/
Data engineering

Stacksync: A Great Alternative to Heroku Connect

Why we chose Stacksync over Heroku Connect for our Salesforce CRM Integration. Stacksync got us up and running in days. It has more features, is more scalable and fits in our budget.

Stacksync: A Great Alternative to Heroku Connect

Stacksync provides a superior alternative to Heroku Connect for Salesforce-PostgreSQL synchronization, offering transparent pricing, platform independence, and advanced workflow automation that eliminates vendor lock-in and hidden infrastructure costs. Organizations choosing Stacksync gain enterprise-grade bi-directional sync capabilities without mandatory platform dependencies or opaque pricing structures.

Why Companies Choose Stacksync Over Heroku Connect

Stacksync addresses the fundamental limitations that make Heroku Connect challenging for many organizations. While both platforms offer bi-directional synchronization between Salesforce and PostgreSQL, Stacksync provides superior value through transparent pricing, platform independence, and advanced automation features.

Cost Transparency and Predictability

Heroku Connect's pricing model creates significant challenges for budget planning. Production tiers require contract negotiations with no public pricing, making cost estimation nearly impossible without engaging sales teams. Additionally, Heroku Connect mandates expensive Heroku Postgres plans and Heroku Dynos, creating substantial infrastructure dependencies that can triple or quadruple total costs.

Stacksync's pricing model is transparent and predictable. Organizations pay based on the number of unique synced records, with publicly available tier pricing starting at $1,000 per month. There are no hidden infrastructure requirements, no mandatory platform dependencies, and clear overage rates that allow accurate cost forecasting.

Platform Independence and Flexibility

Heroku Connect creates significant vendor lock-in by requiring Heroku Postgres exclusively. Organizations cannot use AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, or any other PostgreSQL provider. This limitation restricts architectural flexibility and prevents multi-cloud strategies.

Stacksync operates as a cloud-native SaaS platform that connects to any PostgreSQL database, regardless of hosting provider. This platform independence allows organizations to maintain flexibility in their infrastructure choices while still benefiting from enterprise-grade synchronization capabilities.

Connector Ecosystem and Integration Scope

Heroku Connect focuses exclusively on Salesforce-to-PostgreSQL synchronization within the Heroku ecosystem. Organizations needing to integrate additional systems must implement separate solutions, creating integration complexity and maintenance overhead.

Stacksync provides over 200 pre-built connectors spanning CRMs, ERPs, databases, data warehouses, and SaaS applications. This extensive ecosystem enables organizations to build comprehensive integration architectures from a single platform, reducing complexity and maintenance requirements.

No-Code Setup and Configuration

Stacksync eliminates the complexity typically associated with enterprise data integration. The platform's visual interface enables teams to configure bi-directional synchronization without writing code or hiring specialized consultants.

Visual Configuration Interface

The setup process requires no coding knowledge. Teams can configure field mappings, sync directions, and transformation rules through an intuitive visual interface. This approach reduces implementation time from weeks or months to hours or days, enabling faster time-to-value.

Pre-Built Connectors and Templates

Stacksync's extensive connector library includes pre-configured templates for common integration patterns. These templates handle standard field mappings, data type conversions, and schema differences automatically, further accelerating deployment.

Real-Time Monitoring and Observability

The platform provides comprehensive monitoring dashboards that track synchronization status, data flow, error rates, and performance metrics in real-time. This visibility enables teams to identify and resolve issues quickly without requiring deep technical expertise.

Advanced Filtering and Transformation Capabilities

Stacksync provides sophisticated filtering and transformation capabilities that enable organizations to optimize synchronization processes and reduce unnecessary data movement.

Custom Filter Configuration

Organizations can define complex filter criteria to control which records synchronize between systems. Filters support multiple conditions, logical operators, and field-based criteria, enabling precise control over data flow. This capability reduces synchronization overhead and ensures only relevant data moves between systems.

Data Transformation Rules

The platform supports comprehensive data transformation capabilities, including field mapping, data type conversion, value transformation, and conditional logic. These transformations occur in real-time during synchronization, ensuring data consistency and format compatibility across systems.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Stacksync provides multiple conflict resolution strategies for handling simultaneous updates in both systems. Organizations can configure last-write-wins, source-priority rules, or custom resolution logic based on business requirements. This flexibility ensures data integrity while accommodating different operational needs.

Event-Driven Workflow Automation

Stacksync's event-driven architecture enables organizations to build sophisticated automated workflows triggered by data changes, eliminating the need for custom polling mechanisms or complex webhook configurations.

Real-Time Change Data Capture

The platform provides non-invasive Change Data Capture (CDC) capabilities that detect field-level changes in real-time without requiring database modifications. This approach captures all data mutations, including creates, updates, and deletes, ensuring complete event coverage.

