Guidance for Choosing a Dyno
Last updated January 23, 2025
Table of Contents
Here’s some general guidance for choosing a dyno tier and size, depending on which runtime you deploy to. Most apps deploy to the Common Runtime. You can read more about runtimes here.
Choosing a Dyno Tier
First, choose a tier that has the features your app needs.
Common Runtime
4 tiers of dynos are available in the Common Runtime. If you need:
- a solution for low traffic apps or prototypes, try Eco or Basic dynos.
- robust performance, try Standard dynos.
- dedicated compute resources, try Performance dynos.
Private Spaces Runtime
Cedar Generation
The Cedar generation of this runtime supports two types of spaces: Heroku Private Spaces and Shield Private Spaces. Each type of space offers its own tier of available dynos.
For apps that require dedicated networking, most users run Private dynos in Private Spaces.
If your app also requires HIPAA-compliance in addition to private networking, use Shield dynos in a Shield space.
Fir Generation
The Fir generation of this runtime supports one type of space: Private Spaces. You can only use Fir dynos in Fir spaces.
Mixing Dynos Tiers
An app can use a mix of Standard- and Performance-tier dynos. For example, an app can run its web process type on performance-m dynos while running a worker on a standard-1x dyno.
If your app uses any other dyno tier, it can only use dynos from that tier for all process types. For example, an app that uses Basic-tier dynos can only use basic dynos for all its process types. An app that uses Private-tier dynos can only use private-* dynos for all of its process types. An app that uses Fir-tier dynos can only use Fir dynos for all of its process types.
Choosing a Dyno Size
After choosing a dyno tier based on the features your app needs, you must also decide on the size of dyno to use. Different sizes have different compute and memory resources. For specifications on individual plans, see Technical Specifications by Dyno Size.
While looking at technical specifications is a good place to start, the only way to find the appropriate size for your app is to conduct testing. See our articles on Application Load Testing and Optimizing Dyno Usage for more detailed guidance.
Additional Reading
Read these articles to learn more about dynos and working with your dyno formation: