Heroku vs Google Cloud | Which is the best?

A reliable cloud computing platform that supports containerization is now one of the most vital requirements across industry domains.

Containers isolate the software from its environment and ensure that it works uniformly, even if there is a compatibility issue between the development and staging versions.

Therefore, the choice of platform can directly impact the app performance and the value they deliver to the end-users.

Here, we look at two of the most popular platforms, i.e., Heroku and Google Cloud, between which developers will find all the tools and services required to build modern dynamic apps that scale easily.

Key Takeaways

• Heroku is a PaaS implementation

• Google Cloud is a cloud provider with multiple services

• Heroku offer deployments in the USA and Europe

• Google Cloud offers datacenters worldwide

What Heroku? 

One of the oldest PaaS implementations, Heroku is one of the most widely used container-based platforms that can be used to test, deploy, and scale dynamic applications.

It is a fully managed platform that handles operations and manages the server infrastructure on your behalf, providing your development team with an easy way to get the code from the production machines onto the cloud and to the end-users.

Heroku is supported by a loyal, enthusiastic community, where you can find virtually all solutions required to overcome any challenges you face during the development process.

You get the tools, workflows, services, and multilingual support, which removes the hassle of maintaining backend infrastructure, hardware, and software, thereby reducing the time to market.

Heroku Core Features 

• Operational experience

Heroku OpEx aids developers in identifying and addressing bugs present in their application stack by notifying testers when something wrong happens in the app.

You get access to crucial app metrics and threshold alerting at no extra cost, and you can customize the OpEx to address any adverse trends instantaneously.

• Data services and ecosystem

The platform also allows developers to expand their applications’ functionality using various add-ons, like Postgres, Apache Kafka, and Redis.

You can also customize the app using official buildpacks, which introduce extra features like authentication, notification, storage, etc.

• Security and compliance

App data on Heroku cloud and the platform itself undergo regular audits to ensure PCI, HIPAA, ISO, and SOC compliance, ensuring that the servers are secure at all times. You can focus on improving the code without worrying about server security.

Heroku Advantages 

• Scalability

Your apps on Heroku are deployed over Dynos, essentially isolated containers with limited memory capacity.

Each Dyno contains a copy of the app code, and scalability is achieved by adding more Dynos to the app stack when the user base increases. Heroku also performs autoscaling when it detects a spike in user traffic.

• Intuitive and developer-friendly

The complex infrastructure and robust feature set of Heroku are neatly tucked behind one of the most intuitive web-based UIs you will find on the internet.

You can easily push your apps through official buildpacks and deploy them using single clicks. The version control system allows easy A/B testing for new updates, which can be deployed to each environment instantaneously.

What is Google Cloud? 

Google Cloud Platform is a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services for storage, hosting, computing, machine learning, IoT, and app development tools that run on the same infrastructure used by Google internally for its end-user products.

You can leverage the platform to develop new apps and experiences without vendor lock-in and speed up the development process with open-source, multi-cloud, and hybrid cloud.

Developers working with Google Cloud get access to detailed business insights with the platform’s machine learning and advanced analytics, which can be used to make smarter business decisions.

Data on the cloud is protected with advanced security services provided by the same expert team of Google security team.

Google Cloud Core Features 

• Hosting

The Cloud Platform offers multiple hosting solutions, including the App Engine, a PaaS implementation, and the Compute Engine, an IaaS implementation.

Both support almost all the programming languages, and you can import your own libraries and frameworks to customize the build process.

• Bigdata

GCP also offers comprehensive big data solutions, with two unique tools to process and analyze bigdata.BigQuery enables developers to run SQL-like queries on massive data blocks and load the data in bulk directly from the GCP.

Cloud Dataflow enables developers to create, monitor, and collect critical insights from data processing pipelines.

• No vendor lock-in

With time, if the IT needs of your organization change, you can easily migrate your code and run it anywhere you need them with GCP open cloud solutions.

These solutions provide consistency between private and public clouds, enabling developers to modernize and deploy apps faster in any environment that they prefer.

Google Cloud Advantages 

• Advanced security

Google Cloud protects your apps, the app data, infrastructure, and consumers from fraudulent activities spam, and abuse.

This advanced protection is achieved using the same security infrastructure that is used to maintain Google’s internal end-user products.

Moreover, all data on the cloud is encrypted at rest, in transit, and while in use, which is essential for security compliance and data confidentiality.

• Integrated collaboration tools

The integrated Google Workspace provides development teams with the tools and services required to collaborate more effectively.

With chat, document collaboration, email, and video calling apps, frontline workers stay connected with the entire infrastructure and build new consumer experiences.

• Innovative billing

Google also recently shifted the pricing models to include per-minute billing and sustained use discounts, which run on top of their pay-as-you-go pricing structure.

You can create an account to evaluate how Google Cloud products perform in real-world scenarios. Free cost management tools allow you to evaluate your budget and control your spending.

Heroku vs GCP

Conclusion

Both Heroku and Google Cloud are crucial for speeding up the app development process and have some unique advantages that suit different types of projects.

Heroku runs on top of AWS and provides an easy-to-use PaaS platform, while Google Cloud architecture allows multiple services, including virtual machines, PaaS services, and many others.

You will need to evaluate your requirements thoroughly and select one that best matches the use cases of your project. If you cannot decide on one on your own, consider talking to one of the leading app hosting companies for more information on how you can reap maximum benefits from these platforms.

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