# Netrun, VPS or Heroku: what to choose for your project

https://netrun.io/en/blog/kak-vybrat-netrun-vps-heroku

_October 5, 2026 · 4 min read_

> Pick a VPS for full control over the server, Heroku if you have a foreign card and are fine with English-only support, and Netrun to upload code and get a link right away. On a VPS the build, nginx, HTTPS and restarting a crashed process are all on you. On Netrun the language is detected for you, the link comes with HTTPS, and you can pay with a Russian card, SBP or cryptocurrency; the trade-off is less low-level control — no SSH and no root access.

- A VPS gives root access and full freedom to configure, but installing Docker and nginx, SSL certificates, updates and restarting a crashed process stay with the owner.
- Heroku has had no free plan since November 2022.
- Vercel is built for frontends and serverless functions and does not fit an always-running bot or background script.
- Netrun runs projects in Python, Node.js, Go, Rust, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Deno, Bun and Elixir, static sites and bash scripts, and also accepts your own Dockerfile and docker-compose.
- The Netrun Free plan has one project: a website sleeps after 15 minutes of inactivity and wakes up on its own, while a bot runs for a limited time.

Usually picking a place for your project turns into a job of its own. On a VPS you install Docker yourself, set up nginx and SSL, keep track of updates and pay for the server every month. Foreign platforms are more convenient, but you pay in foreign currency, a Russian card may be declined, and support answers only in English. Figuring out which of these actually suits you is sometimes harder than writing the code itself.

Netrun has no server to manage: you upload your code, the platform detects the language on its own, builds the project and gives you a public HTTPS link — no renting a VPS, no Docker or nginx by hand, with payment by a Russian card or SBP and support in Russian. Below is an honest comparison of the options and the criteria worth choosing by.

**Netrun, VPS and Heroku compared**

| Criterion | Netrun | VPS | Heroku |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Server setup | None: language and build are detected for you | All yours: OS, Docker, nginx, auto-start | None; the start command usually goes in a Procfile |
| How code gets there | Archive, folder, GitHub or straight from an AI editor | However you set it up: git, copying files | git push or a connected GitHub repository |
| HTTPS | Issued automatically | You issue and renew it | Available on the default app address |
| Root access and SSH | No | Full | No root access |
| Free option | One project: a site sleeps and wakes on its own, a bot runs for a limited time | Usually none | None since November 2022 |
| Paying with a Russian card | Yes, plus SBP and cryptocurrency | Depends on the provider | Needs a foreign card |
| App files between updates | Kept in the /data folder | Stay on the server disk | Filesystem is temporary; data lives in external services |
| Support | In Russian | Depends on the provider | In English |

## 1. Decide whether you need full control over the server

A VPS gives you root access and complete freedom to configure things — the right choice when a project needs low-level control or non-standard infrastructure. But Docker, nginx, SSL, updates, monitoring and paying for the server are all on you. For a first bot, a pet project or a website this is usually needless hassle.

## 2. Think about how you prefer to pay and talk to support

Heroku, Railway and Render are convenient, but they need a foreign card, a Russian one may be declined, and support is English only. If that is a barrier for you, choose a service that accepts a Russian card and SBP. On Netrun prices are shown in dollars, but you pay with a Russian card or via SBP — your card is charged the ruble amount at the current rate, and support speaks Russian too.

## 3. Understand what type of project you have

Vercel is great for frontend and serverless functions, but not for an arbitrary backend or a Telegram bot. If you have a bot, a background script or an ordinary server app, you need a service that runs any code. Netrun runs projects in Python, Node.js, Go, Rust, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET, Deno, Bun, Elixir, as well as static sites and bash scripts — or it takes your own Dockerfile and docker-compose with several services at once.

## 4. Weigh how much manual work you are ready to take on

On a VPS you get maximum control, but also maximum routine: building, exposing ports, certificates, restarting a crashed process — it is all yours. Netrun is a middle ground here: there is less low-level control than on a bare server, but the build, HTTPS and automatic restart on failure are handled for you, and the logs and deployment status are visible in your dashboard in real time.

## 5. Keep the Free plan specifics in mind

On the Netrun Free plan you get one project. A website can live there for free as long as you want: after 15 minutes of inactivity it goes to sleep and wakes itself up in a couple of seconds when someone opens it, so the first response will be a bit slower. Bots and background scripts are different: there is nothing to wake them over HTTP. A bot has no public link — it reaches out to Telegram, not the other way around. That is why a bot or a background script on the Free plan runs for a limited time and then shuts down: your code, settings and secrets stay where they are, and a warning arrives shortly before. If a website has to answer instantly, with no wake-up delay, or a bot has to run with no time limit, the Pro plan covers that. Extra projects come as places added to a paid plan: the Free plan has none.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. A VPS is worth taking when you truly need full control over the system and are ready to maintain it yourself. Foreign platforms will do if you have a foreign card and are fine with support in English. Vercel is good for frontend and serverless functions. And if you just want to upload your code — a bot, a website or any backend — and get a working link without fussing over infrastructure, with payment by a Russian card or SBP and support in Russian, then Netrun covers exactly this case, in exchange for part of the low-level control. [Try Netrun](https://netrun.io/).

Related guides: [Telegram bot without a VPS](https://netrun.io/blog/telegram-bot-bez-vps), [a static site](https://netrun.io/blog/staticheskiy-sayt).

## Common questions

### Which is easier for a beginner: a VPS or Netrun?

Netrun: you do not install an OS, Docker or nginx, issue a certificate or set up auto-start — you just upload the code. A VPS is only easier for someone who already knows server administration and wants full control.

### Can I move a project from Heroku to Netrun?

Yes, if it is a regular app in a supported language. Move the environment variables from your Heroku settings into secrets, make sure the app listens on 0.0.0.0 and the port from the PORT variable, and upload the code. Replace a Heroku add-on database with an external database or a service in docker-compose: Netrun has no managed database service.

### What does Netrun lack compared with a VPS?

There is no SSH or terminal, no root access, no built-in task scheduler, no managed database, no CDN and no object storage. Schedules are handled inside the app, and a database runs as a docker-compose service or externally. If you need to set all of that up by hand, a VPS is a better fit.

### Does Vercel work for a Telegram bot?

Not for a bot that keeps polling Telegram: Vercel runs serverless functions for the duration of a request rather than keeping a process on. A bot like that needs a service that runs an ordinary always-on process.

### Can I pay for Netrun without a foreign card?

Yes. Prices are shown in dollars, but you can pay with a Russian card or SBP — the card is charged in rubles at the current rate — or with cryptocurrency. Payment is one-off for a month, three months or a year, with no automatic charges.