Software Alternatives & Startups

Heroku VS Select Star SQL

Compare Heroku VS Select Star SQL and see what are their differences

Heroku

Agile deployment platform for Ruby, Node.js, Clojure, Java, Python, and Scala. Setup takes only minutes and deploys are instant through git. Leave tedious server maintenance to Heroku and focus on your code.

Rating
4.5 · 2 reviews
Select Star SQL

Education & Reference

Rating
0 reviews
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Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Heroku seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 74 times since March 2021.

social mentions
74 vs 0
Cloud Computing popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 12

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Heroku
SSS
Select Star SQL
Website heroku.com selectstarsql.com
Pricing —
Company Startup from the United States —
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Heroku 6 features
SSS
Select Star SQL 5 features
  • Ease of Use
    Heroku offers an extremely user-friendly interface and a high level of abstraction, making it easy for developers to deploy, manage, and scale applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
  • Quick Deployment
    One of Heroku’s strongest points is the ability to deploy applications quickly using Git. Developers can push their code to Heroku with a simple command, streamlining the entire process.
  • Scalability
    Heroku provides effortless scaling options by allowing developers to add more dynos (containers) with a single command to handle increased traffic and workload.
  • Add-Ons Ecosystem
    Heroku offers a rich ecosystem of add-ons, such as databases, caching, monitoring, and more, which can be easily integrated into applications to extend their functionality.
  • Automatic Updates
    Heroku automatically handles operating system and server updates, allowing developers to focus solely on their application code rather than maintenance tasks.
  • Free Tier
    Heroku offers a free tier with sufficient resources to host small projects and learn the platform without incurring costs, making it accessible for beginners and small-scale applications.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    While Heroku offers a free tier, the costs can quickly add up for larger applications and professional use. Paid plans and additional dynos or add-ons can become expensive.
  • Performance
    Heroku’s performance can sometimes be suboptimal compared to other cloud providers, particularly when running high-performance or resource-intensive applications.
  • Limited Control
    Heroku abstracts away a lot of infrastructure management, which can be a downside for developers who need fine-grained control over their environments and configurations.
  • Dyno Sleeping
    Applications running on Heroku’s free tier experience 'dyno sleeping,' where the application goes to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity, causing a delay when it wakes up after receiving a new request.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Relying heavily on Heroku’s ecosystem and platform-specific features can lead to vendor lock-in, making it challenging to migrate to another platform if needed.
  • Add-On Costs
    The costs for add-ons can also become significant, as many useful features and integrations require paid add-ons, increasing the overall expense.
  • Completely Free
    Select Star SQL is entirely free to use with no paywalls, subscriptions, or hidden costs. This makes it accessible to anyone who wants to learn SQL regardless of their financial situation.
  • Interactive Hands-On Learning
    The platform provides an interactive SQL environment directly in the browser where learners can write and execute real SQL queries against actual datasets, reinforcing concepts through practice rather than passive reading.
  • Real-World Dataset
    The course uses a compelling real-world dataset about Texas death row executions, which makes the learning experience more engaging and meaningful compared to abstract or contrived examples.
  • Well-Structured Progressive Curriculum
    The course is organized in a logical progression from basic SELECT statements to more advanced concepts like aggregations, joins, and subqueries, allowing learners to build knowledge incrementally without feeling overwhelmed.
  • No Setup Required
    There is no need to install any software, set up a database, or configure an environment. Learners can start writing SQL queries immediately in their web browser, removing a significant barrier to entry for beginners.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Scope
    The course covers only fundamental SQL concepts and does not address more advanced topics like window functions, CTEs, indexing, database design, or performance optimization, which are essential for professional SQL usage.
  • Single Database Dialect
    The platform teaches SQL using SQLite, and does not cover syntax differences or features specific to other popular database systems like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, or Oracle, which learners may encounter in real jobs.
  • No Certificate or Credential
    Completing the course does not provide any formal certificate, badge, or credential that learners could use to demonstrate their SQL skills to potential employers or on professional profiles.
  • Limited Practice Exercises
    While the course includes some exercises, the total number of practice problems is relatively small compared to dedicated SQL practice platforms, which may not be sufficient for learners who need extensive repetition to solidify their skills.
  • Single Dataset Can Feel Restrictive
    Using only one dataset throughout the entire course means learners do not get experience working with diverse data schemas, table relationships, or different types of data, which limits exposure to varied real-world scenarios.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Heroku
SSS
Select Star SQL

Overall verdict

  • Heroku is a solid choice for developers seeking a straightforward, cloud-based solution for deploying and managing applications. However, it may not be the most cost-effective option for large-scale or data-intensive applications.

Why this product is good

  • Heroku is a popular platform as a service (PaaS) due to its ease of use, fast deployment process, and robust support for multiple programming languages. It allows developers to focus on building applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. Heroku offers scaling capabilities, a wide variety of add-ons, and a strong developer community.

Recommended for

    Heroku is recommended for startups, small to medium-sized applications, hobby projects, and developers who value ease of use and quick deployment cycles. It is particularly suited for those who are developing web applications in languages such as Ruby, Node.js, Python, and others supported by the platform.

Overall verdict

  • Select Star SQL is an excellent free, interactive online book for learning SQL, praised for its engaging, hands-on approach that lets you write and run queries directly in the browser while working through a compelling real-world dataset.

Why this product is good

  • It's completely free and accessible online with no signup required
  • Features an interactive interface where you can write and execute SQL queries directly in the browser
  • Uses a compelling, thought-provoking dataset (Texas death row executions) that keeps learners engaged
  • Teaches SQL through active problem-solving rather than passive reading
  • Progresses logically from basic concepts to more advanced topics like window functions and self-joins
  • Includes exercises with solutions to reinforce learning
  • Well-written and clearly explained, making complex concepts approachable for beginners

Recommended for

  • Complete beginners who want to learn SQL from scratch
  • Self-taught learners who prefer hands-on, interactive practice
  • Students and professionals looking to build a solid foundation in querying databases
  • Aspiring data analysts and data scientists
  • Anyone wanting a free alternative to paid SQL courses
  • People who learn best by doing rather than just reading theory

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Heroku 2 videos + Add
SSS
Select Star SQL 0 videos + Add

What is Heroku | Ask a Dev Episode 14

More videos

  • - Heroku review

No Select Star SQL videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Heroku
SSS
Select Star SQL
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Heroku 4.5 · 2 reviews
SSS
Select Star SQL no reviews yet

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Heroku 74 mentions
SSS
Select Star SQL 0 mentions

View more

Tracking Select Star SQL since May 2026.

Alternatives to Heroku and Select Star SQL

When comparing Heroku and Select Star SQL, you can also consider the following products.