MongoDB hosting options now that Heroku mLab add-on is being removed

Question

I have a service I'm hosting on Heroku right now, and I'm using the mLab add-on to ensure that the deployed version is able to write to the database etc. What can I do now? I'm confused since I received this email:

The mLab team has chosen to discontinue this add-on. The mLab MongoDB add-on will be removed from all Heroku apps on November 10, 2020. We advise you to remove the mLab MongoDB add-on yourself before September 1, 2020 via the Dashboard or the CLI.

Anyone have any words of advice? Should I get off Heroku? In case this is easier with AWS (I've never used AWS before though).

Foresaid

You can change to Mongo atlas free tier. You do not need a Heroku add-on to connect to Atlas. The Object Rocket (suggested by Heroku themselves, have a ridiculous paid plan for hobby project (min $46 a month)). – Desiderate

Answer 1

Pretty straightforward comment above answered - "You do not need an addon to use Atlas. – D. SM 17 hours ago" So just go ahead with the Sandbox free tier.

Foresaid

Actually, it looks like the Atlas service also has a Free Tier, with 512MBs storage. They've also posted a migration guide for their Heroku add-on to Atlas, which I'm going to give a shot: docs.mlab.com/how-to-migrate-sandbox-heroku-addons-to-atlas – Bonitabonito

Update: I was able to follow their migration guide (very complete and well done, btw) and connected to the free tier for Atlas and my Heroku app is up and running again! FWIW, I was using Heroku to run an errbit server for my Rails app. The only hiccup was obtaining the correct connection URI to connect to the new Atlas DB/cluster to enter into the Heroku config vars. You can get the URI from the 'Connect' button on the Atlas cluster, and inserting your password/dbname in the string. – Bonitabonito

Exaclty, Im currently using mongodb Atlas with an API hosted in heroku using docker and work flawless. – Licking

Answer 2

mLab isn't the only MongoDB game in town: the ObjectRocket for MongoDB addon looks like another easy option.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you could continue to use mLab, but not via an addon. You'd just have to point your application at your separately managed mLab database.

Turnspit

Is ObjectRocket free? The tiers I saw had the lowest cost one of 2GB 2 $46/mo – Foresaid

I don't know. I've never used it. My point is that there are other options besides mLab, and just because they're pulling their addon doesn't mean you need to get off of Heroku. – Turnspit

I'm also looking for a free alternative that's compatible with Heroku, but one doesn't seem to exist. And there isn't a way to install mongoDB onto Heroku dyno directly either. Bummer. – Bonitabonito

It's a $46/mo alternative, and the only addon alternative. Not an answer – Desiderate

@JonasPraem, this question isn't about a free alternative. Just an alternative. I'm sure the old mLab add-on had paid plans as well. This is definitely an answer. – Turnspit

Answer 3

mLab was acquired by MongoDB, its users are encouraged and will eventually need to migrate to MongoDB Atlas.

There is no add-on required to use Atlas, and Atlas provides a free tier. I am unfamiliar with mLab costs but I imagine depending on usage Atlas may be cheaper or more expensive than mLab.

You can use other hosted MongoDB services as the other answer mentions. Due to MongoDB license change to SSPL the other services are now required to negotiate individual agreements with MongoDB Inc. to offer MongoDB database as a service. Some services (e.g. ObjectRocket) have done this and are offering current MongoDB versions (4.4 as of this writing); others haven't and are limited to 4.0 and earlier versions.

Insecticide

ObjectRocket currently claims to support the latest version of MongoDB. Is that not the case? – Scratchy

Which version are they claiming to support and which version do you think is the latest one? – Insecticide

They are claiming to support 4.2, I'm pretty sure that's still the latest version – Scratchy

Okay, I adjusted my wording a bit to be less categorical. – Insecticide

So the situation is I am actually using MongoDB Atlas. I'm new to it too. I found Heroku to be a straightforward solution to hosting my website while still ensuring that my MongoDB database was connected and readable/writable. Is there a way other than an add-on through Heroku to connect to MongoDB that I'm not seeing? Thank you so much for your help. – Foresaid

You do not need an addon to use Atlas. – Insecticide