TreeHost vs Heroku
Both platforms can host oTree experiments. Here's how they differ — and why full isolation and integrated authentication change what's possible for your lab.
| TreeHost | Heroku | |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace isolation | Fully isolated — each workspace has its own database, Redis, and network | Each researcher has their own Heroku account — isolation is per-account, not per experiment |
| Authentication | Integrated — every workspace is protected by your TreeHost login. No oTree admin passwords to manage. |
Manual — you set OTREE_ADMIN_PASSWORD yourself; no SSO or OAuth
|
| Setup time | Upload a zip file — workspace is live in under a minute | Requires creating a Heroku account, configuring a server, and linking it to oTree Hub |
| Pricing model | Priced by participant capacity — you know exactly what you're paying for | Two bills: oTree Hub subscription + Heroku server. Server size is in CPU/RAM — you guess what fits your experiment. |
| oTree versions | 5.9.x, 5.11.x, 6.x — choose the version your experiment was written for | 6.x only — oTree Hub requires Python 3.10+, which is not compatible with older oTree versions |
| HTTPS / SSL | Automatic — all workspaces served over HTTPS | Automatic via Heroku (*.herokuapp.com subdomains) |
| Custom domains | Coming soon | Possible via Heroku paid plans; not managed by oTree Hub |
| Free tier | 3 Solo workspaces, up to 20 participants — free forever | Free oTree Studio account (limited to 4 apps / 8 pages); Heroku server is always paid separately |
Authentication that just works
Every TreeHost workspace is protected by your institutional login automatically. Researchers never touch oTree's admin password — which means no forgotten passwords, no reused credentials, no exposed experiment data.
Full isolation, every time
Each workspace runs in its own Kubernetes namespace with a dedicated Postgres database and Redis. Running concurrent studies? Your experiments never share infrastructure — no noisy-neighbour effects, no data leakage between projects.
One bill, in plain English
oTree Hub charges for a subscription plus a Heroku server — and Heroku pricing is in CPU and RAM, not participants. TreeHost is a single subscription priced by how many participants your experiment needs. No guessing, no second bill.
What does it actually cost?
Ready to run your next experiment?
Start with a free workspace — no credit card required.
Competitor pricing based on publicly available information as of 2026. Heroku pricing based on published rates. All figures subject to change.