heroku - Advice wanted for a hosting provider for my Rails based App -

i'm going deploying ruby on rails based application server soon, , i'm wondering if of have suggestions or advice. main concerns reliability, price, ease of use. anticipate app being used whole world (think optimistic!).

i'm looking @ amazon, because they're 'amazon' , trustworthy. , way offer free service year, 10 users, because weeks before actively start looking customers , i'd familiar hosting environment before shelling out money.

why prices these things hard figure out? talk of 'on demand instances'...and heroku - dynos, gears, engines...for example, how amazon or heroku cost if had 20,000 visitors site each month - regularly spread out on month, not coming in spikes or peaks or key times? there's no video or intensive on site - each user has page, on can add comments, that's it, , search other peoples pages.

a lot of talk points heroku concerns heroku are:

1. my app uses mysql database, not posgres. problem?

2. there's 'invite email' system in app, said might not work in heroku's environment. resque work on heroku? pain having load of source code changes if price of hosting (when users) on heroku ends being around same on amazon.

any other good, reliable, price efficient, easy use providers out there you'd recommend? easy switch 1 provider another, if case need be?

thanks help.

c.

my app uses mysql database, not posgres. problem?

you can install mysql elsewhere , point heroku app instance. however, not recommend so. pg superior in several places, may want use pg in case. hosting pg app heroku straightforward.

there's 'invite email' system in app, said might not work in heroku's environment.

it works. need configure mailer , use smtp service. there several add-on if don't have one.

does resque work on heroku?

yes, does, you'll have run separate dyno them.

my suggestion face problems when arise. if heroku fits current needs, start heroku , deploy app.

run heroku while. feel heroku not solving problems, can either scale on heroku or alternatives. @ point, you'll have application , running while , you'll have better idea on need , don't.