Pay with a Russian card
A Russian card, an invoice and closing documents for legal entities. No foreign card or intermediaries to pay for hosting.
A Heroku alternative for Russia
Heroku killed its free tier and its paid plans can't be paid with a Russian card. Dada Cloud gives you the same git-push-to-live-app flow: connect a GitHub repo, push, and get an HTTPS URL in minutes. Ruble payments, servers in Russia, no VPN.
Why developers move from Heroku to Dada Cloud
Deploy from GitHub, no Procfile magic
Connect a repo, push to the main branch — the platform detects the framework, builds and deploys. No buildpacks to configure.
Managed PostgreSQL alongside
Like Heroku Postgres: a managed database is created next to the app and DATABASE_URL is injected into the service automatically.
Apps don't sleep
Unlike free dynos, your app stays alive and responds without a cold start on the first request.
Data in Russia (152-FZ)
Apps and databases run on servers inside Russia — what the personal-data law requires and what Heroku structurally can't offer.
HTTPS domain out of the box
Right after the deploy the app is reachable over a valid TLS certificate. Your own domain connects in a couple of steps.
How to move off Heroku
The same git push, a different address. Usually an evening's work.
01
Bring the dyno over as an app
Connect the same GitHub repository and pick the branch. A Procfile-style start command is set in the app's settings, so nothing in the project has to be rewritten for the platform.
02
Move the config vars
Dump them with heroku config -s and paste them into the app's environment variables. Secrets stay secret: they never reach the repository, and the values are visible only to project members.
03
Move the database
Take a pg_dump of Heroku Postgres, create a managed PostgreSQL instance and load the dump. The app picks up DATABASE_URL on its own once the database is attached — no hand-assembled connection string.
04
Switch the domain
Add your domain to the app, update the DNS record and wait for the certificate. The old Heroku app can keep running while DNS propagates — the switch is reversible.
What becomes what
Heroku concepts and their equivalents here.
| Heroku | Dada Cloud | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Web dyno | App from a repository | Start command set in settings; the Procfile is not read |
| Worker dyno | A separate app | Its own logs, metrics and deploy history |
| Config vars | Environment variables | Move them with heroku config -s |
| Heroku Postgres | Managed PostgreSQL | pg_dump across; DATABASE_URL arrives on its own |
| Heroku Scheduler | An app with a schedule | Periodic jobs are described separately |
| Marketplace add-ons | Your own server or an external service | Redis and queues run as containers |
What does not come across automatically
Three things you will have to handle by hand.
Heroku add-ons
Redis, queues, mail services and third-party marketplace add-ons do not transfer as-is. Postgres becomes a managed database; everything else runs as a container on your own server or is wired up as an external service.
Scheduler and one-off dynos
Heroku Scheduler and heroku run map to separate tasks here. Periodic jobs are described as their own app with a schedule, not as a setting inside the web process.
Buildpack magic
Some projects lean on a specific buildpack and its variables. Builds here run from the repository the standard way; if the project depended on a non-standard buildpack, describing the build in your own Dockerfile is the reliable path.
Replacing Heroku in Russia — FAQ
Does Heroku work in Russia now?
Heroku no longer offers free tiers, and paid plans can't be paid with a Russian card. Data is stored abroad, which doesn't meet 152-FZ. Dada Cloud covers both: ruble payments and servers in Russia.
What can replace Heroku with ruble payments?
Dada Cloud is a Russian platform with the same git-push-to-production flow: pay with a Russian card, get an invoice and closing documents, no foreign cards or intermediaries.
Do I have to rewrite my app when moving from Heroku?
No. You connect the same GitHub repo, the platform detects the framework and builds the project. No Procfile or buildpacks to configure.
Is there a Heroku Postgres equivalent?
Yes. Managed PostgreSQL is created inside the platform next to the app, and the DATABASE_URL connection string is injected into the service automatically.
Will apps sleep like free dynos?
No. The app stays running and responds without a cold start on the first request.
How long does a move off Heroku actually take?
A simple app with one database is an evening: connect the repo, move the config vars, load the dump, switch DNS. The long part is usually not the move itself but taking stock of the add-ons — mail, queues and third-party services people only remember after the first deploy.
Do I have to rewrite the Procfile?
The file itself is not used, but the start command from it carries over into the app settings one for one. The web process becomes an app; workers and scheduled jobs become their own apps with their own logs and metrics.
What about the free tier?
There is a free plan here and it is not going away: one app, a PostgreSQL database, 2 GB of storage and a domain. The app does not fall asleep after half an hour of idling the way the old free dynos did.
Can I leave some services on Heroku?
Yes, the migration does not have to be atomic. An app can run here and still talk to a database or service that is still on Heroku, as long as that one is reachable at a public address. That is the usual order: web first, data second.
Give your code a public address
Create an account and deploy your first app. The Free plan costs $0.