Quick answer
Koyeb - Koyeb wins for most builders who want to ship apps or APIs on a free tier, while CockroachDB wins if the free tier is specifically for a distributed SQL database with stronger database-native limits and no card requirement.
How the free tiers compare
These free tiers solve different problems. CockroachDB is the clearer choice when the center of gravity is the database itself: you get a PostgreSQL-compatible distributed SQL service, 50 million request units, 10 GiB of storage, and on-demand compute that scales to zero. It also has the stronger free-tier posture for database work because Basic and Standard explicitly do not require a credit card. Koyeb is broader application hosting. Its free tier is not just database-shaped, it includes serverless compute, deployments, bandwidth, logs, metrics, domains, and a managed Postgres offering, so it fits builders who need to run code and ship services, not just store data. The tradeoff is that Koyeb’s free tier is smaller in direct credit terms and the paid path starts from a flat monthly fee plus compute, while CockroachDB’s paid path is usage-based from the start.
CockroachDB vs Koyeb free tier, side by side
| CockroachDBFTV 62 | KoyebFTV 40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free compute / database runtimeDifferent units, but both free tiers include runtime capacity. | On-demand compute that scales to zero | Free compute credit: $10 included compute for the Pro plan |
| StorageCockroachDB’s free storage allotment is larger for database storage. | 10 GiB storage free per month | 1 GB Postgres storage included |
| Database resourcesKoyeb’s free database is narrower and time-capped. | Distributed SQL with PostgreSQL compatibility | Free Postgres: 5 hours per month at $0/hr; 0.25 vCPU and 1 GB RAM |
| BandwidthKoyeb publishes a free bandwidth quota; CockroachDB input does not. | Not specified | 1 TB per month included |
| Custom domainsOnly Koyeb in the provided data includes this on the free tier. | Not specified | 10 custom domains included |
| Credit card requiredOnly state this for CockroachDB because the field is explicitly present. | No | Not stated |
| Availability SLAThese are the free-tier or included-plan claims surfaced in the input. | 99.99% availability | 99.9% uptime SLA |
After you outgrow the free tier
CockroachDB’s paid path is usage-based, starting with Standard at 2 vCPUs from $0.18/hr, then Advanced at 4 vCPUs from $0.60/hr. Koyeb’s paid path is flatter at the plan level: Pro is $29/mo plus compute, Scale is $299/mo plus compute, and Enterprise is custom. That means Koyeb is easier to budget at the plan level, but CockroachDB can stay cheaper for small or spiky database workloads because you pay from usage upward. The cost gap widens as you need more provisioned compute or stronger enterprise controls.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | CockroachDB | Koyeb |
|---|---|---|
| baseline small deployment beyond free tierCockroachDB’s listed starting price is hourly; Koyeb’s is monthly plus compute. | ~$0.18/hr plus storage/usage | $29/mo +compute |
| heavier database workload needing more provisioned computeAdvanced starts at 4 vCPUs for CockroachDB. | ~$0.60/hr plus storage/usage | $29/mo +compute |
| team with more than 10 users and moderate app hosting needsKoyeb Scale includes 50 users and 1000 services; CockroachDB pricing input does not provide comparable seat-based tiers. | Contact sales or usage-based pricing only from the provided data | $299/mo +compute |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick CockroachDB when…
- You need a PostgreSQL-compatible distributed SQL database as the core product, not just a place to run app code.
- You want no credit card required for the free database tier.
- You expect database usage to stay within 50 million request units and 10 GiB storage per month.
- You care about database features like multi-region support, IP allowlisting, and vector data alongside transactional data.
Pick Koyeb when…
- You want to deploy APIs, web apps, or background services as well as use a database.
- You need built-in deployment tooling like CLI, API, Terraform, Pulumi, and GitHub push deploys.
- You want a broader free hosting envelope with bandwidth, custom domains, logs, metrics, and autoscaling.
- You expect to start on a simple flat-priced paid plan once you outgrow the free tier.
Bottom line
For the most common builder deciding on a free tier, Koyeb is the better fit if you need to deploy an app, API, or service and want the free tier to cover the surrounding platform pieces too. CockroachDB is the better pick if your main need is a database and you care about no-card access, stronger included database quotas, and a more database-first free plan. If you outgrow the free tier, CockroachDB becomes usage-based quickly, while Koyeb moves into a clearer monthly plan.
Read the full listings: CockroachDB and Koyeb. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.