Compare / Heroku Postgres alternative
Peter van Doorn
A Heroku Postgres alternative for Django
Heroku Postgres is simple, but its price steps are big: the jump from the shared-RAM Essential plans to Standard is the point where many Django apps start looking elsewhere.
The short answer. Heroku's Standard-0 is cheaper than a 4 GB database here, but the bigger plans cost much more: 8 GB of RAM is $200 on Heroku and $115 at AWS list price on Django Cloud. Small apps are cheaper on Heroku, large ones on Django Cloud.
Why choose Django Cloud over Heroku Postgres
- Run it in your own AWS account, or let us run it. On Self-hosted your app runs in your own AWS account: you pay AWS its list price directly and us $10 a month, with no markup on compute. On Fully managed we run a dedicated AWS account for you: $29 a month with a server and a database, and a bigger server or database adds the difference.
- Your own isolated environment, without cold starts. Your app is not squeezed onto servers shared with other customers' apps. It runs in an AWS environment of its own and stays on, so the first visitor after a quiet hour does not wait for a machine to wake up.
- Focused on Django, and nothing else. Static files, migrations before every release, encrypted secrets, rollbacks that warn about database changes and Postgres that connects itself. A generic platform asks you to work these out; we only do Django.
Heroku Postgres and Django Cloud at a glance
| Plan size | Heroku Postgres | Django Cloud (AWS list price) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | Essential-0: $5, shared RAM, 20 connections | 1 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD: $15 |
| Mid-size | Essential-2: $20, 32 GB disk, shared RAM, 40 connections | 2 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD: $30 |
| 4 GB of RAM | Standard-0: $50, dedicated, 64 GB disk, 120 connections | $60, 2 vCPU, 120 GB SSD |
| 8 GB of RAM | Standard-2: $200, 256 GB disk, 400 connections | $115, 2 vCPU, 240 GB SSD |
| High availability | Check Heroku's current plans | Standby for failover at twice the price of a database |
| Where it lives | Heroku's platform | Postgres in your own AWS account (Self-hosted) |
What the same Postgres costs on each
| Heroku Postgres | Django Cloud Self-hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Small app | $5 (Essential-0) | $15 (1 GB database) |
| Production app, 4 GB RAM | $50 (Standard-0) | $60 (4 GB database) |
| Busy app, 8 GB RAM | $200 (Standard-2) | $115 (8 GB database) |
Heroku wins at the small end. The picture reverses once you need 8 GB of RAM or more, and the disk you get for the money is also larger on the AWS side. Django Cloud adds no markup on databases: you pay the AWS list price.
Start for free with AWS Activate credits
On the Self-hosted plan your app runs in your own AWS account, so AWS credits can pay for it. New AWS accounts can get up to $200 in credits, which is the amount most side projects can count on. Startups can also apply for up to $1,000 through AWS Activate, but AWS decides who qualifies and can change the terms.
Apply for AWS Activate creditsOpen an AWS account
When Heroku Postgres is the better choice
- A cheaper entry point, from $5 a month
- A cheaper 4 GB production database
- Tight integration with Heroku apps and add-ons
Questions
Is managed Postgres on Django Cloud cheaper than Heroku Postgres?
It depends on size. Heroku is cheaper at the smallest and 4 GB sizes; at 8 GB of RAM Django Cloud is $115 against Heroku's $200.
Does Django Cloud connect my Django app to the database for me?
Yes. Connection details are added to your deployment as environment variables, including DATABASE_URL.
Can AWS credits pay for my Django hosting?
On the Self-hosted plan your app runs in your own AWS account, so AWS credits can cover the AWS bill. New AWS accounts can get up to $200 in credits, and startups can apply for up to $1,000 through AWS Activate. AWS decides who qualifies and can change the terms. You still pay Django Cloud $10 a month, unless we sponsor you: students, open source maintainers, non-profit and scientific projects and AWS Activate startups can apply.
Get your Django project live, the easy way
One command or a git push. We host it for you on AWS, or you keep it in your own AWS account, where AWS credits can cover the AWS bill.
Prices and features were checked in October 2026 against the vendors' own pages (Heroku pricing, AWS Lightsail pricing), and may have changed since. Heroku Postgres is a trademark of its owner; Django Cloud is not affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.