Anvil vs Heroku: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Anvil and Heroku

Anvil and Heroku are both popular platforms for deploying web applications, but they have some key differences that set them apart.

1. Ease of use: Anvil is designed to make web app development accessible to users with little to no programming experience. It provides a visual interface for building apps using drag-and-drop components, making it easy for non-technical users to create robust applications. On the other hand, Heroku is more developer-centric and requires coding knowledge to deploy and manage applications.

2. Deployment process: Anvil simplifies the deployment process by automatically handling web hosting, scaling, and security. With a single click, users can deploy their app to a custom subdomain on the anvil.app domain. Heroku, on the other hand, requires users to go through a more involved deployment process, including configuring servers, domain routing, and setting up deployment pipelines.

3. Backend infrastructure: Anvil provides a fully managed backend infrastructure, which means users don't have to worry about servers, databases, or infrastructure maintenance. They can focus solely on building the frontend of their application. Heroku, on the other hand, offers a more flexible infrastructure where users have more control over backend components, allowing them to integrate with different services and customize their infrastructure as needed.

4. Integration capabilities: Anvil has built-in support for a wide range of integrations, including REST APIs, databases, and authentication providers. These integrations can be easily added to an app using drag-and-drop components. Heroku, while offering integration capabilities, requires users to handle integrations manually by adding third-party libraries or configuring APIs.

5. Scalability: Anvil provides automatic scalability for web applications, meaning the platform automatically handles traffic spikes and scales the app to meet demand. This eliminates the need for users to manually manage server resources or worry about capacity planning. Heroku also offers scalability features but requires users to configure and manage the scaling settings themselves.

6. Pricing model: Anvil offers a free tier with limited features and resources, making it an affordable option for small projects or personal use. They also have paid plans that offer more resources and additional features for businesses and professional users. In contrast, Heroku has a more complex pricing model based on usage, with different tiers and add-ons for various services. This makes Heroku a better fit for larger, more resource-intensive applications.

In summary, Anvil focuses on simplicity and ease of use, providing a visual interface and fully managed backend infrastructure. Heroku, on the other hand, is more developer-centric and offers a more flexible infrastructure with greater control over backend components. The choice between the two platforms depends on the specific requirements and expertise of the user.