What it is
The Heroku Platform MCP Server lets an agent list and create apps, deploy, scale and restart dynos, read logs, manage add-ons and pipelines, and work with Heroku Postgres. Heroku itself moved to a "sustaining engineering" model on 6 February 2026: no new features and no new Enterprise contracts, with security and reliability work continuing and no shutdown date announced. The MCP server still ships regular releases, the latest being 1.2.12 on 12 October 2026.
There are two ways to run it. The hosted remote server at https://mcp.heroku.com/mcp uses OAuth through id.heroku.com over Streamable HTTP. Locally, heroku mcp:start reuses your Heroku CLI login (CLI 10.8.1 or later), or npx -y @heroku/mcp-server runs with a HEROKU_API_KEY. The local server works on Common Runtime, Cedar Private and Shield Spaces, and Fir Private Spaces.
The README lists 32 tools in seven groups, 10 of them for Postgres.
Install
https://mcp.heroku.com/mcpOur review
For a team with production apps on Heroku, this covers a useful slice of on-call work: get_app_logs, ps_list and pg_locks to find out why an app is slow, ps_restart or maintenance_on to stop the bleeding, pg_outliers to find the query responsible. The hosted server removes the last bit of friction, since OAuth means no API key sits in a config file.
Several tools deserve caution. pg_psql runs arbitrary SQL, pg_kill ends database processes, pg_upgrade upgrades Postgres, transfer_app hands an app to another owner, and deploy_one_off_dyno runs code with network access on a dyno you pay for. Neither the README nor either Dev Center page describes a read-only mode or OAuth scopes, so the agent can do whatever your account can; a separate lower-privilege team member and the client's approval prompts are the only brakes. Logs and query results are untrusted text that lands in the model's context.
Heroku's February 2026 announcement changes the calculus for anyone not already committed. Credit-card customers see no change to pricing or billing, and the MCP repo still receives dependency bumps and releases, but a server that automates a platform in sustaining mode is a tool for running an existing estate, not a reason to build there. The README also still labels it early development.
Rate limits rarely bite in normal use. The Platform API gives each account a pool of 4,500 request tokens that refills at about 75 a minute, and an agent investigating an incident uses a handful of calls. A runaway loop is another matter: past 75 calls a minute it drains the pool and returns 429 errors to every client on that account, including your own CLI.
Where it earns its place
An on-call engineer at a 10-person SaaS company running on Standard dynos
Work out why the app started returning errors at 2am
The agent pulls get_app_logs, checks ps_list and pg_locks, and proposes a ps_restart. It saves juggling dashboard, CLI and psql; approve every write and keep pg_kill behind a prompt.
A CTO weighing a move off Heroku after the February 2026 announcement
Inventory every app, dyno size and add-on before pricing a migration
list_apps, get_app_info and list_addons build the inventory in one session; multiply by list prices (Standard-1X $25, Performance-M $250 a month) to see today's bill. Read tools only, so the risk is low.
A developer at a small agency
Put a client prototype online for a demo
deploy_to_heroku with an app.json, create_addon for an Essential-0 Postgres, done from the editor. Roughly $10 a month on an Eco dyno plus Essential-0; remember to delete the app afterwards, as the server will not.
Before you commit
- Setup
- Add https://mcp.heroku.com/mcp and log in through the browser (Dev Center gives Cursor and VS Code steps), or run heroku mcp:start with CLI 10.8.1 or later; README configs cover Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Zed, VS Code and Trae.
- Integrations
- 32 tools: 7 for apps, 3 for dynos, 3 for add-ons, 3 for maintenance and logs, 4 for pipelines, 2 for teams and spaces, and 10 for Postgres. Read and write tools are mixed with no separation.
- Data and privacy
- The server acts with your full account rights; no OAuth scopes or read-only mode are documented. Logs and SQL results returned to the model are untrusted content, and the hosted server routes every request through Heroku's infrastructure.
- Cost at scale
- The server is free; what the agent creates is billed at list price: Eco $5, Standard-1X $25, Performance-M $250 a month, Postgres Essential-0 $5 and Standard-0 $50. The Platform API allows about 4,500 calls an hour per account.
- Limits
- Local commands time out after 15 seconds by default (MCP_SERVER_REQUEST_TIMEOUT); there is no tool to set config vars, manage domains or roll back a release; the remote server's tool list is not documented separately.
What's good
- Hosted OAuth endpoint or local CLI login; no key in config
- 32 tools across apps, dynos, add-ons, pipelines and Postgres
- Postgres diagnostics (pg_locks, pg_outliers, pg_ps) suit on-call work
- Regular releases (1.2.12 in October 2026)
What's not
- No read-only mode or scoped permissions documented
- Destructive tools exposed: pg_psql, pg_kill, pg_upgrade, transfer_app
- Heroku in sustaining engineering mode since February 2026
- Still labelled early development
Best for
Existing Heroku teams who want an agent to help operate apps and Heroku Postgres.
Alternatives
Heroku Platform MCP Server: common questions
- Is Heroku Platform MCP Server worth it?
- A capable operations console for teams already on Heroku, attached to a platform that has stopped adding features. We rate it 3.6 out of 5.
- How much does Heroku Platform MCP Server cost?
- Free and Apache-2.0 licensed; no fee for the hosted endpoint. Heroku resources are billed: Eco dynos $5/month, Standard-1X $25/month.
- What are the downsides of Heroku Platform MCP Server?
- No read-only mode or scoped permissions documented; destructive tools exposed: pg_psql, pg_kill, pg_upgrade, transfer_app; heroku in sustaining engineering mode since February 2026; still labelled early development.
- Who is Heroku Platform MCP Server best for?
- Existing Heroku teams who want an agent to help operate apps and Heroku Postgres.
- How much does Heroku Platform MCP Server cost for a team or in production?
- The server is free; what the agent creates is billed at list price: Eco $5, Standard-1X $25, Performance-M $250 a month, Postgres Essential-0 $5 and Standard-0 $50. The Platform API allows about 4,500 calls an hour per account.
- Is Heroku Platform MCP Server safe for company data?
- The server acts with your full account rights; no OAuth scopes or read-only mode are documented. Logs and SQL results returned to the model are untrusted content, and the hosted server routes every request through Heroku's infrastructure.
- What are the best Heroku Platform MCP Server alternatives?
- The closest alternatives we have reviewed are Vercel MCP and Netlify MCP Server.
Answers checked Oct 23, 2026.