Setting up a free PostgreSQL database on Heroku

— 2 minute read

Recently I wanted to explore Postgres databases for a specific use case. However, this use case needed the database to be hosted online.

Then I found out you can quickly set up a free Postgres database on Heroku!

In this article, I'll show you how you can also create your own free Postgres database.

Do note this database will be limited to the free plan. It's easy for prototyping but might be too limited for your existing apps.

Set up Heroku and your first app

First of all, we need to create or log into our Heroku account. Do todo this head over to their website and follow the login/signup process.

Heroku website

Once your login, add a new app by clicking the "new" button.

Heroku add new app

Give this app a name and pick a region that works for you.

Heroku new app

Once your app is set up, we need to visit the resource panel and search for 'Postgres' to add this add-on.

Add Postgres to Heroku

On the next step, it's crucial to pick the hobby tier as this is the only free one.

Hobby tier Postgres on Heroku

Viewing the database credentials

To find the database credentials click on the Postgres add-on in your resource overview.

Open up Postgres details

This will open up a new page where you can view the actual Postgres database in more detail. To find the credentials open up the settings menu.

Credentials for Postgres on Heroku

Use these credentials in a database explorer for instance to connect to it. (I'll be using TablePlus)

Connect to Postgres on Heroku

And there you go, we now have a free Postgres database we can use!

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