Heroku vs AWS: Differences & What to Choose for Mid-Size & Startups?

Heroku and AWS are two prominent cloud platforms catering to different organizational needs and technical proficiencies. Heroku, a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), offers a streamlined and developer-centric experience by abstracting infrastructure management, making it ideal for startups and smaller teams prioritizing rapid deployment and simplicity. It provides predictable pricing through fixed "dyno" costs but may become expensive as applications scale. AWS, an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), offers extensive control over resources with a comprehensive service suite, suitable for organizations requiring customizable solutions and capable of managing its complexity. It uses a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing for cost optimization but necessitating diligent monitoring to avoid unexpected expenses. Heroku provides a fully managed security environment, easing the operational burden, while AWS operates on a shared responsibility model, offering granular security control at the cost of greater management effort. The decision between Heroku and AWS depends on specific organizational requirements, with Heroku favoring ease of use and AWS favoring extensive customization and scalability. For those seeking a blend of both, Qovery presents a solution by combining Heroku's simplicity with AWS's cost-efficiency and control.