No-Code Trigger Configuration

Stacksync's visual trigger editor enables teams to configure event triggers without writing code. Triggers can monitor changes in Salesforce, PostgreSQL, or both systems simultaneously, providing comprehensive event coverage across the integration architecture.

Advanced Event Filtering

Organizations can define complex filter conditions for triggers, enabling precise control over when workflows execute. For example, triggers can activate only when specific field values change, when records meet certain criteria, or when multiple conditions are satisfied simultaneously.

HTTP Endpoint Integration

Triggers can notify any HTTP REST endpoint, enabling integration with external services, webhook receivers, serverless functions, or automation platforms like Zapier and Make. This flexibility allows organizations to extend Stacksync's capabilities into their existing toolchain without vendor lock-in.

Workflow Automation Examples

Common use cases include automatically sending welcome emails when new accounts are created, updating downstream systems when deal stages change, triggering data enrichment processes when leads are qualified, and synchronizing inventory levels across e-commerce platforms in real-time. 

Transparent and Scalable Pricing Model

Stacksync's pricing structure provides clear cost predictability that enables organizations to plan budgets accurately and scale efficiently as data volumes grow.

Record-Based Pricing

The platform charges based on unique synced records, not update frequency or operation volume. This model means organizations can update records unlimited times without additional costs, making it cost-effective for high-velocity data environments. Only records present at the start of the month or synced for the first time during the month count toward billing.

Transparent Tier Structure

Stacksync offers publicly available pricing tiers starting at $1,000 per month for the Starter plan, which includes 50,000 synced records. The Pro plan at $3,000 per month supports up to 1 million records. Enterprise plans provide custom pricing with volume discounts for large-scale deployments.

No Hidden Infrastructure Costs

Unlike Heroku Connect, Stacksync doesn't require mandatory infrastructure components. Organizations can use their existing PostgreSQL databases regardless of hosting provider, eliminating the need for expensive Heroku Postgres plans or Heroku Dynos. This approach significantly reduces total cost of ownership.

Predictable Scaling

Overage charges for records exceeding plan limits follow a tiered structure with volume discounts. Organizations can accurately forecast costs based on data volume, enabling better budget planning and financial predictability.

Flexible Billing Options

The platform supports both monthly and annual billing, with potential discounts for annual commitments. This flexibility allows organizations to choose the billing model that best fits their financial planning cycles.

Enterprise-Grade Security and Compliance

Stacksync provides enterprise-grade security features and compliance certifications that meet the requirements of regulated industries and security-conscious organizations.

Security Certifications

The platform maintains SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA BAA, ISO 27001, and CCPA compliance certifications. These certifications demonstrate Stacksync's commitment to data security and regulatory compliance, enabling organizations in healthcare, finance, and other regulated industries to use the platform confidently.

Data Encryption and Access Controls

All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.2+, and data at rest encryption is available for sensitive workloads. The platform supports role-based access control (RBAC), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and single sign-on (SSO) for enterprise deployments.

Audit Trails and Compliance Reporting

Stacksync maintains comprehensive audit logs that track all data access, configuration changes, and synchronization activities. These logs support compliance requirements and enable organizations to demonstrate data handling practices during audits.

Performance and Reliability Considerations

Stacksync's architecture is designed for high-performance, reliable data synchronization that supports mission-critical business operations.

Real-Time Synchronization Performance

The platform provides sub-second synchronization latency for most operations, ensuring that data changes propagate quickly across connected systems. This performance level supports real-time business processes that depend on current data availability.

High Availability and Reliability

Stacksync's cloud-native architecture includes built-in redundancy, automatic failover, and disaster recovery capabilities. The platform maintains high uptime SLAs for enterprise customers, ensuring that critical data synchronization continues operating even during infrastructure issues.

Scalability and Throughput

The platform scales horizontally to handle increasing data volumes and synchronization frequencies. Organizations can grow from thousands to millions of synced records without performance degradation or architectural changes.

Use Case Comparison: Stacksync vs Heroku Connect

Understanding how each platform performs in real-world scenarios helps organizations make informed decisions.

Scenario 1: Mid-Market Company with Growing Data Volume

A company with 100,000 Salesforce records needs bi-directional sync with PostgreSQL. With Stacksync, this fits comfortably within the Pro plan at $3,000 per month. Heroku Connect would require contract negotiation, potentially expensive Heroku Postgres plans, and Heroku Dynos, likely resulting in total costs exceeding $5,000-$7,000 per month.

