Neon

Neon is serverless Postgres with branching and usage-based compute, not an unpriced "best cloud Postgres" essay. Rechecked 2026-08-17: neon.com/pricing (neon.tech/pricing redirects here) sells Free $0, Launch usage-based (page example $15 / mo), and Scale usage-based (page example $701 / mo). Free has no time limit and no credit card. Auth, Object Storage, Functions, and AI Gateway are listed, with Storage/Functions/Gateway still beta. Drop leftover Hello-World blog copy that never printed a seat.

Compare PostgreSQL if you wanted the engine, Supabase if you wanted a BaaS with Auth already metered, and Pinecone if you wanted a dedicated vector service.

Key Features

• Free is capped, not a weekend trial: 100 projects, 100 CU-hrs/month per project, 0.5 GB storage per project, sizes up to 2 CU (8 GB RAM), unlimited team members.
• Launch vs Scale are usage rows: Launch is $0.106/CU-hr and $0.35/GB-month, up to 16 CU. Scale is $0.222/CU-hr, up to 56 CU, with SLA/HIPAA/private network notes. Recheck the live calculator.
• Backend extras are labeled: Managed Better Auth is on every plan. Object Storage, Functions, and AI Gateway are beta with no charges during beta on the page we opened.
• Not Databricks marketing as the product: The page mentions Lakebase Postgres by Databricks. Recheck that relationship; do not invent an acquisition dollar.

Use Cases

• People who will stay on Free $0 and can live with 0.5 GB and 100 CU-hrs.
• People who will accept Launch usage around the $15 example, not a flat $20 seat.
• Teams that need Scale and the higher CU / SLA row.

Limitation: Typical-spend examples are illustrations. We did not invent a flat Pro dollar.

Pricing

neon.com/pricing on 2026-08-17.

If a leftover blog still says Neon is only a generous free tier with no public matrix, treat this table as the source.

Getting Started

1. Open neon.com/pricing and start on Free only if 0.5 GB is enough.
2. Recheck Launch CU-hr before you assume a $15 seat.
3. Recheck Supabase if you wanted a $25 Pro BaaS instead.
4. Do not paste the Hello-World essay into a deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free plan?

Yes. $0, no time limit, no credit card. Caps apply.

Is Launch $15 flat?

No. That is a typical-spend example. Billing is usage-based.

Are Functions and Storage shipped?

They are listed as beta extras, not unfinished forever and not a finished dollar row.

Alternatives

• PostgreSQL: The engine Neon hosts.
• Supabase: Postgres BaaS with Free / Pro $25 / Team $599.
• Pinecone: Managed vector DB, not Postgres.

Tips

1. Quote Free $0 / Launch usage / Scale usage from the live page.
2. Call Auth/storage/functions beta extras, not the core seat.
3. Recheck CU-hr rates before you treat $15 as a contract.

Conclusion

Neon is a priced serverless Postgres with Free $0 plus usage-based Launch and Scale, not an unpriced Hello-World essay. Start at neon.com/pricing, then decide whether Supabase already covers the BaaS you need.