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Kamal vs Heroku CLI: catalog facts
Kamal	Heroku CLI
Free Free and open source, developed by Basecamp.	Free The CLI is free to install; using it requires a Heroku account.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, Command line
Zero-downtime deploys and rolling restarts Works on any server you can reach over SSH, without a platform subscription	Manage Heroku apps and dynos from a terminal Extendable with official and community plugins
You still maintain and secure the servers yourself Command-line and configuration file only	Only works with the Heroku platform Requires a Heroku account
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.