ElephantSQL vs Heroku Postgres: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will compare ElephantSQL and Heroku Postgres, two popular database services. We will highlight the key differences between them to help you choose the one that best fits your needs.

1. Pricing Model: ElephantSQL offers a clear and straightforward pricing model based on the size of the database and the amount of data transferred. On the other hand, Heroku Postgres follows the Heroku platform's pricing model, which includes a combination of database size, data transfer, and additional features.

2. Integration with Platform: ElephantSQL is primarily focused on providing PostgreSQL databases as a service, making it a dedicated solution for PostgreSQL users. In contrast, Heroku Postgres is tightly integrated with the Heroku platform, offering a seamless deployment, scaling, and management experience for applications hosted on Heroku.

3. Managed vs. Self-managed: ElephantSQL fully manages the database infrastructure, handling tasks such as provisioning, backups, and upgrades. This allows developers to focus solely on their application logic. Heroku Postgres, on the other hand, gives you more control over the database by allowing you to manage it as a standalone service. This can be beneficial if you require more advanced database configurations or need specific control over the infrastructure.

4. Multi-region Availability: ElephantSQL offers multi-region availability with data centers located in various regions worldwide. This ensures low latency and high availability for your applications, regardless of their geographic location. However, Heroku Postgres is limited to the regions offered by the Heroku platform, which might not cover all the locations you require.

5. Additional Features: Heroku Postgres provides additional features that are tightly integrated with the Heroku platform, such as easy scaling, data rollbacks, and seamless integration with other Heroku services. ElephantSQL focuses solely on providing a PostgreSQL database and does not offer these platform-specific features.

6. Support and Documentation: Both ElephantSQL and Heroku Postgres have extensive documentation and a support team to assist users. However, the level of support may differ, with Heroku having a more robust support system due to its wider range of services and larger user base.

In summary, ElephantSQL and Heroku Postgres differ in their pricing model, integration with platforms, degree of managed and self-managed functionality, multi-region availability, additional features, and support systems. Choosing between them depends on your specific requirements, such as budget, desired level of control over the database, and the need for platform-specific features.