How to Cancel Your
Heroku Subscription
Moving your apps off Heroku? Delete your apps and add-ons to stop billing -- but download your database and code first.
Quick Overview
Difficulty
EasyTime
~3 minutes
Method
Dashboard
Refund
Prorated
Cancel Heroku via Dashboard
Log in to your Heroku Dashboard
Go to dashboard.heroku.com and sign in. Review your apps list to see all deployed applications and their associated dynos and add-ons.
Remove paid add-ons from each app
Click on each app, go to the Resources tab, and remove or downgrade any paid add-ons (Heroku Postgres, Redis, etc.). Each add-on has its own billing that needs to be stopped individually.
Delete your apps
Go to each app's Settings tab. Scroll to the bottom and click Delete App. Type the app name to confirm. This removes the app, its dynos, and all associated data permanently.
Close your account (optional)
To fully close your account, go to Account Settings and click Delete Account at the bottom. You must have zero apps and zero outstanding charges to delete your account.
Alternative: Use the Heroku CLI
If you prefer the command line, you can manage your Heroku apps and add-ons using the Heroku CLI.
Delete Apps via CLI
- 1. Open your terminal
- 2. Run heroku apps to list apps
- 3. Run heroku apps:destroy app-name
- 4. Confirm by typing the app name
- 5. Repeat for each app
Backup Database First
- 1. Run heroku pg:backups:capture -a app-name
- 2. Run heroku pg:backups:download -a app-name
- 3. Save the latest.dump file
- 4. Verify the backup is complete
- 5. Then safely delete the app
What Happens After You Cancel Heroku?
Billing stops when apps are deleted
Heroku prorates charges, so you only pay for the time your dynos and add-ons were active. Deleting an app immediately stops all billing for that app.
All data is permanently deleted
App code, databases, config vars, and logs are all permanently removed when you delete an app. There is no recovery option, so back up everything first.
Custom domains are released
Any custom domains pointed to your Heroku app will stop working. Update your DNS records at your domain registrar to point elsewhere before deleting your app.
Your code stays in Git
If you pushed your code to Heroku's Git remote, you still have it in your local Git repository. The Heroku remote will be removed, but your local codebase remains intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Heroku still have a free tier?
No. Heroku eliminated its free tier in November 2022. The cheapest option is the Eco dynos plan at $5/month for up to 1000 hours. To stop all charges, you need to delete your apps.
Can I export my Heroku Postgres database?
Yes. Use the Heroku CLI command pg:backups:download to get a database dump. You can also use pg_dump directly if you have the database credentials from your app's config vars.
What are good alternatives to Heroku?
Popular alternatives include Railway, Render, Fly.io, and DigitalOcean App Platform. Many offer free tiers or lower pricing than Heroku for similar PaaS functionality.
Will I get a refund for unused time?
Heroku prorates its billing, so you are only charged for actual usage time. When you delete an app mid-billing-cycle, the charges stop immediately and your next invoice reflects only the time used.
What about Heroku Teams or Enterprise?
If you are on a Heroku Teams or Enterprise plan, contact your account manager or Salesforce support. Team plans may require the team owner to make changes, and enterprise contracts have their own cancellation terms.
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