Google Cloud vs Heroku comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Google and Heroku are both solutions in the PaaS Clouds category. Google is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.5, while Heroku is ranked #17. Google holds a 5.6% mindshare in PSP, compared to Heroku’s 2.9% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of Heroku users who would recommend it.

Google Cloud

Read 81 Google Cloud reviews

18,776 Views
8,449 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Heroku

Read 29 Heroku reviews

4,079 Views
3,753 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Google Cloud

Heroku

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Heroku and Google Cloud are competing products in the platform-as-a-service and cloud computing markets. Google Cloud has the advantage in scalability and features, aligning it with enterprises needing advanced solutions, whereas Heroku is favored by startups for its simplicity and affordability.

Features: Heroku's features include seamless integration with multiple programming languages, an app-centric approach, and continuous integration capabilities. In contrast, Google Cloud provides robust infrastructure capabilities, advanced machine learning tools, and a comprehensive global network.

Room for Improvement: Heroku could enhance its scalability and offer more detailed customization options to attract more extensive user bases. Additionally, expanding its enterprise-level features would better cater to larger organizations. Google Cloud could improve its user complexity by simplifying deployment processes. Lowering pricing complexity and offering more beginner-friendly resources would be beneficial. Further enhancements in customer support could also help.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Heroku simplifies deployment with its automated model and responsive customer support ideal for rapid launches. Google Cloud offers a complex deployment model with multiple custom options, supported by detailed documentation and extensive advanced support plans.

Pricing and ROI: Heroku offers competitive and predictable pricing, advantageous for budget-conscious teams which results in satisfactory ROI for smaller projects. Google Cloud features a complex pricing structure with scalable options that deliver high ROI for larger organizations, thanks to its comprehensive service offerings. The key difference lies in Heroku's predictable, lower-cost model versus Google Cloud's flexible pricing tailored for extensive use.

To learn more, read our detailed Google Cloud vs. Heroku Report (Updated: November 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud vs. Heroku

November 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Google Cloud

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

7th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Infrastructure as a Service Clouds (IaaS) (4th)

Heroku

Ranking in PaaS Clouds

17th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the PaaS Clouds category, the mindshare of Google Cloud is 5.6%, up from 5.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Heroku is 2.9%, down from 3.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

PaaS Clouds Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Google Cloud	5.6%
Heroku	2.9%
Other	91.5%

PaaS Clouds

Featured Reviews

AnjaneyaVara Prasad

Solution Architect at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Cloud services have reduced on‑prem hardware costs and now support flexible microservices workloads

Regarding potential areas of improvement for Google Cloud, considering that they are providing 300 plus services, some services could be improved. For example, if I am facing some network troubleshooting issue in GKE in Google Cloud, I have to dig deeply and enable some special logs, such as flow logs. To enable that, it is chargeable. At least for basic services, they should give end-to-end support. In terms of end-to-end support, if I am purchasing one firewall from Google and using that firewall, all firewall-related services should be free. If I want to troubleshoot something deep and perform deep troubleshooting, you have to enable some additional logs. That is not that good. If I have to enable additional logs and want to store them into Google Cloud storage, which is similar to an S3 bucket, it is again chargeable. Those kinds of things should be given as part of the package. If you take firewall, all firewall-related logs, activities, and diagnostics everything should come as one package. If you want to do some deep analysis, you have to enable these logs, and for that you have to store them in the cloud storage, which is again chargeable. We should not have those kinds of things.Regarding additional costs, it can vary case by case. If I want to do deep analysis, I have to enable some logs, and for those logs, Google is charging. I am already paying for my virtual firewall from Google, and I am paying the cost for that. If I want to do some further troubleshooting and enable some low-level logs, they are charging for that. So these are the kinds of things I am talking about. To do very deep-level troubleshooting and enable additional logs, they will be charging. Not only Google, but all clouds are charging for this. Functionality-wise, Google Cloud is fine. In terms of virtual machine deployment or VM instance, the functionality is good.

Read full review

Faizan Haider

Senior Software Engineer at Aldaim Solutions

Used for server deployment and provides auto maintenance of databases

Heroku is deployed on the cloud. We can deploy our private and public projects over at Heroku. Most of the time, when we are starting any new project from scratch, we have to implement our MVP for that project or the core idea. We are unsure how our traffic flow will go or the actual production environment requirements. We don't want to spend the most on the server sites, so then we can use it with our go-to plan for Heroku, and all the resources are available in the basic plan with the minimum expenses. So, it helps us to deploy and make our features available online at the minimum cost. Once we know our needs, we can add the professional add-ons and shift it to another platform. Heroku supports any resource listed in the marketplace. We just have to deploy our AI solutions, and Heroku can also support AI projects. I would recommend the solution to other users. I advise users not to purchase extra add-ons but to make scalable resources so that they can use all the resources efficiently. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution is pretty stable."

