynos
Performance-M
$250/mo
- Per dyno
- 2.5 GB memory
- Everything in Standard
Prices in USD, checked Nov 5, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
DigitalOcean
- Inference through a single API
- Usage-based pricing is stated openly
- AI and standard cloud in one account
- Managed Agents is still a public preview
- No free plan listed
- Smaller catalog than the largest clouds
Heroku
- Simple Git or Docker deployment
- AI inference alongside the app host
- Large marketplace of add-ons
- No free dyno tier listed
- Eco dynos sleep after 30 minutes idle
- Costs climb quickly at higher dyno sizes
Which one should you choose?
Choose DigitalOcean if you want:
- Inference through a single API
- Usage-based pricing is stated openly
- AI and standard cloud in one account
Watch out: managed agents is still a public preview.
Choose Heroku if you want:
- Simple Git or Docker deployment
- AI inference alongside the app host
- Large marketplace of add-ons
Watch out: no free dyno tier listed.
DigitalOcean vs Heroku FAQ
What is the difference between DigitalOcean and Heroku?
DigitalOcean: Cloud for running AI inference, agents and apps in production. Heroku: App platform with managed AI inference, agents and MCP. Both are models & apis tools.
Is DigitalOcean or Heroku cheaper?
DigitalOcean starts at See pricing page and Heroku starts at $5/mo. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do DigitalOcean and Heroku have free plans?
DigitalOcean: No. Heroku: No.
Who makes DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean is made by DigitalOcean, based in United States.
Who makes Heroku?
Heroku is made by Salesforce (Heroku), based in United States.
Which should I choose, DigitalOcean or Heroku?
Choose DigitalOcean if you value inference through a single api and usage-based pricing is stated openly. Choose Heroku if you value simple git or docker deployment and ai inference alongside the app host.