Where Aiven's free tier stops
Aiven Aiven's free tier is always on, but it stops at small, service-specific ceilings. PostgreSQL and MySQL each get 1 GB storage and 1 GB RAM, Kafka gets up to 250 kb/s in and out with retention up to 3 days, and OpenSearch gets 20 GB storage, 4 GB RAM, and up to 20 shards. You can run only one free service per service type per account, and only single-node setups are included, so high availability is not part of the free plan.
Switch table
| Aiven | Nhost | Nile | Amazon RDS | Rivestack | CockroachDB | Prisma | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| database storage | PostgreSQL 1 GB, MySQL 1 GB, OpenSearch 20 GB | Database 1 GB | 1 GB storage | 20 GB SSD storage for 12 months | 2 GB storage | 10 GiB storage per month | 500 MB storage |
| compute or memory | PostgreSQL 1 GB RAM, MySQL 1 GB RAM, OpenSearch 4 GB RAM | Not stated in free_tier_items | Not stated in free_tier_items | Not stated in free_tier_items | 256 MB RAM | On-demand compute that scales to zero | Not stated in free_tier_items |
| network or request allowance | Kafka up to 250 kb/s in and out | 5 GB egress | 50 million serverless query tokens | Up to 750 instance hours per month for 12 months | Not stated in free_tier_items | 50 million request units per month | 100,000 Prisma Postgres operations |
| service types on free tier | PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, OpenSearch | PostgreSQL-backed app platform | PostgreSQL with vector support | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server Express | Shared PostgreSQL with pgvector | Distributed SQL database | Prisma Postgres and Prisma Accelerate |
| high availability or scaling | Single-node only, no HA | Automated deployments, no HA claim in free_tier_items | Autoscaling included | Single-AZ only in free tier | No HA in free_tier_items | Scale to zero and 99.99% availability | Not stated in free_tier_items |
| database count or projects | One free service per service type per account | 1 project per organization | Unlimited databases and tenant databases | One database instance allowance during the 12-month intro period | Not stated in free_tier_items | Not stated in free_tier_items | Up to 50 databases |
| Card required | - | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| First paid tier | - | Pro from $25/month | Pro $15/month | Varies by usage | Solo $15/month | Varies by usage | Starter $10/month |
The alternatives
Nhost
FTV 55 / 100Nhost gives you a free backend platform built around PostgreSQL, with 1 project per organization, 1 GB database storage, 1 GB file storage, 5 GB egress, up to 10 functions, unlimited authenticated users, social OAuth providers, IaC support, and automated deployments. That makes it more complete than Aiven if you want the database plus the app layer around it. It falls short on raw database and cache options, since it is centered on one PostgreSQL-backed project rather than separate managed Kafka or OpenSearch services. Switch if you want one free place for auth, storage, functions, and a database.
- Beats Aiven: Broader app-backend features around the database
- Falls short: No free Kafka or OpenSearch service types
- Who should switch: Switch to Nhost if you want a free PostgreSQL-centered backend with auth, storage, functions, and deployments in one place.
Nile
FTV 48 / 100Nile's free tier includes unlimited databases and tenant databases, unlimited vector embeddings, tenant isolation, 50 million serverless query tokens, 1 GB storage, 500 connections, autoscaling, all-region availability, connection pooling, cross-tenant analytics, social and magic auth, APIs, and community plus email support. It beats Aiven on multi-tenant database architecture and free query headroom, especially for B2B apps that need isolation and analytics across tenants. It falls short if you want managed Kafka or OpenSearch, since it is focused on Postgres and vector use cases. Switch if your app is built around tenant-aware PostgreSQL.
- Beats Aiven: Unlimited databases and tenant-aware Postgres features
- Falls short: No free Kafka or OpenSearch
- Who should switch: Switch to Nile if your app needs multi-tenant PostgreSQL with vector support and plenty of free query capacity.
Amazon RDS
FTV 43 / 100Amazon RDS's free tier is an intro offer that includes up to 750 instance hours per month on select single-AZ databases for 12 months, plus 20 GB of SSD storage and 20 GB of automated backup storage. Eligible engines include MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server Express Edition. It beats Aiven on mainstream engine breadth for relational workloads and offers a larger storage allowance than Aiven's 1 GB database tiers. It falls short because it expires after 12 months and does not include Kafka or OpenSearch. Switch if you are fine with a time-limited starter offer on RDS.
