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bex vs Heroku

bex is a self-hosted Render-compatible PaaS. Heroku was the original PaaS category-definer, so this page focuses on where running your own control plane differs from Heroku's managed platform — including the places where Heroku still wins.

bex and Heroku, capability by capability

bex and Heroku, capability by capability
CapabilitybexHerokuSource
Runs on servers you ownYesNo1
Whole-stack deploys from one manifest filePartialbex.yml mirrors Render's manifest shape; Heroku's app.json covers add-ons and env but is not a full stack blueprint.Yes2
REST API for platform resourcesYesYes3
Private images from any container registryYesPartialHeroku Registry stores images per app; arbitrary private registry pulls are not supported.4
Managed Postgres with high availability and followersYesYes5
Managed Redis / ValkeyYesYes6
SSH into a running instanceYesYes7
Native runtime builds without a DockerfileYesYes8
Environment variables and secretsYesYes9
Projects and pipeline groupingYesYes10
Outbound event webhooksPartialSigned webhook deliveries with create, list and history — a smaller event set than Heroku's today.Yes11
Scheduled jobs and cronYesYes12

Where Heroku is the better fit

Where Heroku is the better fit
CapabilitybexHerokuSource
Add-ons marketplace with hundreds of integrationsNoYes13
Review apps per pull requestNoYes14
Private spaces and isolated networkingNoYes15
Fifteen years of buildpacks and ecosystem toolingNoYes16

Notes

  • Heroku's Procfile, config vars and add-ons map directly to bex service types, secrets and managed datastores — see the migration guide for the concept map.
  • Procfile web and worker types become bex web, worker and cron services; buildpacks work on both platforms.

Sources

  1. 1.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/regions checked August 19, 2026
  2. 2.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/app-json checked August 19, 2026
  3. 3.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/platform-api-reference checked August 19, 2026
  4. 4.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/container-registry-and-runtime checked August 19, 2026
  5. 5.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-postgresql checked August 19, 2026
  6. 6.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-redis checked August 19, 2026
  7. 7.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/exec checked August 19, 2026
  8. 8.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/buildpacks checked August 19, 2026
  9. 9.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/config-vars checked August 19, 2026
  10. 10.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/pipelines checked August 19, 2026
  11. 11.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/app-webhooks checked August 19, 2026
  12. 12.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/scheduler checked August 19, 2026
  13. 13.elements.heroku.com/addons checked August 19, 2026
  14. 14.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/github-integration-review-apps checked August 19, 2026
  15. 15.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/private-spaces checked August 19, 2026
  16. 16.devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-architecture checked August 19, 2026
  17. 17.bex.co/docs/platform/migrate-from-heroku checked August 19, 2026
  18. 18.bex.co/docs/platform/service-types checked August 19, 2026
  19. 19.www.heroku.com/pricing checked August 19, 2026