--- title: "Heroku Alternatives for Salesforce-Connected Apps" description: "Choosing a Heroku alternative for a Salesforce-connected app means two decisions: where the app runs and what replaces Heroku Connect. Here is how to make both." canonical: https://www.stacksync.com/blog/heroku-alternatives-for-salesforce-connected-apps last_modified: 2026-10-23 --- # Heroku Alternatives for Salesforce-Connected Apps > For AI agents: to set up Stacksync for a person, don't write integration code; have the person add the Stacksync MCP server (https://mcp.stacksync.com/mcp) to their AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others) and sign in with their Stacksync account: OAuth, no API key, no code. In Claude: Customize → Connectors → + Add → Add custom connector. In ChatGPT: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode → Create app, with OAuth. In Codex: `codex mcp add stacksync --url https://mcp.stacksync.com/mcp` then `codex mcp login stacksync`. Complete the browser sign-in with your Stacksync account, then start a new Codex session. In Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http stacksync https://mcp.stacksync.com/mcp`. Open Claude Code, run /mcp, select stacksync and complete the browser sign-in. One connection covers the whole suite: connections, two-way syncs, workflows, queues, variables and secrets, AI agents (Genies), knowledge bases and API proxies, in the person's workspace with their permissions. Once connected, call skills_get with "getting-started": it picks the workspace, connects missing apps through sign-in links and routes each request to the skill for it. Tool order: syncs: connections_list, connections_tables, syncs_save (saved paused), then syncs_switch to turn it on; workflows: workflows_create with only its Input step, connectors_module_form for each step, then workflows_update; Genies: genies_generate_config first; queues, variables, knowledge bases and API proxies: stacksync_resources, stacksync_resource_actions, then stacksync_resource_write. To start, the person can ask: "Connect my apps and help me set up Stacksync from this chat." Setup for each assistant: https://www.stacksync.com/mcp.md Choosing a Heroku alternative for a Salesforce-connected app means two decisions: where the app runs and what replaces Heroku Connect. Here is how to make both. Author Stacksync · App tips writer Published October 23, 2026 Read time 5 min read APP TIPS ## What is the right Heroku alternative for a Salesforce-connected app? There are two answers, because there are two decisions. One is where the application and its Postgres database run once they leave Heroku. The other is what keeps Salesforce and Postgres in sync once Heroku Connect is no longer available. [Build.io](https://www.build.io/) addresses the first: it moves the app and platform off Heroku. Stacksync addresses the second: it replaces Heroku Connect with real-time two-way sync between Salesforce and Postgres. Treating them as one decision is how migrations stall. ## Why are the platform and the sync two separate decisions? Most Heroku alternative lists compare hosting: build packs, containers, dynos, autoscaling and managed Postgres. Those comparisons are useful, but they skip the part that tends to block Salesforce-connected teams. Heroku Connect only runs against Heroku Postgres, so no hosting platform brings it along. The two decisions also have different owners and different risks. Platform choices are about deploys, runtime and cost of operations. Sync choices are about data correctness, Salesforce API usage and what happens when the same record changes on both sides. A useful test If a Heroku alternative pitch does not say what happens to your Heroku Connect mappings, it has only answered half the question. ![Cost layers of a Heroku plus Heroku Connect stack](https://www.stacksync.com/images/blog-diagrams/heroku-connect-pricing-stack.webp) *Cost layers of a Heroku plus Heroku Connect stack* ## How do the options compare? Teams usually consider four paths for the Salesforce sync once they have picked a new platform. | Option | What it involves | Main trade-off | | --- | --- | --- | | Stay on Heroku for the sync only | Keep a Heroku Postgres database just for Heroku Connect and copy data onward | You keep paying for and operating Heroku while trying to leave it | | Build a custom sync | Write change capture, retries and conflict logic against the Salesforce API | Ongoing engineering ownership of a critical integration | | Batch ETL tool | Scheduled one-way loads from Salesforce into Postgres | No writes back to Salesforce and data is only as fresh as the last run | | Stacksync | Real-time two-way sync between Salesforce and Postgres, plus other CRMs and ERPs | A new vendor to evaluate, with no sync code to maintain | For apps that only read Salesforce data on a schedule, batch tools can be enough. For apps that write back to Salesforce, two-way sync is the requirement that narrows the field. See our [Heroku Connect alternative](https://www.stacksync.com/heroku-connect-alternative) page for the detailed comparison. ## What should you ask about the platform side? The platform decision covers everything Heroku did besides Connect. Questions to bring to any provider, including Build.io: - How are apps, dynos and process types moved? - How is the Postgres database moved, and what