Self-hosted alternatives to Heroku
The free tier died in November 2022 and took a generation of side projects with it.
Below are 10 open-source projects that cover the same ground, each scored 0–100 on how actively it is actually maintained — commit volume, release cadence and recent trend. 3 of the 10 are currently rated healthy or better. Ordering reflects that score, not sponsorship.
| Project | Health | Activity (11 mo) | Stars | Licence | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StartOS Browser-based, graphical Operating System (OS) that makes running a personal server as easy as running a perso | Healthy · 81 | 2k | MIT | 17 Sept 2026 | |
| DietPi Minimal Debian OS optimized for single-board computers, which allows you to easily install and manage several | Healthy · 78 | 6.3k | GPL-2.0 | 12 Sept 2026 | |
| Websoft9 GitOps-driven, multi-application hosting for cloud servers and home servers, one-click deployment of 200+ open | Healthy · 74 | 2.1k | LGPL-3.0 | 23 Sept 2026 | |
| Cosmos Run server applications securely and with built-in privacy features. It acts as a secure gateway to your appli | Steady · 67 | 6.2k | Apache-2.0 | 19 Sept 2026 | |
| xsrv Install and manage self-hosted services/applications, on your own server(s). | Steady · 66 | 407 | GPL-3.0 | 26 Aug 2026 | |
| OpenMediaVault Network attached storage (NAS) solution based on Debian Linux. It contains services like SSH, (S)FTP, SMB/CIFS | Steady · 65 | 7k | GPL-3.0 | — | |
| DockSTARTer DockSTARTer helps you get started with home server apps running in Docker. | Steady · 65 | 2.6k | MIT | 31 Aug 2026 | |
| Self Host Blocks Modular server management based on NixOS modules and focused on best practices. | Steady · 64 | 503 | AGPL-3.0 | 22 Jun 2026 | |
| Umbrel A beautiful personal server OS for self-hosting. Install on a Raspberry Pi 4 or Ubuntu/Debian. | Steady · 63 | 12k | ⊘ Proprietary | 22 Sept 2026 | |
| NextCloudPi Nextcloud preinstalled and preconfigured, with a text and web management interface and all the tools needed to | Steady · 62 | 2.9k | GPL-2.0 | 14 Aug 2026 |
How these were picked
Every project listed here is open source and can run entirely on hardware you control. We start from the categories that match Heroku's job — Self-hosting Solutions — then rank by health score so that a popular-but-abandoned project never appears above a smaller one that is actively shipping. The scoring method is documented in full.
The scores are recomputed from repository data on every rebuild, so this page reflects the state of these projects as of 1 Oct 2026 — not the day it was written.
StartOS
Browser-based, graphical Operating System (OS) that makes running a personal server as easy as running a personal computer.
Best fit: Users who want to host their own services and data on dedicated hardware but prefer a graphical web interface over manual command-line configuration.
Worth knowing: Graphical operating systems for personal servers can sometimes restrict low-level system customisation and introduce abstraction layers that make manual troubleshooting more difficult.
DietPi
Minimal Debian OS optimized for single-board computers, which allows you to easily install and manage several services for selfhosting at home.
Best fit: It is well-suited for users running single-board computers who want a lightweight base system and a streamlined method to set up self-hosted services.
Worth knowing: Because it modifies standard Debian foundations heavily to achieve its minimal footprint, troubleshooting unusual hardware or software issues might require familiarity with its specific custom scripts.
Websoft9
GitOps-driven, multi-application hosting for cloud servers and home servers, one-click deployment of 200+ open source apps.
Best fit: Users who want to manage multiple open source applications on a single server without manual configuration for each service.
Worth knowing: The platform relies on shell scripts and Python under the hood, which may complicate debugging when underlying automation scripts fail.
Cosmos
Run server applications securely and with built-in privacy features. It acts as a secure gateway to your application, as well as a server manager.
Best fit: Self-hosters looking for an all-in-one control panel to manage Docker containers and secure inbound traffic through a unified gateway.
Worth knowing: The licensing combines Apache-2.0 with a Commons-Clause restriction, which may limit commercial usage or redistribution depending on your interpretation. It also has a moderate development momentum, meaning you should evaluate its long-term stability for critical workloads.
xsrv
Install and manage self-hosted services/applications, on your own server(s).
Best fit: It is a suitable fit if you already use automation frameworks for server administration and want a structured approach to running standard application stacks.
Worth knowing: You will need to be comfortable debugging provisioning scripts and managing underlying server configurations when automation routines fail or require customisation.