Heroku alternative
The Heroku workflow, in your own cloud and the EU region you choose.
Push to a GitHub branch and Ankra builds, scans and deploys your app to Kubernetes on servers in your own Hetzner, OVHcloud, UpCloud, DigitalOcean or AWS account. Pick any EU region your provider offers. Ankra's control plane is hosted in the EU.
30 vCPU free for life. Try it without a card. Your provider bills the servers.
- Push to deploy. On Ankra Pipelines, the default for new applications, every build is scanned with Semgrep, Checkov and Trivy before it can ship.
- Your EU region. Any region your provider offers, with a control plane hosted in the EU by a Swedish company.
- Server price plus a flat fee. Your provider bills the servers, and Ankra charges €7.20 per worker vCPU a month on Startup beyond the first 30. Pricing.
- Build once, back up to your bucket. The tested image moves from staging to production without a rebuild, and backups go to a bucket you own. How promotion works.
Heroku made deploying simple. You push code, a buildpack builds it, and add-ons such as a database attach with one command. In February 2026 Heroku announced a move to a sustaining engineering model focused on stability, security, reliability and support, and said Enterprise Account contracts will no longer be offered to new customers. Heroku has not announced a shutdown and still ships updates, such as Heroku Postgres Advanced in October 2026. If the change has you planning where your apps go next, Ankra keeps the path from repository to URL and changes where the app lives.
The app runs on servers in your own provider account, in the region you pick, and the provider bills you for them directly. This page covers where Ankra differs, how to move one app across to try it, and, further down, where Heroku is still the simpler choice. For the full comparison with sources, see Ankra vs Heroku.
One command from your checkout
to a live URL on your cluster.
Run ankra application ship in a checkout of a GitHub repository. Ankra registers the application, opens the setup pull request, builds the first image inside your own cluster and deploys it, then prints the public URL when the application has one.
After that, push to deploy is on. Every successful build of the tracked branch rolls out to every cluster the application runs on. Each environment has its own switch, so staging can follow every merge while production waits for an explicit deploy.
# pick the cluster the app should run on
ankra cluster select
# register, build, scan, deploy, print the URL
ankra application ship .
# check push to deploy for the application
ankra application auto-deploy get <application-id>Push to deploy
Push to the tracked branch and the new build rolls out with no command to run. A build of any other branch never deploys.
Scans gate the build
Ankra Pipelines, the default for new applications, run your tests, a rootless build and Semgrep, Checkov and Trivy scans inside your cluster. Only the image the gate approved is published and deployed.
Build once, promote
A pull request's tested image can be published on merge instead of rebuilt, and the same image moves from staging to production. On GitHub, a merge train tests each pull request as the exact commit it will merge.
Your region, your servers
Ankra builds Kubernetes on Hetzner, OVHcloud, UpCloud, DigitalOcean, AWS and Proxmox VE, or imports a cluster you already run. Ankra Cloud, Ankra's own EU cloud, is a further option, and its Kubernetes control planes are in closed beta.
Add-ons as Stacks
Stacks install any Helm chart in dependency order, so the database comes up before the app that needs it. Backups write volumes and database dumps to a bucket you own. Databases run by CloudNativePG or Percona cannot be restored in place yet.
AI that asks first
Ankra AI reviews pull requests, analyses failed runs and opens fix pull requests. Every write waits for a person by default.
Move one Heroku app to Ankra
Start with a single app, keep it running on Heroku while you test, and switch traffic when you are happy.
- 1
Create a free Ankra account
The free tier includes 30 worker vCPUs, controller nodes are never billed, and a small trial needs no card; adding one unlocks full access and €59 of welcome credit.
- 2
Pick where the app runs
Create a cluster in your own provider account, import one you already run, or ask for Ankra Cloud, which is enabled per organisation while it is in closed beta.
- 3
Ship the repository
Run it in a checkout whose origin is the GitHub repository. Ankra analyses the code, opens the setup pull request and deploys the first build. The shipping guide walks through each step.
ankra application ship . - 4
Move your config vars
Store each secret the application reads as an environment secret in Ankra. Values are never shown again once saved.
- 5
Bring the database
Run a database operator from the add-on catalogue in a Stack, with backups to your own bucket, or ask for managed PostgreSQL while it is in closed beta. Then point the app at it.
- 6
Switch traffic
Test the app on its Ankra address, then point your domain at it. Keep the Heroku app running until you are happy.