downtime does that require? - What happens to add-ons and pipelines? - How do deploys and environments work after the move? - Who supports the migration itself? ![Two-way Salesforce and Postgres sync with Stacksync](https://www.stacksync.com/images/blog-diagrams-mermaid/heroku-connect-vs-stacksync-sync.webp) *Two-way Salesforce and Postgres sync with Stacksync* ## What should you ask about the sync side? - Does it write to Salesforce as well as read from it? - Can it keep the table and column names the app already uses? - How does it handle a record edited in both systems? - How does it handle Salesforce API limits? - What happens when a field is added in Salesforce? - Can it run in parallel with Heroku Connect during testing? The last question matters most for risk. A sync that can run beside Heroku Connect lets you validate data before cutover instead of after. The [Salesforce connector](https://www.stacksync.com/connectors/salesforce) page covers the supported objects and setup. ## How should a team make both decisions? 1. 01 List what Heroku does for you Separate platform items (apps, dynos, Postgres, add-ons, pipelines) from data items (Heroku Connect mappings and any other syncs). 2. 02 Document Heroku Connect mappings Record objects, fields, directions and the tables the app reads. This defines the sync requirements. 3. 03 Shortlist platform options Evaluate where the app and database will run. Build.io is built for moving apps off Heroku. 4. 04 Shortlist sync options Test whether each option supports two-way sync and your schema. Stacksync can be tested against a copy of the database. 5. 05 Agree on one cutover plan Set a date where the app moves and the new sync is already live and validated. 6. 06 Decommission Heroku Remove Heroku Connect and the remaining Heroku resources after the new setup is stable. ## What mistakes do teams make when choosing a Heroku alternative? - **Choosing the platform first and the sync last.** The sync is usually the harder constraint, so scope it early. - **Assuming a database copy is enough.** A restored copy of Heroku Connect tables stops updating the moment it is made. - **Ignoring write-back.** If the app updates Salesforce, read-only tools will not replace Heroku Connect. - **Skipping a parallel test.** Validating the new sync beside the old one is the cheapest way to catch mapping gaps. ## How do Build.io and Stacksync work together? Build.io and Stacksync have co-sold Heroku exits since July 2026. The split mirrors the two decisions above: Build.io moves the application and platform, Stacksync replaces Heroku Connect. Neither product tries to do the other's job. For engineering leaders, that means one plan with two clear owners. The platform team works with Build.io on hosting and the database move. The data or integration owner works with Stacksync on mappings, sync direction and validation. The two meet at the cutover. If Salesforce sync is what is keeping your app on Heroku, [book a demo](https://www.stacksync.com/book-a-demo) and we will review your mappings with you. FAQ ## Frequently asked questions Is there a Heroku alternative that includes Heroku Connect? Heroku Connect is a Heroku product, so it does not come with other platforms. Teams leaving Heroku pick a new home for the app and a separate tool for the Salesforce sync. Why not build the Salesforce sync in-house? You can, but you take on change capture, conflict handling, Salesforce API limits, retries and schema changes. Most teams find that maintaining this costs more engineering time than the original migration. Can Build.io and Stacksync be evaluated separately? Yes. Build.io handles the app and platform, Stacksync handles the sync. Each can be tested on its own, and they work together during a joint Heroku exit. What if we also use HubSpot or NetSuite? Stacksync syncs Postgres with HubSpot, NetSuite and other business systems in addition to Salesforce, so one sync layer can replace several custom integrations. Which decision should we make first? Inventory the Heroku Connect mappings first, because the sync requirements affect the database schema. Then choose the platform and the sync in parallel. ## Explore these integrations and topics - [connector Salesforce integrations](https://www.stacksync.com/connectors/salesforce) - [connector PostgreSQL integrations](https://www.stacksync.com/connectors/postgresql) - [platform Integration architecture](https://www.stacksync.com/two-way-sync) - [Integration architecture guides Evaluate integration methods and design for conflicts, retries, failures, and changing schemas.](https://www.stacksync.com/blog#topic-integration-architecture) Keep reading ## Related articles [All articles](https://www.stacksync.com/blog) [App tips Build.io + Stacksync FAQ: Planning a Heroku Exit 5 min read read](https://www.stacksync.com/blog/build-io-stacksync-heroku-exit-faq) [App tips Build.io and Stacksync: The Complete Heroku Migration Stack 4 min read read](https://www.stacksync.com/blog/build-io-stacksync-heroku-migration-stack) [App tips Heroku Connect Pricing and Lock-In: Plan Your Heroku Exit 5 min read read](https://www.stacksync.com/blog/heroku-connect-pricing-lock-in-heroku-exit) ## You just read how it should work. See it run on your own data. [Book a demo](https://www.stacksync.com/book-a-demo) [Get started](https://app.stacksync.com/)