Quick answer
Aiven - Aiven gives you one managed PostgreSQL service with 1 GB of storage and 1 GB of RAM. Turso gives you 100 databases with 5GB of storage shared between them. Both free plans start without a credit card. Turso's first paid plan costs $4.99 a month billed yearly, and Aiven's costs $5.
How the free tiers compare
Aiven's free PostgreSQL service runs on one dedicated VM with 1 CPU, 1 GB of RAM and 1 GB of storage. You cannot pick the cloud or region, and it has no connection pooling. Turso's free plan allows 100 databases, 5GB of total storage, 500 million rows read and 10 million rows written each month, 3GB of monthly syncs and 1 day of point-in-time restore.
Aiven vs Turso free tier, side by side
| AivenFTV 59 | TursoFTV 56 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 1 GB | 5GB total |
| Free databases | One free PostgreSQL service per account | 100 databases |
| Free usage | 1 dedicated VM, 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM | 500 million rows read, 10 million rows written per month |
| Free backups | Automated backups | 1 day of point-in-time restore |
| First paid plan | Developer - $5/mo, 8 GB storage, 1 GB RAM | Developer - $4.99/mo billed yearly, 9GB storage, unlimited databases |
| Next plan up | Hobbyist - from $12/mo, 8 GB storage | Scaler - $24.92/mo billed yearly, 24GB storage |
After you outgrow the free tier
Aiven prices PostgreSQL by plan. Developer costs $5 a month for 8 GB of storage, Hobbyist starts at $12 a month, and Startup starts at $75 a month. Turso's Developer plan costs $4.99 a month billed yearly. It includes 9GB of storage, 2.5 billion rows read and 25 million rows written, then charges $0.75 per GB, $1 per billion reads and $1 per million writes. Scaler costs $24.92 a month billed yearly with 24GB of storage.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Aiven | Turso |
|---|---|---|
| 8 GB of storage | $5/mo for Developer | $4.99/mo billed yearly for Developer, which includes 9GB |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Aiven when…
- You need PostgreSQL and want it managed for you.
- You want 1 GB of RAM reserved for one database.
- Your next step is a flat $5 a month for 8 GB of storage.
Pick Turso when…
- You want many small databases. The free plan allows 100.
- You need more than 1 GB of storage. The free plan has 5GB in total.
- You read far more rows than you write. The free plan allows 500 million reads a month.
Bottom line
Pick Aiven when you need one PostgreSQL database that stays on. Pick Turso for many small databases and more free storage.
Read the full listings: Aiven and Turso. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.