Heroku and Ankra side by side
Heroku details checked on 9 November 2026 against the Heroku Dev Center and Heroku's blog.
| Heroku | Ankra | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your app runs | In dynos on Heroku's own platform | On Kubernetes in your cloud account, on servers you own, or on Ankra Cloud (closed beta) |
| Regions in Europe | One Common Runtime region named Europe. Private Spaces add Dublin, Frankfurt and London. Heroku says a region does not guarantee data residency | Any region your provider offers. Control plane hosted in the EU |
| Deploying | git push to a Heroku remote, built by buildpacks | Push to a GitHub branch, built rootless in your cluster and gated by scans |
| Previews | Review apps per GitHub pull request, with Pipelines and an app.json | Previews on GitHub for Applications. Ankra's docs say not to rely on them yet because of an open bug |
| Databases and add-ons | Heroku Postgres, including Postgres Advanced since October 2026, and an add-on marketplace attached as config vars | Any Helm chart in a Stack. Managed services, including PostgreSQL, on your cluster in closed beta |
| Where the platform runs | Heroku's managed platform | Hosted control plane in the EU, or self-hosted and air-gapped on Enterprise |
| Development model | Sustaining engineering since February 2026, focused on stability, security, reliability and support. No shutdown announced | Actively developed, with new releases listed in Ankra's docs changelog |
| How you pay | Dyno and add-on plans that include the compute | Ankra fee per worker vCPU with the first 30 free. Your provider bills the servers |
Where Heroku is simpler
Heroku keeps its promise of a short path to a running app. These are the places where it asks less of you than Ankra does.
No cloud account at all
Heroku runs your app on its own platform, so there is no provider account, server or cluster to think about. With Ankra you bring a cloud account or a cluster, or ask for Ankra Cloud, which is in closed beta.
A marketplace of add-ons
Heroku attaches databases, caches and other services from its add-on marketplace and hands your app the connection as a config var. Ankra's managed services, including PostgreSQL, are in closed beta.
Nothing extra in your repository
Buildpacks build most apps with no Dockerfile. Ankra opens a setup pull request that adds a Dockerfile when you have none, Kubernetes manifests and a pipeline definition, so there are more files to own.
Code hosted anywhere
Heroku deploys from a push to its own Git remote. Ankra Applications and pull-request previews work with GitHub repositories today, and Ankra's docs say not to rely on previews yet because of an open bug. Code elsewhere can still deploy through your own CI and a GitOps repository.
When Heroku is the simpler choice
Ankra is not the right switch for every app. Stay on Heroku when one of these is true.
- You want a live app with no cloud account, cluster or servers anywhere in the picture.
- Your app leans on several marketplace add-ons and you want each one attached with a single command today.
- You would rather not keep a Dockerfile, manifests or a pipeline definition in your repository.
- You rely on review apps for every pull request. Ankra's previews are GitHub only, and its docs say not to rely on them yet because of an open bug.
- Nobody on the team wants to see Kubernetes at all. Ankra does most of the work, but your app does run on Kubernetes and you will meet its terms.
Keeping your app and data in Europe
Heroku's Common Runtime offers a region named Europe, and Private Spaces add Dublin, Frankfurt and London. Either way the app runs on a platform Heroku operates, and review apps live there too. Heroku's own regions page says that choosing a region does not guarantee data residency, because add-on providers decide where their data lives.
With Ankra the servers sit in your own provider account, in the region you pick, and the bill for them comes from that provider. Ankra's control plane is hosted in the EU, in Finland. If you would rather not run servers at all, Ankra Cloud is Ankra's own EU cloud, operated by a Swedish company. Its Kubernetes control planes are in closed beta and enabled per organisation.
Regulated teams that need the platform inside their own walls can run Ankra self-hosted or air-gapped on the Enterprise plan, at custom pricing. For compliance questions, see the Trust page.
Guides and comparisons
Questions teams actually ask
What is a good Heroku alternative in Europe?+
If you want Heroku's push to deploy but need the app in a European region you choose, Ankra deploys your GitHub repository to Kubernetes in your own cloud account, in any region your provider offers, and its control plane is hosted in the EU. If you want no cloud account at all and are happy on Heroku's platform, Heroku remains simpler.
Can I keep push to deploy?+
Yes. Once an application has been deployed, every successful build of the tracked branch rolls out automatically. You push to GitHub instead of a Heroku remote, and on Ankra Pipelines, the default for new applications, each build is scanned before it can deploy.
Does Ankra have Heroku-style add-ons?+
Partly. Stacks install any Helm chart, such as a database operator, next to your app in dependency order, with backups to your own bucket. Ankra's managed services, including PostgreSQL, run on your own cluster and are in closed beta and enabled per organisation on request.
Where does my data live with Ankra?+
Your app and its data run on the servers you choose, in your provider account and region, or on Ankra Cloud, Ankra's own EU cloud, whose Kubernetes control planes are in closed beta. Ankra's control plane is hosted in the EU, and Enterprise customers can run Ankra self-hosted or air-gapped at custom pricing.
What did Heroku announce in February 2026?+
On 6 February 2026 Heroku said it is transitioning to a sustaining engineering model focused on stability, security, reliability and support, and that Enterprise Account contracts will no longer be offered to new customers. It has not announced a shutdown, and existing contracts are honoured.
Is there a free tier?+
Yes. Every plan includes 30 worker vCPUs free, controller nodes are never billed, and a small trial needs no card; adding one unlocks full access and €59 of welcome credit. Your cloud provider bills the servers separately.
Ship your first app on infrastructure you choose
30 worker vCPUs included, controller nodes never billed, and a small trial without a card; adding one unlocks full access and €59 of welcome credit. One command takes your repository to a live URL.
Ankra is an independent platform and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Heroku or Salesforce. Heroku details were checked on 9 November 2026 against the Heroku Dev Center and Heroku's blog, and product scope can change.