"Because it's a cloud-based solution, we are always using the latest version."

"Good storage and ease of access."

"Google Meet is simple to use regarding configuration and recording sessions."

"Google Cloud's most valuable features are its performance and ease of access."

"We use Google Cloud for storage, infrastructure, and services, providing file storage and infrastructure for deploying virtual machines, Kubernetes, or Dockers, as well as Google services that can be accessed by other software."

"It's robust, and it has a wide reach in terms of office applications including storage."

"The customer service team for this solution is very knowledgeable."

More Google Cloud pros

"The platform is very Node.js-friendly, which is something that is important to us."

"Easy, fast, fun, and extendable."

"Deploying with git, npm install git hook ... basically, they got it right for nodejs servers hosting."

"The product is stable."

"Lots of integrations"

"What I found most valuable about this solution is that it's easy to use and integrate with GitHub actions."

"Thanks to Heroku, we don't need to do as much direct management in AWS."

"I like the operations of the product because it makes it easy to push a change and to deploy new things."

More Heroku pros

Cons

"The UI is beautiful but not easy to use, and also a little slow. Anything that you click is slow to load. It is also not easy to find something. I do not find the left-hand side menu good. We have a lot of options mixed there and we need the best way to deploy cloud resources. I prefer Azure ARM templates since their JSON files are easy to manipulate and integrate with other tools."

"Its integration with one of the third-party platforms could be better."

"There are issues with stability."

"The initial setup is somewhat more complicated than competing products."

"The analytics that they have are very focused. It serves Google and not really the client."

"I would like to see Google Cloud become more competitive when it comes to price."

"The Notes application could be better."

"I think Google Cloud could provide more services."

More Google Cloud cons

"The pricing could be improved because scaling the database becomes costly."

"I improved the application performance by monitoring and adjusting the cleaner configuration to help set better lightweight limits on containers that run the app instances."

"I have an issue with the session server in terms of how it can scale, and where I can put my sessions."

"I had an issue recently where my site was down intermittently for unknown reasons. I posted a ticket and 5 days have gone by without any resolution."

"Heroku had an authentication problem a few months ago, but they solved it."

"The tool's configuration is complex."

"Slow restart on servers"

"I think this solution would be improved if free demos were available indefinitely."

More Heroku cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The licensing for Google Cloud seems to be quite cheap and they're actually quite reasonable in comparison to Azure, which, as it turns out, is quite expensive. Even though Azure has a data center in South Africa it's still quite costly. There's no scaling, so if you go with the VM, you pay 2500 Rand. When you add another VM, it's another 2500 Rand even though you don't use the whole thing. With Google, you can go up as incrementally as you need to, even if it's just 30 Rand."

"We approached Google Cloud with certain cost assumptions but were surprised to find that our actual expenses were higher than expected. Initially, we had anticipated spending a set amount on the solution, but in reality, we ended up spending more than that. It would be helpful to have greater transparency and educational documentation on the cost-related aspects of Google Cloud."

"Google Cloud is on the expensive side for us. I don't have exact figures on the cost per year or month."

"The price of the solution could be better."

"Google offers a free account with minimal data backup and we can subscribe for more data."

"Google cloud is less expensive than other comparable solutions."

"For commercial purposes, users need to pay for the products they use on a workload basis, not a license basis. There are two pricing models: fixed monthly and pay-as-you-go. In the pay-as-you-go model, users pay for the resources they use, while in the fixed monthly model, they have 24/7 access to resources for a set monthly fee."

"Google Cloud should be divided into modules so that users can buy which module will satisfy them. The overall price of Google Cloud should be reduced, Microsoft is a little bit cheaper. However, if Google divided the cloud offering it would be better. For example, if someone wants to use only for OneDrive they should be able to purchase the service separately, it would reduce the price. There is a license required to use this solution for enterprises. There is a free account, which the users can increase the size of the space. Google cloud is used in most Android Mobile device operating systems."

More Google Cloud pricing and cost advice

"The price of Heroku could be less expensive."

"The tool is free."

"Its price is very good."

"I rate the tool's pricing a three out of ten."

"There is a standard fee for a processing unit, they call them "dynos," and then you pay for add-ons."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

10%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	42
Midsize Enterprise	10
Large Enterprise	38

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	23
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Google Cloud?

