Source deploys, on servers you control.
Heroku keeps servers out of your deployment workflow: push your code and buildpacks handle the build. Dynos and add-ons cost money, and its free tier ended in November 2022. If you want more control over costs and hardware, moving off the platform also means taking on operational work.
Miren builds and deploys your code without a Dockerfile, on servers you control. The self-hosted runtime is free, with no per-dyno markup; infrastructure still costs money. Miren Cloud handles team access control. Moving your app and data still takes planning.
Where Miren is today: Managed clusters are in early access. Distributed runners spread stateless workloads across nodes, but stateful workloads and the control plane still run on the coordinator; adding runners doesn't make the coordinator highly available. Miren Disks support local backup and restore, with remote cloud backup still on the roadmap.
| Feature | Heroku | Miren |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Heroku's managed dynos, running on AWS — you never touch the servers | Your own infrastructure — a VPS, a cloud box, or bare metal |
| Pricing | Per-dyno, plus paid add-ons; adding capacity increases costs | Free self-hosted runtime; infrastructure costs remain, without per-dyno markup |
| Deploys | git push with buildpacks | Push your code — no Dockerfile required |
| Autoscaling | Manual dyno counts; autoscaling only on the higher-priced tiers | On by default, based on real traffic |
| Lock-in | Proprietary platform; leaving means rebuilding your pipeline | Open-source runtime on your infrastructure; moving still takes migration work |
| Team access | Collaboration features locked to paid tiers | Auth and access control included, through Miren Cloud |
| Free tier | Gone since November 2022 | Free to self-host — run it on hardware you've already got |
Heroku helped make git push deployment familiar. Buildpacks turn source into a running app without asking you to manage servers, and the add-on marketplace covers databases, monitoring, and other services. That keeps setup work small when you're testing an idea or shipping an early product.
You pay for dynos and add-ons, so adding capacity or services adds to the bill. Heroku's standard patterns also limit customization. Leaving means moving data and rebuilding a deployment pipeline tied to the platform.
You don't have to give up source deploys to run your own servers. Miren builds your code without a Dockerfile and adjusts app instance counts with traffic. Self-hosting has no per-dyno markup, but you still pay for and maintain the infrastructure. Miren Cloud handles team authentication, access control, and cluster discovery.
Deploy to your servers and see how the workflow feels.