Cloud PostgreSQL entry point
Classify compatibility and ownership before comparing price and features
Free PostgreSQL
Free limits and production boundaries for Supabase, Neon, Aiven, Nhost, Prisma, Koyeb, and Render.
Service map
Positioning and constraints across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Neon, and Supabase.
Production checklist
Validate recovery, compatibility, connections, extensions, and exit cost.
“Cloud PostgreSQL” is not one product category. Classify the service first to understand which PostgreSQL assumptions remain valid:
| Category | Examples | Compatibility boundary | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed community PostgreSQL | Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, Cloud SQL, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Alibaba Cloud RDS, TencentDB | Runs a community engine, while host access, parameters, extensions, and upgrades are platform-controlled | Preserve strong SQL/tool compatibility while delegating patching, backup, and HA |
| PostgreSQL-compatible enhanced engine | Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible, AlloyDB | Protocol and broad SQL compatibility; vendor implements storage, replication, release cadence, and some behavior | Trade some portability for elasticity, read scaling, or analytical/AI features |
| Developer data platform | Neon, Supabase | PostgreSQL is central, with platform-specific connection, branching, auth, API, realtime, or suspend semantics | Fast delivery, preview environments, small operations teams, or full-stack products |
Compatible does not mean identical
A successful driver connection only proves wire-protocol compatibility. Validate extension versions, parameters, catalog views, replication, poolers, backup export, maintenance restarts, and failover behavior before launch.
Ownership boundary
Managed services commonly own infrastructure, patch orchestration, automated backups, and some failover. The application team still owns:
- schemas, constraints, indexes, SQL, and transaction design;
- connection budgets, pooling mode, and retry policy;
- explicit RPO/RTO and real restore drills;
- data access, keys, networking, and least privilege;
- slow queries, bloat, long transactions, vacuum, and cost controls;
- major-version upgrades, extension upgrades, and an exit plan.
AWS explicitly identifies query tuning as the customer's responsibility for Aurora—a useful starting model for every managed database. See the Amazon Aurora overview.
Recommended decision order
- State residency, compliance, RPO, RTO, peak connections, latency, and budget limits.
- Confirm the required PostgreSQL major version and the exact versions of extensions.
- Benchmark representative data and SQL; do not substitute vendor headline numbers.
- Exercise maintenance, failover, PITR, connection exhaustion, and regional failure.
- Export with native tools and restore into an independent PostgreSQL environment once.
Facts in this section were checked on 2026-08-02. Cloud features, regions, and plans change quickly; re-check official documentation during procurement and launch.
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