Heroku vs GoDaddy – Which is the best?

This article will compare Heroku vs GoDaddy according to its features and pricing.

Marketing jargon aside, the cloud is a crucial aspect that SMEs need to consider going forward. It brings several benefits, including reduced IT costs, business continuity, and collaboration efficiency.

Since there are several different cloud implementations, businesses need to understand the difference between various cloud services and select the one that best matches their business model.

In the following post, we take a look at one of the most popular web hosting providers, i.e., GoDaddy and a top-rated cloud computing platform Heroku.

We compare and contrast the features and pricing so you can make an informed decision when selecting one for your business.

Heroku Overview

Heroku Platform, launched in 2007 and bought by Salesforce in 2010, was among the first container-based cloud computing platforms for the Ruby programming language.

Since its acquisition by Salesforce, it supports a variety of input programming languages, including Go, PHP, Python, Java, Node, etc. Hence, it is called a polyglot platform, as the output result does not change irrespective of the input language you use.

The platform also offers official buildpacks if you want to run programs in other languages. Heroku offers seamless scalability, where you can either add resources to your current plan or migrate to a different plan with more resources.

Heroku Features

• Container-based runtime

Apps in Heroku are run inside isolated Linux containers called “dynos”, which are fully-managed runtime environments running on a “dyno grid”.

Developers can simply upload their code to a dyno and Heroku will handle everything else, from compiling to resource allocation. The payment for your deployment depends on the number of dynos required to run your application.

• Operational Experience

Heroku OpEx refers to a collection of important tools and services for monitoring app performance across multiple metrics.

Developers get a wide range of tools for monitoring the performance of deployments and will get notified of negative trends in real-time.

With threshold monitoring, Heroku can automatically scale dynos when there is a surge in traffic. Since Heroku takes care of everything at the backend, developers can focus on improving the end-user experience.

• Add-ons

Heroku Elements is the official store for over 200 add-ons that developers can use to improve the functionality of their deployments.

There are dedicated add-ons for storage, performance, utility, etc., allowing developers to customize the final output to best match the needs of their customers.

Heroku Pricing

Heroku offers a free tier where hobbyists can develop non-commercial applications and get acquainted with the platform. On this tier, you get 500-1000 dyno hours per month and you can deploy with Git and Docker. The paid tiers are discussed in brief below:

• Hobby: Starts at $7 per dyno and offers free SSL and automated certificate management for building small side projects and proof of concepts.

• Standard: Starts at $25 per dyno and offers additional features like simple horizontal scalability, pre-boot, and zero-downtime deployments for running business apps in production.

• Performance: Starts at $250 per dyno per month and provides dedicated resources and predictable performance for running low-latency, high-traffic applications.

• Private and Shield: Custom pricing tiers for running high compliance applications that need network isolation and similar features.

GoDaddy Overview

If you have ever thought of creating a website, you must have come across GoDaddy.

They are one of the most popular names in domain registration and web hosting, offering its customers a website builder and hosting services for building modern websites.

They use classical virtual machines and shared hosting that is not scalable. So, if you need more resources, you will either need to upgrade your resources or shift to a new plan.

GoDaddy also offers direct integration with WordPress, allowing developers to perform tasks like automating backups, managing clients, handling codes, etc., all from a single dashboard.

Developers can start from scratch or build from templates and add or remove features as necessary.

GoDaddy Features

• Robust website builder

The GoDaddy website builder is one of the strongest features of the platform, offering a wide range of tools and services to build and manage modern websites.

The builder also provides tools for monitoring website performance with special tools on the E-commerce plan. You can apply themes and add content with one click, integrate social media, etc.

• Guided marketing tools

The website builder also comes with marketing tools like GoDaddy Insight for comparing and scoring site performance, SEO tools, email marketing tools, etc.

These tools are exceptionally helpful for beginner website owners to start optimizing their websites for search engine ranking pages.

• Themes and templates

GoDaddy offers over 20 templates and themes for developers right within the website builder. Each theme and template is mobile-responsive and a real-time preview will be updated when you apply one to your website. Each theme comes with industry-specific stock images with the option to add more.

GoDaddy Pricing

While GoDaddy does not offer a free tier, it often runs massive discounts for the first 12 months and provides various features for free even in lower tiers. The pricing tiers with renewal prices are discussed in brief below.

• Starter: Starting at $3.99 a month, this tier offers 25 GB of storage and 512 MB RAM for running one website.

• Economy: Starting at $5.99 a month, this tier offers 100 GB of storage and standard performance.

• Deluxe: Starting at $7.99 and up a month, this tier offers unlimited of storage and unlimited websites.

• Ultimate: Starts at $12.99 a month and offers unlimited websites and storage.

Godaddy vs Heroku Comparison

Conclusion

GoDaddy is a domain registration and web hosting provider, while Heroku is an app hosting provider.

Consequently, the choice between GoDaddy and Heroku comes down to the final product you want to deliver. If you want to create fully functional websites for your business online, GoDaddy offers a powerful web editor and robust hosting services.

On the other hand, if you want to deliver modern apps with high performance and low latency, Heroku is one of the most popular PaaS implementations out there. Make sure that you carefully measure your requirements before making the final decision.