I think perhaps the usability of Google Cloud could be one of the things that might get improved. In terms of not having to type the whole instruction I need to input to the system, just maybe some...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Cloud?

My main use case for Google Cloud would be using the functions and the Vertex AI functionality, so mostly AI research and AI deployment. For my AI research and deployment, I use Vertex AI to extrac...

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What advice do you have for others considering Google Cloud?

On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate Google Cloud a nine. I choose nine because it combines a unique set of tools that are actually helpful and impactful on my daily work. Regarding Google Cloud's AI capa...

See all answers

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Comparisons

Alibaba Cloud vs Google Cloud

Compared 26% of the time

Amazon AWS vs Google Cloud

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs Google Cloud

Compared 5% of the time

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) vs Google Cloud

Compared 5% of the time

Akamai Connected Cloud (Linode) vs Google Cloud

Compared 5% of the time

More Google Cloud Competitors

Google App Engine vs Heroku

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Azure vs Heroku

Compared 9% of the time

Render vs Heroku

Compared 8% of the time

Engine Yard Cloud vs Heroku

Compared 7% of the time

IBM Public Cloud vs Heroku

Compared 4% of the time

More Heroku Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud

October 2026

Download Google Cloud product report

Buyer's Guide

Heroku

October 2026

Download Heroku product report

Also Known As

GCP

No data available

Overview

Google Cloud offers a comprehensive platform renowned for cost-effectiveness, scalability, robust security, and seamless integration with tools such as Kubernetes, making it suitable for various business functions.

Google Cloud stands out for its ease of setup, stable infrastructure, and user-friendly interface. It provides essential features for AI, data analytics, and reliable storage, supporting multi-regional deployments for diverse applications. While maintaining minimal operational costs, it ensures simplified deployment and comprehensive application capabilities. However, improvements are needed in monitoring tools, customer support, documentation, and pricing options. Enhancements in stability, integration, and workload management are also required.

What are the essential features of Google Cloud?

Cost-effectiveness: Enables budget-friendly operations and reduced operational costs.
Easy Setup: Offers a straightforward and quick setup process.
Scalability: Supports growing business needs with vast resources and infrastructure.
Robust Security: Provides strong protection and compliance measures.
Seamless Integration: Effective integration with tools like Kubernetes and other applications.

What benefits and ROI can be observed?

Reduction in Operational Costs: Minimizes infrastructure and maintenance expenses.
Global Reach: Allows businesses to expand operations across multiple regions.
Flexibility: Adapts to different business models and rapid scaling needs.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Facilitates integration with existing tools and platforms.

Industries leverage Google Cloud for infrastructure management, analytics, application hosting, and development environments. Entities utilize its cloud network, machine learning support, disaster recovery solutions, and big data handling. Many rely on Workspace tools for communication and virtual machine applications for efficient IT infrastructure deployment.

Google

Heroku offers fast deployment with ease of use and seamless integration capabilities, making it a preferred platform for developers needing reliable continuous integration and scalability.

Heroku is known for handling server-related tasks, allowing developers to concentrate on building application functionality. Its automatic database maintenance and powerful performance are key for projects using Node.js and Ruby on Rails. Users appreciate its simple application deployment and maintenance, supported by a diverse range of plugins. Beyond efficiency, its CLI and dashboards enable a straightforward user experience, essential for developers focused on production, staging, and development environments.

What are Heroku's key features?

Fast Deployment: Offers rapid application deployment with minimal setup.
Continuous Integration: Supports streamlined integration processes for development cycles.
Scalability: Easily scales applications to meet growing demand.
High Availability: Ensures applications remain online and responsive.
Automatic Database Maintenance: Provides hands-off management of database tasks.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Ease of Use: Simplifies complex tasks, allowing developers to focus on coding.
Integration Capabilities: Connects seamlessly with tools like GitHub for updates.
Performance: Delivers consistent, reliable application performance.
Development Flexibility: Supports Node.js, Ruby on Rails, and Docker environments.

Organizations use Heroku to deploy production servers and stage development environments. Educational apps and offsite backends benefit from its Docker support. E-commerce, mobile app development, and web apps leverage Heroku's ability to maintain rapid development cycles and manage server deployment efficiently.

Heroku

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Facebook, UrbanDictionary, Code for America, Mailchimp, Rapportive, GitHub, TED, and Lyft.

Buyer's Guide

Google Cloud vs. Heroku

November 2026

Free Report: Google Cloud vs. Heroku

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