Quick answer
Neon Serverless Postgres - Neon Serverless Postgres wins for most builders who want a free database tier, while Koyeb wins if you need a broader free platform for deploying services, domains, and networking around that database.
How the free tiers compare
These free tiers solve different problems. Neon is a database-first free tier: you get a lot of Postgres-specific runway, including 100 projects, 100 CU-hours per project per month, branching, autoscaling, read replicas, and unlimited team members. It is the better fit when the core need is a managed Postgres backend with collaborative database workflows. Koyeb is a broader application platform: the free tier covers compute credit, serverless Postgres, custom domains, bandwidth, logs, metrics, scaling, and deployment tooling. That makes it more useful when you need to ship and host an app, API, or inference service, not just a database. The tradeoff is that Koyeb’s free tier is more capped and its pricing is easier to outgrow if compute usage rises, while Neon stays centered on per-CU usage and database size.
Koyeb vs Neon Serverless Postgres free tier, side by side
| KoyebFTV 40 | Neon Serverless PostgresFTV 60 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free projects / servicesKoyeb’s limit is for deployed services; Neon’s is for database projects. | Up to 100 services | 100 projects |
| Free compute allowanceKoyeb’s credit is platform compute; Neon bills by CU-hour on paid plans. | $10 included compute credit | 100 CU-hours per project monthly |
| Free database storageNeon’s storage limit is per project. | 1 GB Postgres storage | 0.5 GB storage per project |
| Free team sizeNeon is more generous for collaboration on the free tier. | Up to 10 users | Unlimited team members |
| Free custom domainsThis is a platform feature on Koyeb, not a Neon free-tier item. | 10 custom domains | Not listed |
| Free bandwidthKoyeb includes bandwidth in the free tier; Neon’s input does not list bandwidth. | 1 TB per month | Not listed |
| Free database extrasDifferent shapes of database support: Koyeb bundles a basic managed Postgres, Neon centers database workflow features. | Serverless Postgres included | Autoscaling, Branching, Read Replicas |
After you outgrow the free tier
Koyeb’s paid path starts with Pro at $29/mo plus compute, so it mixes a flat platform fee with additional usage charges. Neon’s paid path is usage-based from the start, with Launch charging $0.106 per CU-hour and $0.35 per GB-month of storage, then Scale increasing the CU-hour rate to $0.222 while keeping storage at $0.35 per GB-month. For light database usage, Neon is usually cheaper because there is no fixed monthly platform fee. As usage grows, Koyeb’s fixed fee can be predictable for app hosting, but compute overages are not priced in the input, so exact crossover points are not available.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Koyeb | Neon Serverless Postgres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 project, 10 CU-hours, 1 GB storageNeon estimate uses $0.106 per CU-hour plus $0.35 per GB-month. | $29/mo + compute overage not specified | ~$1.41/mo est. |
| 1 project, 100 CU-hours, 0.5 GB storageNeon estimate uses Launch rates from the input. | $29/mo + compute overage not specified | ~$10.78/mo est. |
| 5 projects, 500 CU-hours total, 2 GB storageAssumes all usage stays on Launch pricing and storage is summed across projects. | $29/mo + compute overage not specified | ~$53.70/mo est. |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Koyeb when…
- You need to host an API or web service and want the database, domains, and deploy tooling in one place.
- You want 1 TB of monthly bandwidth and a free platform around the database, not just the database itself.
- You need custom domains, CI/CD-style deploy flows, or global app routing on the free tier.
- You are testing a small production app that needs serverless Postgres plus compute and observability together.
Pick Neon Serverless Postgres when…
- Your main need is managed Postgres with generous free project limits and per-project CU-hours.
- You want branching for isolated development, read replicas, and database workflow features on day one.
- You need unlimited team members on the free tier for database collaboration.
- You expect to stay inside a database-only footprint and do not need a general hosting platform.
Bottom line
For the most common builder, Neon Serverless Postgres is the better free-tier starting point if the job is mostly database work. It gives more runway for Postgres-specific development, more collaboration, and usage-based pricing that starts at $0. Koyeb is the better pick when you need to deploy and run the whole app, not just the database. If your free-tier decision is about hosting an API or service with Postgres attached, Koyeb is broader. If it is about a managed database first, Neon is the cleaner fit.
Read the full listings: Koyeb and Neon Serverless Postgres. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.