Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program
Cloud Provider Credits
$500 in credits
Receive monthly platform credits for 12 months designed to support open source software projects hosted on Heroku.
Who qualifies
Every condition below is taken from the vendor’s own published criteria. Read them before you spend an afternoon on the application.
Osss
The programme is aimed at osss. Vendors read this loosely, but expect to describe the company and what you are building on the application.
Receive monthly platform credits for 12 months designed to support open source software projects hosted on Heroku.
About Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program
Quick answer
Receive monthly platform credits for 12 months designed to support open source software projects hosted on Heroku.
Heroku is a cloud platform-as-a-service provider specializing in app deployment, databases, and managed infrastructure. The Open Source Software Credit Program grants qualifying open source projects monthly platform credits over a 12-month period, enabling maintainers to run production workloads without upfront infrastructure costs. Credits are renewable annually upon reapplication.
Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program at a glance
Heroku is a cloud platform-as-a-service provider specializing in app deployment, databases, and managed infrastructure. The Open Source Software Credit Program grants qualifying open source projects monthly platform credits over a 12-month period, enabling maintainers to run production workloads without upfront infrastructure costs. Credits are renewable annually upon reapplication.
- $500Max monthly credit (upper range)
- 12Credit validity (months)
- $6,000Potential total credit (at $500/month)
- AnnualReapplication window
The Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program offer explained
Heroku awards monthly platform credits (typically $25–$500 USD per month) to open source projects for 12 consecutive months. Credits cover core Heroku services including Dynos (compute), Postgres (database), and Key-Value Store. Any usage exceeding the monthly credit allocation is billed at standard Heroku rates to your registered payment method; credits do not roll over month-to-month.
Heads up: credit programs change their terms and caps regularly — confirm the current offer on the application page before you plan around it.
Apply to Heroku Open Source Software Credit ProgramHow Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program compares
Here's how Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program stacks up against other cloud infrastructure credits in the same category:
| Program | Headline offer | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program | $500 in credits | This page |
| Namecheap Education Program | $50 in credits | Cloud Provider Credits |
| Neo4j AuraDB Free Plan | Free forever graph database with 50,000 nodes, 175,000 relat | Cloud Provider Credits |
| Neo4j Startup Program | The Neo4j Startup Program supports innovative startups by pr | Cloud Provider Credits |
Who should apply — and who shouldn't
Apply if
- Your open source project has active users and you need predictable, cost-free compute and database hosting for 12 months.
- You're bootstrapped or pre-seed and cannot absorb cloud infrastructure costs while building community adoption.
- You're already using Heroku or comfortable with its platform model and pricing structure.
- You plan to reapply annually and want a renewable funding source for infrastructure rather than a one-time grant.
Skip if
- Your project requires custom infrastructure, Kubernetes, or multi-cloud deployment—Heroku's platform constraints may not fit.
- You need credits immediately and cannot wait for application review and approval (timeline not published).
- You're generating revenue from your open source project or have commercial backing—Heroku may deem you ineligible.
More Cloud Provider Credits
If Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program isn't the right fit, compare it against Namecheap Education Program, Neo4j AuraDB Free Plan, Neo4j Startup Program, Neon $100 Credits — or browse the full Cloud Provider Credits category.
What the credit covers
- Monthly platform credits ($25–$500 USD range)
- 12-month credit validity period
- Annual reapplication eligibility
- Covers Dynos, Postgres, Key-Value Store
- No sponsor or accelerator requirement
- Automatic monthly credit application
- Standard overage billing after credits exhaust
- Direct application process
- OSI-approved license requirement
- Renewable funding model for open source
Programme tracks
What Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program publishes for each stage — confirm on the application, since credit programmes are re-cut more often than list pricing.
| Track | Value | Who it is for | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Entry) | $25–$100/month | 12 months | Small Dyno (compute) · Shared Postgres instance · Basic Key-Value Store · Suitable for low-traffic projects |
| Tier 2 (Growth) | $100–$300/month | 12 months | Standard Dynos · Dedicated Postgres · Expanded storage · Suitable for moderate traffic and active communities |
| Tier 3 (Scale) | $300–$500/month | 12 months | Multiple Dynos or performance tiers · High-performance Postgres · Advanced add-ons (within scope) · Suitable for high-traffic or data-intensive projects |
How to apply
4 steps. The last one is the part most people skip.
- 1
Open Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program through the link on this page
It carries our referral tag. The terms you get are identical either way, and it never changes what this page says about the programme.
- 2
Have the eligibility evidence ready
Applications are checked against one condition — osss. Incorporation date, cap table and a one-line description of what you are building cover most of it.
- 3
Size the migration against the 12 months window
Credits start burning from activation, not from when you get round to using them. Work out what you will genuinely consume in that window before you move production workloads across.
- 4
Know the rate you land on when it runs out
Receive monthly platform credits for 12 months designed to support open source software projects hosted on Heroku.
Where this programme wins and loses
What works
- Substantial annual credit Up to $6,000 in total platform credits over 12 months covers meaningful production workloads (small Dynos, Postgres instances, storage).
- Renewable annually Unlike one-time startup credits, you can reapply each year, creating a sustainable funding model for long-term projects.
- No sponsor or accelerator required Direct application process—no need to join a startup program or have VC backing to qualify.
- Covers core infrastructure needs Dynos, Postgres, and Key-Value Store cover the majority of typical open source hosting requirements (compute, database, caching).
- Straightforward approval Heroku's criteria are clear (OSI license, active maintenance); no subjective pitch or demo required.
- Automatic monthly application Credits are applied automatically each month—no manual claims or resubmission needed during the 12-month term.
What doesn't
- Heroku platform lock-in Credits are usable only on Heroku services; if you migrate to AWS, GCP, or another provider, credits become worthless. Heroku's pricing is also higher than raw cloud providers.
- Overage charges at standard rates Any usage exceeding monthly credits is billed at full Heroku rates, which can escalate quickly for traffic spikes or resource-intensive workloads.
- Narrow service scope Credits apply only to Dynos, Postgres, and Key-Value Store; other Heroku add-ons (monitoring, CI/CD, third-party integrations) are not covered.
The bottom line
This program removes a real friction point for open source maintainers: infrastructure cost. The 12-month runway is substantial, reapplication is possible, and there's no sponsor requirement. The main trade-off is Heroku's platform lock-in and overage costs, but for projects already on or considering Heroku, this is a clear win.
Heroku Open Source Software Credit Program FAQ
The questions we actually get asked about this programme.
Ask us something elseActive open source projects with an OSI-approved license (MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, etc.) and public maintenance history. Commercial projects or those generating revenue may be ineligible.
12 months from approval. Credits do not roll over month-to-month; unused credits in a given month are forfeited. You can reapply annually to renew.
No. This is a direct application program; you apply independently without needing to be part of an accelerator or have investor backing.
Any usage beyond your monthly credit allocation is billed at standard Heroku rates to your registered payment method. You are responsible for these overages.
Heroku does not publicly clarify stacking rules. Contact Heroku support to confirm whether this program can be combined with other offers or discounts.
Heroku does not publish a specific SLA. Approval timelines vary; plan for 1–4 weeks. Apply well in advance if you have a launch deadline.
