--- title: "Heroku Connect vs Stacksync After a Build.io Migration" description: "Comparing Heroku Connect and Stacksync after moving off Heroku with Build.io: where Postgres runs, sync direction, error visibility, and which systems connect." canonical: https://www.stacksync.com/blog/heroku-connect-vs-stacksync-after-build-io-migration last_modified: 2026-10-23 --- # Heroku Connect vs Stacksync After a Build.io Migration > 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 Comparing Heroku Connect and Stacksync after moving off Heroku with Build.io: where Postgres runs, sync direction, error visibility, and which systems connect. Author Stacksync · App tips writer Published October 23, 2026 Read time 4 min read APP TIPS ## What changes when Stacksync replaces Heroku Connect after a Build.io migration? After [Build.io](https://www.build.io/) moves your app and Postgres off Heroku, Heroku Connect no longer fits, because it is tied to Heroku Postgres. Stacksync takes its place and connects to Postgres wherever it runs. Your tables stay the same; what changes is where the sync runs, how you see failures, and which systems you can connect. This comparison focuses on the practical differences a team notices in the weeks after cutover. ## How do Heroku Connect and Stacksync compare? | Area | Heroku Connect | Stacksync | | --- | --- | --- | | Where Postgres runs | Heroku Postgres | Postgres wherever it is hosted, including after a Build.io move | | Sync direction | Read-only or read-write per mapping | Real-time, two-way sync | | Systems supported | Salesforce | Salesforce, HubSpot, NetSuite and others | | Error visibility | Managed within Heroku | Record-level failures your team can see and act on | | Platform dependency | Requires staying on Heroku | Independent of hosting platform | | Application tables | Heroku Connect tables | Same objects, same tables | For a fuller breakdown, see [Stacksync as a Heroku Connect alternative](https://www.stacksync.com/heroku-connect-alternative). ![Hosting platform and data sync are separate decisions in a Heroku exit](https://www.stacksync.com/images/blog-diagrams/heroku-alt-hosting-vs-sync-concept.webp) *Hosting platform and data sync are separate decisions in a Heroku exit* ## What stays the same for engineering? The application keeps querying the same tables. When table and column names are kept during the move, the code path does not change. Salesforce admins keep working in Salesforce as before. - Same Salesforce objects and fields. - Same Postgres tables and columns. - Same application queries. - Changes in either system still reach the other. ## What changes for operations? ### The sync no longer depends on the hosting platform With Heroku Connect, the sync and the hosting platform were the same vendor decision. With Build.io for the platform and Stacksync for the sync, each can be evaluated on its own merits. ### Failures are visible at the record level When a write to Salesforce is rejected, for example because of a validation rule, Stacksync shows which record failed and the reason, so the owner can fix it. ### More systems can share the same database Teams that also run HubSpot or NetSuite can sync them to the same Postgres database rather than maintaining separate scripts. ![Heroku Connect cost lifecycle](https://www.stacksync.com/images/blog-diagrams-mermaid/heroku-connect-pricing-lifecycle.webp) *Heroku Connect cost lifecycle* ## What does day-to-day sync management look like? With Heroku Connect, sync management was part of the Heroku dashboard. After the migration, the sync has its own home in Stacksync, separate from where the application runs. That separation matters when something goes wrong, because the team investigating a sync problem does not need access to the hosting platform. - Review sync activity to confirm records are moving in both directions. - Check open errors and assign an owner to each one. - Add a Salesforce field to an existing mapping when the app needs it. - Bring a new system, such as HubSpot or NetSuite, into the same database when a project calls for it. Most teams set up alerts for sync failures so issues reach the right person without anyone needing to watch a dashboard. ## How do you make the switch after the platform move? 1. 01 Confirm the new Postgres location Get connection details for the database Build.io set up. 2. 02 Recreate mappings Configure each Heroku Connect mapping in Stacksync with the same table names. 3. 03 Test in staging Use a Salesforce sandbox and a staging database to confirm inserts, updates and write-backs. 4. 04 Cut over Stop Heroku Connect, enable Stacksync and match existing rows by Salesforce ID. 5. 05 Monitor Review sync activity and errors daily during the first weeks. See the [Salesforce connector](https://www.stacksync.com/connectors/salesforce) for supported objects, or [book a demo](https://www.stacksync.com/book-a-demo) to compare your current Heroku Connect setup with Stacksync. ## When should you decide on the sync? Decide before the platform cutover, not after. Heroku has said the platform is in sustaining engineering, and the sync is the piece that keeps Salesforce and your database consistent. Choosing the replacement early lets both teams test together in staging and cut over in one window. Bottom line Build.io moves the platform. Stacksync moves the sync. Your app keeps its tables. ## What questions do teams ask before switching? Most questions are about risk to the application and to Salesforce data. The answers come back to the same principle: keep the contract between Salesforce and Postgres stable, and change only the system that maintains it. - Will the first sync overwrite data? Existing rows are matched by Salesforce ID, so the first run updates in place. - Do we need to change Salesforce? Usually no; the objects and fields stay the same. - Can we roll back? Keep the Heroku Connect configuration documented until the new sync has run cleanly in production. FAQ ## Frequently asked questions Can Heroku Connect run against a database that is not on Heroku? Heroku Connect is built to work with Heroku Postgres. Once your database moves off Heroku, you need a sync that connects to Postgres wherever it is hosted, such as Stacksync. Does Stacksync sync in both directions? Yes. Stacksync provides real-time, two-way sync between Salesforce and Postgres. Will my app notice the change from Heroku Connect to Stacksync? If the same objects map to the same tables, the application keeps working against the tables it already uses. Can Stacksync connect systems besides Salesforce? Yes. Stacksync also syncs Postgres with HubSpot, NetSuite and other business systems. How do I see sync failures in Stacksync? Stacksync shows failures at the record level, so your team can see what failed and why instead of discovering it later in the data. ## 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 Alternatives for Salesforce-Connected Apps 5 min read read](https://www.stacksync.com/blog/heroku-alternatives-for-salesforce-connected-apps) ## 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/)