DigitalOcean vs Heroku:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Heroku had more branded searches than DigitalOcean among developer hosting platforms worldwide. Heroku had about 74,000 branded searches, while DigitalOcean had 10. Heroku made up 1.3% of all developer hosting platform searches we track, and DigitalOcean accounted for <0.01%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about developer hosting platforms, DigitalOcean appeared in two of the five answers and Heroku in one. DigitalOcean was mentioned before Heroku in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Heroku, about 7400 searches for every 1 for DigitalOcean
Who does AI mention more?
DigitalOcean, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Heroku in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
DigitalOcean, named ahead of Heroku in 2 of 2 answers
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Top developer hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, DigitalOcean was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Heroku was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. DigitalOcean was listed before Heroku in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Vercel4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Render4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Railway4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Netlify2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Fly.io2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- DigitalOcean2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Heroku1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about developer hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which developer hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best developer hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best developer hosting platform for a web app?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best hosting platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“web app hosting”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is DigitalOcean or Heroku more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for DigitalOcean and Heroku by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven developer hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Heroku, DigitalOcean. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Netlify | Vercel | Heroku | Render | Fly.io | Railway | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.7% | 50.9% | 6.9% | 0.41% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.2% | 51.5% | 5.7% | 0.42% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.7% | 52.1% | 4.7% | 0.35% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.6% | 52.3% | 4.7% | 0.28% | 0.13% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.2% | 52.7% | 3.9% | 0.19% | 0.1% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.7% | 53.4% | 2.6% | 0.16% | 0.1% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 43.9% | 53.7% | 2.2% | 0.16% | 0.07% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 48.9% | 48.9% | 2% | 0.14% | 0.08% | <0.01% | 0% |
| Jun 2026 | 48.8% | 48.8% | 2% | 0.26% | 0.08% | <0.01% | 0% |
| Jul 2026 | 49.1% | 49.1% | 1.6% | 0.14% | 0.08% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 49.2% | 49.2% | 1.3% | 0.22% | 0.05% | <0.01% | 0% |
| Sep 2026 | 49.3% | 49.3% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.05% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the DigitalOcean and Heroku comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Heroku was ahead of DigitalOcean in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DigitalOcean’s share of searches among developer hosting platforms worldwide held steady at <0.01%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 10.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Heroku’s share of searches among developer hosting platforms worldwide moved from 6.9% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for developer hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Heroku worldwide fell 55.2% over 12 measured months, from 165K to 74K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DigitalOcean’s and Heroku’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
DigitalOcean
1 branded search term
- cloud storage digitalocean
Heroku
1 branded search term
- heroku
Other head-to-heads among developer hosting platforms
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