Heroku Exit Plan
In February 2026, Salesforce moved Heroku to a "sustaining engineering model". That means no new features and no new enterprise contracts, just maintenance and security patches. Your apps still run, but the platform under them is no longer moving forward, and the pricing hasn't gotten any friendlier. If you've been thinking about moving off Heroku, now is a good time to do it on your own schedule.
I migrate web applications from Heroku to infrastructure you control, typically cutting hosting costs 60-80% and getting better performance for the money. I've done enough of these to know where they go wrong, like the add-on nobody realized the app depended on, or the background job that only worked because Heroku restarts dynos every day. Those are the problems I plan for before the cutover, not during it.
Why move now?
Salesforce's announcement means Heroku is in maintenance mode. The platform will continue receiving security patches and stability fixes, but there won't be new features, new runtime improvements, or new add-on integrations. Enterprise Account contracts are no longer available to new customers either, which tells you where Salesforce sees this going.
Nothing breaks tomorrow. Your apps keep running, your deployments still work. But the gap between Heroku and the rest of the ecosystem will only widen. New Ruby and Node versions, new deployment tooling, and evolving security standards will all move faster than Heroku does.
Migrating on your own timeline, while you can plan and test properly, is a much better position than being forced to move later when the platform's limitations start affecting your team or your customers.
Who needs a Heroku Exit Plan?
A migration is a good fit if:
- Your Heroku bill has grown to the point where it's hard to justify
- You're paying for bigger dynos to get performance that cheaper, dedicated servers would give you
- You're concerned about depending on a platform with no active development
- You want more control over your application's infrastructure
- Your team doesn't have the time or experience to plan the migration themselves
- You asked an AI tool for a migration plan and got a generic checklist that doesn't mention your actual stack
What's included
Kickoff call
We discuss your current Heroku setup, infrastructure requirements, budget, and any concerns about the migration.
Assessment
I review your application, add-ons, and traffic, then put together a migration plan for your stack with the risks called out up front. Your new servers get sized for the traffic you have, not what Heroku was charging you for.
Migration
I set up your new infrastructure, migrate your database, configure deployments, and switch your application over to the new setup with zero downtime.
What you'll get
- A working web application on infrastructure you control
- Typical hosting cost reduction of 60-80%
- Better performance from servers sized for your app instead of shared dynos
- Guidance on choosing the right cloud provider for your budget and needs
- Zero-downtime deployment pipeline configured and ready to use
- Documentation and a deployment runbook for your team
Pricing
Final pricing depends on your application's complexity and the number of services involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cloud providers do you work with?
I'm most experienced with Hetzner, DigitalOcean, and AWS. If you're not sure which provider is right for you, I'll help you choose based on your budget, performance needs, and team preferences.
How long does the migration take?
Typically 2 to 4 weeks depending on your application's complexity and the number of services involved.
Will there be downtime during the migration?
The goal is zero downtime by setting up the new infrastructure separately from your production application and switching over to the new environment once everything is tested thoroughly.
What about Heroku add-ons we're using?
I'll review all your add-ons during the assessment. Some will have direct replacements, but others may require self-hosted alternatives or staying with a third-party service.
How will I handle deployments?
I set up Kamal for your deployments. It gives you zero-downtime deploys with simple commands, without needing deep Docker or Kubernetes knowledge. If your team has a different preferred deployment method, we can discuss that during the kickoff call.
Do we need to know Docker if we use Kamal for deployments?
Not in depth, since Kamal handles most of the Docker complexity for you. I'll document what you need to know for day-to-day deployments and troubleshooting.
Can't we just have an AI tool write the Kamal config?
You can, and it will get you most of the way there. The trouble is what it doesn't know to ask about, such as secrets that only ever lived in the Heroku dashboard or a database too big to dump and restore during a maintenance window. Those are the details that take production down, and spotting them comes from having done this before.
Is Heroku shutting down?
No. Salesforce has moved Heroku to a "sustaining engineering model". Security patches and stability work continue, but no new features or platform improvements are being developed. Existing apps keep running as-is.
What does Heroku's maintenance mode mean for my app?
Your app works fine today. Over time, though, Heroku won't keep pace with new runtime versions, deployment tooling, and security standards. Migrating now on your own schedule is better than being forced to move later.
Compare Your Options
Heroku vs. The Alternatives
Explore detailed comparisons to find the right platform for your needs.
Moving from Heroku to Hetzner Cloud
Migrate to Hetzner's European data centers for exceptional value and performance.
Moving from Heroku to DigitalOcean
Transition to DigitalOcean's developer-friendly platform with predictable pricing.
Moving from Heroku to Vultr
Move to Vultr's high-performance cloud with global data center coverage.
Moving from Heroku to Linode
Switch to Linode's reliable infrastructure backed by Akamai's global network.
Moving from Heroku to AWS EC2
Migrate to the largest cloud ecosystem with enterprise-grade managed services.
Moving from Heroku to Google Cloud Compute Engine
Switch to GCP with automatic sustained-use discounts and custom machine types.
Moving from Heroku to Microsoft Azure
Migrate to Azure with enterprise integration and the most compliance certifications.
Ready for your Heroku Exit Plan?
Book a free consultation so we can review your current Heroku setup and see how much you could save.
Request a Free Consultation