Scenario 2: Multi-System Integration Requirements

An organization needs to integrate Salesforce with PostgreSQL, HubSpot with Snowflake, and NetSuite with their data warehouse. Stacksync handles all three integrations from a single platform with unified monitoring and management. Heroku Connect only addresses Salesforce-PostgreSQL, requiring separate solutions for other integrations.

Scenario 3: Event-Driven Automation Needs

A company needs to trigger automated workflows when specific data events occur, such as sending notifications when high-value deals are created or updating inventory systems when orders are processed. Stacksync's built-in trigger capabilities handle these requirements natively. Heroku Connect requires custom development or additional tools to achieve similar functionality.

Migration Considerations

Organizations currently using Heroku Connect can migrate to Stacksync with minimal disruption, often improving capabilities while reducing costs.

Migration Process

Stacksync supports migration from Heroku Connect by replicating existing sync configurations and data mappings. The platform's team can assist with migration planning and execution, ensuring smooth transitions with minimal downtime.

Data Consistency During Migration

The migration process maintains data consistency by synchronizing historical data and establishing real-time sync before decommissioning Heroku Connect. This approach prevents data loss and ensures continuity of business operations.

Cost Savings Post-Migration

Organizations typically realize 30-50% cost savings after migrating from Heroku Connect to Stacksync, primarily through eliminating mandatory Heroku infrastructure requirements and benefiting from transparent, record-based pricing.

Make the Switch to Stacksync

Stacksync delivers superior value compared to Heroku Connect through transparent pricing, platform independence, advanced automation capabilities, and comprehensive connector support. Organizations choosing Stacksync gain enterprise-grade synchronization capabilities without vendor lock-in, hidden costs, or infrastructure dependencies.

The platform's no-code configuration, real-time performance, and extensive automation features enable teams to build sophisticated integration architectures quickly and maintain them efficiently. Whether you're evaluating integration solutions for the first time or considering alternatives to Heroku Connect, Stacksync provides a compelling combination of capabilities, flexibility, and value.

Ready to eliminate Heroku Connect's limitations and infrastructure dependencies? Book a Stacksync demo to see how transparent pricing, platform independence, and advanced workflow automation can transform your Salesforce-PostgreSQL integration strategy.

→  FAQS
What is the difference between Stacksync and Heroku Connect?
Stacksync and Heroku Connect both provide bi-directional synchronization between Salesforce and PostgreSQL, but Stacksync offers transparent pricing, platform independence, and broader connector support. Unlike Heroku Connect, Stacksync doesn't require mandatory Heroku infrastructure, works with any PostgreSQL database, and provides over 200 pre-built connectors for comprehensive integration architectures. Stacksync's record-based pricing model also provides better cost predictability compared to Heroku Connect's opaque contract-based pricing.
How much does Stacksync cost compared to Heroku Connect?
Stacksync offers transparent pricing starting at $1,000 per month for 50,000 synced records, with publicly available tier information. Heroku Connect requires contract negotiations with no public pricing, and mandates expensive Heroku Postgres plans and Dynos that can triple total costs. Organizations typically save 30-50% by choosing Stacksync over Heroku Connect, primarily through eliminating mandatory infrastructure dependencies and benefiting from predictable, record-based pricing.
Can Stacksync work with databases other than Heroku Postgres?
Yes, Stacksync connects to any PostgreSQL database regardless of hosting provider, including AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Azure Database, or self-hosted instances. This platform independence eliminates vendor lock-in and allows organizations to maintain flexibility in their infrastructure choices. Heroku Connect, by contrast, exclusively requires Heroku Postgres, creating significant vendor lock-in and preventing multi-cloud strategies.
Does Stacksync support real-time triggers and workflow automation?
Stacksync provides comprehensive event-driven workflow automation through its no-code trigger editor, enabling organizations to configure triggers that notify HTTP REST endpoints when data events occur. The platform supports real-time Change Data Capture (CDC) that detects field-level changes without database modifications, and allows complex filter conditions for precise workflow control. This native automation capability eliminates the need for custom development or additional tools required with Heroku Connect.
Is it difficult to migrate from Heroku Connect to Stacksync?
Migrating from Heroku Connect to Stacksync is straightforward with minimal disruption. Stacksync can replicate existing sync configurations and data mappings, and the platform's team assists with migration planning and execution. The migration process maintains data consistency by synchronizing historical data and establishing real-time sync before decommissioning Heroku Connect, ensuring continuity of business operations throughout the transition.

Syncing data at scale
across all industries.

a blue checkmark icon
14-day trial
a blue checkmark icon
Two-way, Real-time sync
a blue checkmark icon
Workflow automation
a blue checkmark icon
White-glove onboarding
“We’ve been using Stacksync across 4 different projects and can’t imagine working without it.”

Alex Marinov

VP Technology, Acertus Delivers
Vehicle logistics powered by technology