- Beats Aiven: More relational engine options and higher database storage
- Falls short: Only a 12-month intro offer, not always free
- Who should switch: Switch to Amazon RDS if you want a time-limited managed relational database intro plan and do not need perpetual free access.
Rivestack
FTV 49 / 100Rivestack's free plan gives you shared PostgreSQL with pgvector enabled, 256 MB RAM, 2 GB storage, shared CPU, SSL encryption, and community support. It beats Aiven for vector search on a PostgreSQL stack, since pgvector is built in and the service is aimed at Postgres users who want embeddings support from day one. It falls short on capacity and breadth, because the free plan is a small shared database tier and does not offer Kafka or OpenSearch. Switch if you want a lightweight pgvector-ready database and can live with small shared limits.
- Beats Aiven: Built-in pgvector for PostgreSQL
- Falls short: Very small shared limits and no Kafka or OpenSearch
- Who should switch: Switch to Rivestack if your main need is a free pgvector-capable PostgreSQL instance.
CockroachDB
FTV 51 / 100CockroachDB's Basic plan includes 50 million request units and 10 GiB storage per month, on-demand compute and storage that scale to zero, multi-region support for select AWS and GCP regions, IP allowlisting, 99.99% availability, vector data integration, and tools like MCP, CLI, and Agent Skills. It beats Aiven on distributed SQL, multi-region behavior, and built-in availability, which is useful when uptime and geo-distribution matter more than a specific single-node database limit. It falls short on service variety, since it is a database platform rather than a broad managed data lineup. Switch if you want a free distributed SQL starting point.
- Beats Aiven: Distributed SQL with multi-region and 99.99% availability
- Falls short: No free Kafka or OpenSearch service types
- Who should switch: Switch to CockroachDB if you want a free distributed SQL database with multi-region support and scale-to-zero behavior.
Prisma
FTV 58 / 100Prisma's free plan includes 100,000 Prisma Postgres operations, 500 MB storage, up to 50 databases, 60,000 Prisma Accelerate operations, first 1 KiB per query egress, community support, and GDPR compliance. It beats Aiven on database count and developer workflow, especially if you want managed Postgres plus Prisma's ORM and tooling around it. It falls short on raw infrastructure services, since this is focused on Prisma Postgres and Accelerate rather than Kafka or OpenSearch. Switch if you want a developer-first database platform with a generous free starter shape.
- Beats Aiven: Developer tooling and up to 50 databases
- Falls short: No free Kafka or OpenSearch service types
- Who should switch: Switch to Prisma if you want a free, developer-focused Postgres platform with built-in ORM tooling.
Two quick picks
CockroachDB
CockroachDB is the closest if you want a managed database replacement with no card required, a perpetual free allowance, and similar operational simplicity for relational workloads. It is still a database-first service, so the behavior change is smaller than moving to a broader app platform.
Nile
Nile gives the most room before paying because its free plan includes unlimited databases and tenant databases, 50 million query tokens, autoscaling, 500 connections, and unlimited users and tenants. For many database-heavy apps, that leaves the most runway.
Frequently asked questions
Which alternative is closest if I only use Aiven for PostgreSQL?
CockroachDB and Nile are the closest relational replacements, but Nile is the better fit if you need free headroom for tenant-aware Postgres, while CockroachDB is better if you want distributed SQL and scale-to-zero behavior.
Which alternative has the best free tier for vector workloads?
Nile is the strongest option here because it includes unlimited vector embeddings, tenant isolation, and query tokens. Rivestack is also a good fit if you specifically want pgvector inside PostgreSQL.
Which alternative is truly always free with no card required?
Nhost, Nile, Rivestack, CockroachDB, and Prisma all say no credit card is required in the provided data. Amazon RDS does not, and its free tier is only an intro offer.
What should I pick if I need more than one database service type?
None of these alternatives match Aiven's mix of PostgreSQL, MySQL, Kafka, and OpenSearch on one free plan. If you need that variety for free, Aiven remains the most direct fit, but if you only need a database platform, CockroachDB, Nile, or Prisma are better matches.
Bottom line
For most builders, Nile is the best alternative to Aiven because it gives the most free headroom without a card requirement: unlimited databases, unlimited tenant databases, unlimited vector embeddings, 50 million query tokens, autoscaling, and connection pooling. If your use case is mostly PostgreSQL rather than Aiven's broader mix of database and messaging services, Nile is the cleanest place to switch before you have to pay. If you need Kafka or OpenSearch, though, you will want a different path.
Read the full listing for Aiven. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more alternatives on /alternatives, or head-to-head comparisons on /compare.