Heroku offers a developer experience that prioritizes simplicity and ease of use, allowing developers to focus on building their applications without unnecessary complexity or vendor lock-in. The platform provides a straightforward deployment process with minimal proprietary services, shims, or mocks required for local development. In contrast, AWS Lambda has a more complex setup, requiring the use of additional tools and frameworks like Serverless to manage its features. While both platforms offer cost-effective options, Heroku's pricing can be less predictable, with a steeper upgrade path from its base $7/month plan. However, AWS Lambda excels in terms of stability, availability, and regional scalability, making it an attractive choice for applications requiring these characteristics. Ultimately, the choice between Heroku and AWS Lambda depends on prioritizing developer experience, cost, and lock-in concerns.